They look sexy

In physical therapy school = way too poor for those shoes.

Yeah, way more than I've ever paid for shoes. And even at the price, they are pretty hard to find. I tried to buy a pair on Nike.com and runningwearhouse.com and both were sold out. Ended up finding a pair at Luke's.

Just think how poor you will be once you become a PT and you get your first student loan bill.

This could probably be its own thread but for the reference to the shoes. The record he's going for is pretty cool.

He surprised himself at last month's Tour des Fleur half Marathon, finishing in 1:24:41 rather than the 1:26 he had expected.

He credited the nutritional gels he used during the race and the Nike Vapor Fly 4% shoes he wore, which were compliments of Nike by way of Carey Pinkowski, the Chicago Marathon executive race director.

Longest time between sub three-hour marathons

most folks up here seem to swear by them... but most folks up here are biased.

this research is a year old so there may be newer stuff posted now, but you may find it to be an interesting read: A Comparison of the Energetic Cost of Running in Marathon Racing Shoes

I tried these on in the Nike Outlet today actually!


They were.... interesting. A much less cushioned Hoka. It had that very weird forward lean thing that makes me not buy a Hoka. Don't know a better way to explain it other than I feel like I'm on a rocker. Really lightweight and I liked the upper. If I had a few hundred burning a hole in my pocket I'd have gone for it but I have 2 pairs sitting in my closet. My wife would have killed me.

c-jags said:

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I tried these on in the Nike Outlet today actually!


They were.... interesting. A much less cushioned Hoka. It had that very weird forward lean thing that makes me not buy a Hoka. Don't know a better way to explain it other than I feel like I'm on a rocker. Really lightweight and I liked the upper. If I had a few hundred burning a hole in my pocket I'd have gone for it but I have 2 pairs sitting in my closet. My wife would have killed me.

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Which outlet? I've seen some zoom fly (the $150 version with a different cushion and plastic plate vs carbon plate) randomly in outlets, but never the 4%. Were they discounted at all?

cjo03 said:

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c-jags said:

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I tried these on in the Nike Outlet today actually!


They were.... interesting. A much less cushioned Hoka. It had that very weird forward lean thing that makes me not buy a Hoka. Don't know a better way to explain it other than I feel like I'm on a rocker. Really lightweight and I liked the upper. If I had a few hundred burning a hole in my pocket I'd have gone for it but I have 2 pairs sitting in my closet. My wife would have killed me.

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Which outlet? I've seen some zoom fly (the $150 version with a different cushion and plastic plate vs carbon plate) randomly in outlets, but never the 4%. Were they discounted at all?

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That may have been what I tried then. They were $150 discounted to $75. My bad coach.

If so, San Marcos outlet had them at $75.

Still a nice find. Generally, neither of those styles make it to an outlet. I have a few miles in the cheaper version and liked them.. if I ever get back in race shape I may do the 4%. Newer version released this week too https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a22812293/nike-vaporfly-4-percent-flyknit-announced/

Both the zoom fly and the vaporfly have the carbon plate or at least the latest version of both shoes. The vaporfly has the foam x which the zoom fly does not.

https://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/running/zoom

ah I didn't realize the full carbon was in all of them now.

Can't support Nike any more

aggiect said:

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Can't support Nike any more

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Do you know how many kids cjo has?!

Hincemm said:

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aggiect said:

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Can't support Nike any more

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Do you know how many kids cjo has?!

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it's 10:15 here and for the past 2.5 hours, I forgot I had any... thanks for the reminder.

I wandered into a Run On here in Dallas yesterday and they had some in stock. I'll admit it's tempting...I've spent way more than $250 for way less time savings on my bike. Although really the investment is more like $400 when you consider you probably need a pair of Zoom Fly's to train in to save the Vapor Fly's for racing. The dude at the running store said the Vapor Flys last maybe 50 miles...Curious if anyone who has bought a pair and raced in them are true believers?

