Today, Nike released its highly-anticipated Zoom Vaporfly 4% running shoes that were inspired by its Breaking2 project from this spring. It is available now on Nike.com lululemon’s New Year Scores on Editor-Tested Gear Nike+ app for $250.
The Zoom Vaporfly 4% is the commercially available version of the specialized shoes worn by Eliud Kipchoge in his nearly sub-two-hour marathon attempt in May. What’s so special about these shoes?
Nike thinks they will help runners take to the starting line and finish stronger because of the new components built into the shoe, like a stiff carbon-fiber plate in the midsole, a lightweight upper, and springy foam that you won’t find in any other shoe. The 4% in the name comes from the improvement in running economy researchers from Nike say a runner can expect when wearing the shoe.
To see how the Zoom Vaporfly performed in our own lab, we tested a former NCAA Division 1 runner who made nationals in the 10,000 meters, at speeds up to 2:17 marathon pace. Races - Places, we found that the carbon-fiber plate in the midsole extends the pushoff through your toes (leading to less energy loss) to provide a smooth ride, and the lightweight ZoomX foam delivered 80 percent energy return in the heel and 77 percent at the forefoot—the highest values we’ve ever recorded.
Published: Jul 20, 2017 11:26 AM EDT, the Zoom Fly, was released earlier this summer and retails for $150. The key differences are the Zoom Fly uses a more standard midsole foam (called Lunarlon) to cushion the ride and a full-length carbon-infused nylon plate to improve propulsion on toe off.
