Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% Review (2024)

FAQs

How many miles do Nike Vaporfly 4 last? ›

If we had to put a number to the Vaporfly's durability, it should last 400 miles with a midfoot striking pattern.

This shoe is meant for marathons but not training for marathons. I would say this shoe can last about 4 to 5 marathons which is ~200-250 miles.

An independent study published in 2022 by Joubert compared different brands of super shoes and found that the Nike Vaporfly improved running economy by about 2.7 percent at speeds of 16 kilometers an hour (or 6:02 mile pace) compared to a control shoe.

Matt: The Nike Vaporfly 3 is a super racing shoe for those that want a highly responsive and fast ride for 5k to the marathon. The fit is higher volume in the forefoot and snug in the rest of the shoe.

Vaporfly Mode

For that reason, these sneakers actually should be worn for everyday use and walking. And, for that matter, if you ever see a model called a 'Vaporfly,' you will know that they are strictly meant for serious runs.

Running in a high-efficiency shoe like the Vaporfly means less wear and tear on the body, helping you perform your best during key workouts. You'll still need an adequate recovery shoe in your rotation, but we strongly recommend lacing up your Vaporflys for speed workouts and tempo runs to reap major training benefits.

If you are looking to run a race in something like the Vaporfly, Steve Crnic from Brooklyn Running Co. suggests to start breaking them in about 2 weeks before a race in your final weeks of training before wearing them on race day.

You should generally replace your running shoes every 300–500 miles. That's because it's around this point that the midsole cushioning on most shoes will lose resiliency and stop absorbing shock as well as when newer, which can cause more impact on your muscles and joints.

It also helps keep them lightweight. This is personal preference, but I just find the flyknit super comfortable like a nice pair of socks. (Note, I DO wear socks with these but I've heard some people don't.)

I still think the Vaporfly is the fastest and most versatile super shoe, good for 5ks to marathon racing. For runners who like/need a lot of midsole underfoot, the VF3 might be slightly less of a marathon choice as compared to other options, including the VF1.

How effective is the Nike Vaporfly? ›

Traditional running shoes generally use ethylene vinyl-acetate foam, which returns about 65% of the energy you put into it, according to Burns. The Vaporfly, by contrast, uses a new type of foam called Pebax, which is about 87% efficient.

The Alphafly, Nike's self-described fastest shoe to date, is touted by the company as a “collaboration” with the man who is both the ultimate poster child for the shoe's efficacy and a kind of talisman for all that is good and wholesome about the sport of distance running.

On one hand, the Alphafly is the most super of the super shoes on the market right now. The air pods make it feel faster than the Vaporfly Next% 2, plus the fact that Kipchoge wore it for, what Nike called, "the ultimate test run" proves how groundbreaking the shoes are.

Experience Running some Rocky Trails in Vaporfly 4%

Given my concerns about twisting an ankle in them, I used them with ankle braces. The combination worked pretty well, but is not recommended. The stiff carbon plate offered terrific protection from all the sharp volcanic rocks on the trail.

Sizing update: after taking the Next% 3 for a test run, our team suggests purchasing this shoe in a 1/2 size bigger than your typical running shoes. If you've worn previous versions of the Nike Vaporfly Next%, you should be comfortable in the same size.

Vaporfly or Alphafly for 5K? The Nike Vaporfly's lighter weight and single carbon fiber plate make it an excellent choice for shorter races. The shoe's advanced foam technology provides excellent cushioning and energy return, which can help runners maintain a faster pace over the course of a 5k race.

The upper and the sole of the Zoom Fly 4 now work together and the shoe feels much more cohesive. Not only is it a great training companion to the Vaporfly Next% 2 but it's also one of my favourites of all the training companions because of how stiff its carbon plate is- it gives you a similar feel to a racer.

Every version of the Vaporfly has had a full-length carbon plate sandwiched by a chunky stack of Nike's ZoomX foam. This is a PEBA-based foam that is lightweight, and exceptionally soft and bouncy. When combined with the plate it produces a propulsive-yet-comfortable ride that's great for road races.