P.U.T.U said:

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$250 for shoes, they better get you a PR!

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Meh. I paid $99 for my first pair of racing flats back in 1988-89 timeframe. Adjusting for inflation, that puts them at $211 in today's dollars.

So I did a bunch of research...enough to get me curious enough to stop back by the running store and try a pair on. They were sold out of the Vaporflys but I tried on a pair of the zoom fly flyknits and I instantly loved them.

They are completely different than any shoe I've ever run in - the word "alive" keeps coming to mind to describe them. I ran with one my old New Balances on one foot and one of the Nikes on the other and the difference was astounding. The New Balances just felt like ancient technology in comparison. I've got 20+ miles in my training plan this weekend. I'll check back in with some feedback after I get some miles in.

And ppl I've asked to compare the two say the zoom fly is noticeably inferior shoe of the two. I have both but haven't ran in either yet.

I've heard the same but I think the new zoom fly flyknit is a definite step up from the first. The new model has the same carbon plate as the Vapors and an upgraded foam from last years model. Still, if I can get my hands on a set of Vapors before Boston I'll likely pull the trigger.

gd28 said:

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I've heard the same but I think the new zoom fly flyknit is a definite step up from the first. The new model has the same carbon plate as the Vapors and an upgraded foam from last years model. Still, if I can get my hands on a set of Vapors before Boston I'll likely pull the trigger.

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what size? i will keep an eye out.

Is the lifespan of these things really in the 50 to 100 mile range? I am reading a bunch of conflicting things online (typical), so I am curious to hear from a more trusted source. Also, is that lifespan just for the Vaporfly or does it apply to the Fly, also? My interest has been genuinely peaked by these shoes, but I am struggling to wrap my head around some of the numbers.

Are there no negative effects of not training in your race shoes?

htxag09 said:

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Are there no negative effects of not training in your race shoes?

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Usually, it could pose some problems, but the Vaporfly and Zoom Fly are very similar shoes. I will likely run a few miles (2-3) in my vapors before but given their short lifespan, I will not run 10+ miles in them beforehand.

Yep, I totally hear you and agree with you on the investment thing. This is actually the first time that I've even had a second thought about the cost of running shoes. It's actually been somewhat refreshing to know I still have some boundaries there - though they are very easily moved by whatever the next pair(s) I want is(are).

27 hard miles in the new zoom flys this weekend and here are my thoughts.

-I really, really like these shoes. They are extremely comfortable to run in and I get the feeling that the shoes put my feet in the perfect position to maximize efficiency with each step. The shoes really come to life the faster you run, and though I don't really have any way to prove it I think they genuinely make you faster. Also, I am not nearly as sore as expected after 27 miles of intervals and hill repeats over the weekend.

-I do have a few complaints about the shoes. Primarily there is absolutely zero ankle support. They feel amazing running in a straight line but you really have to be careful when turning sharply or running on uneven surfaces. You feel everything - including road crown. Also, after ~30 total miles in the shoes I'm already seeing some fraying in the foam on the outer heel of both shoes. Nothing to worry about yet but if it continues I'm not sure how long these things will last, it's a bit concerning to already see signs of wear.

Overall I'm very happy with my purchase and as long as the zoom flys hold up I think I will make the switch permanent.

Bump...any more updates from you guys? Do they fit true to size? I've read you should half size up.

I ran in them for the Dallas Half last Sunday. I had only done one previous run in them of 4 miles and they felt great for that. During the half, they began to bother and dig into the arch of my left foot about 10 miles into the race. After the race I discovered I also had 2 blisters on my right foot - one on my big toe and one on my next to last toe. I mailed them back to Nike this week. I hated to do it because they are awesome shoes. They really do feel fast and have a feeling of "propelling you forward" that I loved. But the fit just didn't work for me. I generally run and train in Brooks. Need to find a different racing shoe that works for me.

I am not sure how long they've been out, but I just saw an ad for a new colorway. I know that Dick's online has them in every size as of this moment.