![]() But it’s also not bad - it’s just a distinctly worse shoe in a lot of the ways that I really loved over its (now two generations-old) brother. Michael: The Zoom Fly 2 was one of my all-time favorite trainers for a runner like me who loves to run too fast (even on easy days), it perfectly blended that line between trainer and racer, and just locked in my foot better than almost any other option. Now, it goes without saying that easy running isn’t its design, but if you’re someone who wants a single trainer that can go fast to slow, I’m not entirely sure the ZF4 is what I’d choose. Whereas the Vaporfly is so soft that it’s quite comfortable for chilling back, I think the ZF4 (like, say, the Adios Pro) is just a bit too wobbly and aggressive to make a terrific easy day shoe. In both an outdoor tempo and a treadmill fartlek (as well as a few sessions of strides leading into my end-of-season half-marathon), I was impressed by just how fast these shoes feel, without coming across uncomfortable for medium running.īut of course, that’s because medium running (6:00-6:30 min/mile) is a lot of what I do (still living the un-coached life!) and I have to say, for truly easy running (say, north of 7:15 pace), the ZF4 wouldn’t be my first pick. Michael: I touched on this in the Midsole section, above, but the ride here is dictated by the carbon fiber plate. This time of year in Chicago - constant 30° mornings and slick, often icy leaves around every turn - really puts a shoe to its test, and I’m confident that the ZF4 will make a genuinely great bad-weather option. Michael: Here, I have to say, I was quite impressed - I’ve logged about 50 miles on my pair (wish it was more, but they arrived in my last few sessions leading up to my end-of-season, and then I’ve broken them out during my recovery weeks) and I have seen basically no signs of wear.Īnd, as an added benefit, the grip from the outsole is superb. Sandwiched by React foam, I really felt that forward spring - it’s more than just the plate, it’s the entire midsole that ensures you’re always getting some energy return and moving forward. The stance here is undoubtedly aggressive, and I found myself running faster than expected, just by nature of the geometry underfoot. Of course, the ZF4 has a carbon plate as well it’s marginally more flexible than that in the VF, here, and fast enough to warrant running some hard workouts in these. That’s not a huge issue, in practice (as I cover in the Ride section, it’s generally a pretty fast and engaging ride) but it is a bit odd, and honestly will dissuade some runners who may otherwise like this shoe. With the plate (covered below) and the next-generation upper (covered above), the ZF4 comes in north of ten ounces in my size 8.5. But… there’s also the weight to talk about. The React foam is firm, but also characteristically bouncy - and it’s a platform that I do quite like. Seriously, my first impression when trying on the ZF4 was, oh yeah, I remember how this feels! It’s a very distinct sensation that (to my feet) isn’t like anything else - not even the ZF4’s older brother, the VaporFly. Michael: The Zoom Fly 4 packs a React Foam midsole, and honestly, you couldn’t mistake it for anything else. There are well-placed bumpers around the inner ankle that I really came to like - and I wouldn’t worry about these for key workouts… I just wish they were a little more racer-like in that regard. Excess material or not, there’s some cool technology here keeping your foot in place. On the run, though, I didn’t find this to be much of a problem - I think the true-to-size length overcomes any slight sloppiness of the upper, and I didn’t have issues taking these to tempo paces and faster. The shoe doesn’t run too big, but I found there to just be a little too much material. ![]() Michael: The upper here is sort of odd it has a really snug Flyknit collar that made me think Sam had sent me the wrong size! But in the toebox and along the laces, I found the closely woven material to be a little too voluminous, such that I had to really lace them down a little more than I would have liked to get the right fit. ![]() The all-black appearance likely didn’t help that impression, but - fortunately - it runs better than it looks. I knew from the spec sheet that it was heavy, but it actually presents as sort of… chunky, and (for lack of a better term) not-fast. Out of the box, I was surprised by how burly the ZF4 felt. ![]() It was a really snug, nearly-a-racing-flat option that just clicked for me with daily training - so of course, I was excited to test out the Zoom Fly 4. Michael: I skipped the Zoom Fly 3, but was a huge fan of Nike’s Zoom Fly 2 (aka Zoom Fly Flyknit). Stack Height: 39mm heel, 31mm forefoot, 8mm drop $160 Zoom Fly 3 Vaporweave sample in US8.5 weighed 8.75 oz / 247g Estimated weight: men's 9.55 oz / 273g (US9) ![]()
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