Caring for your carbon-plated running shoes

It should be noted that most carbon-plated running shoes will “expire” before traditional running shoes as the carbon plate deteriorates. While a conventional shoe may last 300-500 miles, a carbon-plated shoe may only last 150-200.

There is also about 2 mm more stack height and extra foam in the Nike Vaporfly 3. This extra foam saves energy, and a slightly firmer foam gives the Vaporfly 3 more stability. The Vaporfly is not a stable shoe and isn't even good at stability, but it provides more stability than previous versions.

What distance should running shoes last? ›

How often should you replace your running shoes? It's generally accepted that the standard lifespan of road running shoes is somewhere between 300 miles and 500 miles, or around 500-800km if you're that way inclined, and lightweight shoes tend to be somewhere between 250 and 300 miles.

If you've never run in the Vaporfly, it's important to work into them slowly. Since they are relatively unstable and emphasize the Achilles, you might find yourself sorer in the calves or Achilles.

So while runners may not get injured, their susceptibility to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) may increase when switching to carbon shoes. 'DOMS indicates you are using muscles in a different way than before,' adds Rice.

Therefore, carbon-plated shoes could make someone run faster as a result of increasing energy return as well as by reducing the rate of muscular fatigue. Thus, in theory, these shoes will help athletes arrive at the most fatiguing stages of running races with less soreness in their muscles and more energy remaining.

Experts recommend you replace your running shoes every 500 to 750 kilometers. That's roughly every 300 to 500 miles, which equates to approximately four to six months for someone who runs 20 miles a week.

If you keep track of the miles you run in each pair, most high-quality running shoes should last between 300 and 500 miles—about four to six months for someone who runs 20 miles per week—though that number is lower for race-day shoes, which are designed to be lighter and faster.

With its industry-leading ZoomX foam midsole and stiff carbon Flyplate, the Vaporfly Next% 3 delivers an ultra-responsive and highly efficient ride that keeps legs feeling fast and fresh for the entirety of the marathon.

With a carbon fiber plate that helps pitch you forward and our ultra-durable Nike React foam, the Nike Zoom Fly 3 has all of our most-up-to-date technology. Learn more about this race-day shoe that will keep you at the front of the pack.

Carbon plated shoes are not designed to last hundreds of miles, and the Nike Alphafly Next% 2 is no different. You'll probably get about 100 of true life out of it. Can you run after 100 miles? Of course, but your shoe isn't going to have the same technology left as it did at 50 miles.

The Nike Vaporfly 4% shoe is fast. It enables you to run 4% to 6% faster than your average shoe thanks to a carbon fiber plate and dense, energy-returning foams.

How much faster do next percents make you? ›

We found that a runner wearing the most popular versions of these shoes available to the public — the Zoom Vaporfly 4% or ZoomX Vaporfly Next% — ran 4 to 5 percent faster than a runner wearing an average shoe, and 2 to 3 percent faster than runners in the next-fastest popular shoe.

Now Kipchoge's Vaporflys have been banned from competition in a recent move by running's governing body, World Athletics. Despite this, other versions of the shoes will still be legal.

The big winner of the day was Nike: All three men on the podium were wearing its shoes. Two-time champ Galen Rupp wore the brand new Alphafly Next%, as did runner-up Jacob Riley. Taking the final spot on the team was 43-year-old Abdi Abdirahman, who wore a more conventional pair of Vaporfly Next%.

Maximal shoes are claimed to lessen the shock of running on the body, because of their added cushioning, decreasing the odds of injuries like plantar fasciitis and tibial stress fractures.

The study concluded, “The analysis suggests that, in a race between marathoners of the same ability, a runner wearing Vaporflys would have a real advantage over a competitor not wearing them.” This advantage was consistent across race distances, training volume, gender and the speed of the runner.

The 100m and 200m world record holder and eight-time Olympic champion competed in Puma spikes throughout his career.

The best selling shoes ever made by Nike are the Air Force 1, approximately 10 million pairs are sold around the world in a year.

5k, 10k, half-marathon, full marathon — you name it, you can do it in these shoes. You can crush a track workout in these shoes. You can even knock out some speedwork on the road. But that's where the uses for the Alphafly stop.

