The Nike Vaporfly was the original super-shoe, and it remains one of the best carbon plate running shoes. The Nike Vaporfly NEXT% 2 is the shoe I see most often on the feet of other runners during road races of any distance, and it’s the yardstick by which every other carbon shoe is measured.
Or at least it was, because now the Nike Vaporfly 3 has been released I expect it to supersede the Vaporfly 2 and become the new top dog. For the most part, the changes to the shoe are minimal, but after two runs in the new Vaporfly I’m sold on the idea it’s the best Vaporfly yet.
The shoe is a tiny bit lighter because the mesh on the upper has been made more open and cut-outs introduced to the midsole. The new shoe weighs 7.3oz/206g in my UK size 9, which is around the same as the first pair of Vaporfly 2 I tested, but a few grams lighter than a more recent set (yes, it’s true, the weight of the same shoe in the same size can vary between pairs).
The drop in weight isn’t really that noticeable, but the new shoe also has a thinner rubber outsole, which makes room for a couple of millimeters more ZoomX foam on the midsole without increasing the overall stack height. It’s a noticeable change—the Vaporfly 3 feels a little softer and bouncier underfoot than the Vaporfly 2.
My first run in the Vaporfly 3 was a workout running 5K in 17min 30sec, followed by an all-out parkrun in 16min 24sec, then another 5K in 17min 30sec. It was my longest and hardest workout for a while and the Vaporfly 3 felt more comfortable than I expected, while still being as aggressive and speedy as past versions.
Small sidewalls of foam have been added in the middle of the shoe, which helps with stability, and the shoe felt surprisingly stable at 5K pace around a couple of hairpin bends.
I have also done a track session in the shoe, running 2km, 400m, 300m and 200m reps. It’s still light and direct enough for short reps but has a little more comfort when cruising through 2km efforts.
Overall, the changes have nudged the Vaporfly 3 more firmly into the Goldilocks zone for super-shoes: It’s light and nimble enough for short intervals and races, while having enough comfort and propulsion for longer hard runs as well.
So far it feels pretty much perfect, but I’m still not sure that means you should rush out and buy it, because there’s better value on offer elsewhere. I also used the Vaporfly 2 for a track season last week, and while it’s a touch firmer than the Vaporfly 3, it’s still a brilliant racing shoe for any distance, and I ran both my 5K and marathon PRs in it.
There are also many other top-notch carbon racing shoes and if you already have a pair, as many runners do, spending $250/£235 on the Vaporfly 3 for at most a marginal performance bump is hard to recommend. Even if you need new racing shoes, you can usually find the Vaporfly 2 for well under $200/£200.
All that said, if you want the best of the best, the Nike Vaporfly 3 is shaping up to be just that. I still have more testing to do, though, so look out for our full review.
My Nike Vaporfly 3 sample was provided by Pro:Direct.
