A peculiar nanostructure of encapsulation of SnO2/Sn nanoparticles into mesoporous carbon nanowires (CNWs) has been successfully fabricated by a facile strategy and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterizations. The 1D mesoporous CNWs effectively accommodate the strain of volume change, prevent the aggregation and pulverization of nanostructured SnO2/Sn, and facilitate electron and ion transport throughout the electrode. Moreover, the void space surrounding SnO2/Sn nanoparticles also provides buffer spaces for the volumetric change of SnO2/Sn during cycling, thus resulting in excellent cycling performance as potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Even after 499 cycles, a reversible capacity of 949.4 mAh g(-1) is retained at 800 mA g(-1). Its unique architecture should be responsible for the superior electrochemical performance.