For comparison's sake, the Vaporfly 4% has a heel stack height of 39mm as compared to the Hoka One One Bondi 5 which has a 37mm in the heel. But, the Vaporfly 4% never feels unstable or sloppy, and it weighs in at a scant 6.9 ounces (men's size 9).

When NOT to Use Trail Running Shoes. Try to avoid trail running shoes when running on manmade surfaces, like concrete or asphalt. The abrasive pavement can wear down the rubber lugs on the shoe's outsole, which can compromise your grip when you switch back to off-roading.

Is it OK to use trail running shoes on road? ›

Are trail running shoes good for running on pavement? Absolutely. Many companies design their trail running shoes to be good on trails and the surface of the roads. So you can wear trail shoes on the road.

I would say this shoe can last about 4 to 5 marathons which is ~200-250 miles.

The deep creasing seen on the midsole of the Next% V1 – which has the same ZoomX midsole as the V2. We've yet to come across examples of flattened Vaporfly midsoles. If we had to put a number to the Vaporfly's durability, it should last 400 miles with a midfoot striking pattern.

The Vaporfly Next% 2 is a small improvement over the previous version and the new upper doesn't affect the ride much. It's basically the Vaporfly Next% version 1.5. Outside of the US, the biggest differentiator between this version and the previous version is the price.

The outsole of the Nike Vaporfly 3 is thinner, but I haven't had any issues sliding around because of it. It will affect the durability, and I don't see the Nike Vaporfly 3 lasting more than 100 miles. The Vaporfly 3 is designed to run fast, and that's precisely what you should do.

All of this cushioning is supported and given forward propulsion by a full length carbon plate imbedded in the midsole. When I first heard this I thought that the Vaporfly 4% would be much more firm, but in fact, when walking around in this shoe it feels soft and sloppy.

Brookes, Nike, and ASICS state their shoes are designed to last 300-500 miles, roughly 3-6 months if you ran 20 miles a week on average.

It should be noted that most carbon-plated running shoes will “expire” before traditional running shoes as the carbon plate deteriorates. While a conventional shoe may last 300-500 miles, a carbon-plated shoe may only last 150-200.

If you are looking to run a race in something like the Vaporfly, Steve Crnic from Brooklyn Running Co. suggests to start breaking them in about 2 weeks before a race in your final weeks of training before wearing them on race day.

I still think the Vaporfly is the fastest and most versatile super shoe, good for 5ks to marathon racing. For runners who like/need a lot of midsole underfoot, the VF3 might be slightly less of a marathon choice as compared to other options, including the VF1.

Is Nike Zoom Fly 4 illegal? ›

Considering this, the use of Nike's Vaporfly 4% should have been banned in official and major races around the world. However, the interpretation of this rule falls in a gray area and is not entirely illegal as the carbon-fiber plate is not strictly a technical aid.

If you're looking for a racing shoe for race days or key workouts, the Vaporfly Next% is the shoe for you. It has a bouncy, cushioned ZoomX midsole and a high level of propulsion from its carbon plate. The Vaporfly Next% is much lighter than the Zoom Fly and it has a more breathable upper.

Every version of the Vaporfly has had a full-length carbon plate sandwiched by a chunky stack of Nike's ZoomX foam. This is a PEBA-based foam that is lightweight, and exceptionally soft and bouncy. When combined with the plate it produces a propulsive-yet-comfortable ride that's great for road races.

Nike Dunks seem to last forever, thanks to the materials used in the midsole and lack of an Air unit. When properly stored and cared for, even original pairs from 1985 are still wearable!

Another study also demonstrated more than a 4% increase in running economy when wearing carbon fiber running shoes. What is this? Practically, this improvement is said to correspond to at least a 2% improvement in performance time. While this may not sound like much, it can actually be pretty significant.

Additional benefits of carbon plates

Carbon-plated shoes could make someone run faster as a result of increasing energy return, but also by reducing the rate of fatigue.

Generally people do not reccomend using them "everyday" as literally an everyday trainer. Most people don't have any issues using them for speed work in training. The shoes are designed for running fast and are likely best suited for that since they were designed for it.