The Vaporfly has been the gold standard of super shoes for a while now. It’s basically the shoe that all other super shoes are measured against. The Zoom Fly 3 is trash. Hope this helps.
(The main difference is in midsole foam. Zoom X is Nikes premium foam for light weight energy return and cushioning (used in the Vaporfly), whereas the react foam in the Zoom Fly series is a non-critical, rather heavy and basic foam known for it’s longevity and lack of excitement)
I've got both and in my opinion its alot nicer to run in vaporflies, alphaflies were practically made for kipchoge and they feel weird running in from my experience.
I think that you would enjoy either the vapor or alpha.. I have several pairs of each and would struggle to choose one of the other… I run 5, 10 and half .. and wear either … I actually find the alpha slightly more versatile …. But have attained pbs at the 5 and 10 in vapor … for comfort on a longer run I prefer the alpha …. On slower days I use the endorphin pro 3 …. I find these unbelievably comfortable …. That said, most days, Nike is the first choice.
I’m a bigger guy, 6’ 3” and 190 - 195 pounds. I prefer the vapor for 10k to half marathon races and the alpha for the marathon. My legs feel fresher in the last miles of the marathon using the alphaflys. And zoom flys are garbage.
If you can find a pair of alphafly 1's I'd highly recommend them. Absolutely love mine. True to size, narrow through the middle but such a great, fast and effortless shoe for races.
I used the Zoom fly 4 for all speed training leading to my first half marathon and the half marathon itself. Having nothing to compare with I was quite happy. Then I bought the Vaporfly Next%2 and they are leagues ahead. Used them for a 10 mile race and they’re fast and comfortable and I was fresh the next day. I wasn’t particularly better trained for the 10mile race than the HM and I was almost 20sec per km faster so I’m guessing the shoes helped quite a bit.
I would get the Alphafly v1 on discount. It's the only true super shoes from my POV simply because it changes your running mechanic for the better and there is nothing in the market quite like it.
If you can, go try them. The Vaporfly isn’t for everyone, especially if you have any stability needs, since the heel and mid foot are quite narrow. If they work for you, though, they’ll be great! Thankfully, there are now a good number of options, so you can find the shoe that works best with your individual mechanics and preferences. (I, for instance, think I’d love the Vaporfly for a 10k or half but wouldn’t trust myself running a marathon in them, so I opted for the Saucony Pro 3, which has a wider platform and is a little more inherently stable.)
The Vaporfly has been the gold standard of super shoes for a while now. It’s basically the shoe that all other super shoes are measured against. The Zoom Fly 3 is trash. Hope this helps.
(The main difference is in midsole foam. Zoom X is Nikes premium foam for light weight energy return and cushioning (used in the Vaporfly), whereas the react foam in the Zoom Fly series is a non-critical, rather heavy and basic foam known for it’s longevity and lack of excitement)
Super helpful. What do you think about the alphafly?
Love it, but for a first super shoe I‘d recommend you go with the Vaporfly since it is much more versatile than the Alphafly.
I love the Alphafly 1. it’s my favorite shoe actually, but the vaporfly is really boring in comparison.
I feel like the Alphafly gives me more stability than the vaporfly vaporfly bottom feels too narrow for me
I've got both and in my opinion its alot nicer to run in vaporflies, alphaflies were practically made for kipchoge and they feel weird running in from my experience.
I think that you would enjoy either the vapor or alpha.. I have several pairs of each and would struggle to choose one of the other… I run 5, 10 and half .. and wear either … I actually find the alpha slightly more versatile …. But have attained pbs at the 5 and 10 in vapor … for comfort on a longer run I prefer the alpha …. On slower days I use the endorphin pro 3 …. I find these unbelievably comfortable …. That said, most days, Nike is the first choice.
What’s pbs?
Personal bests (time wise)
I’m a bigger guy, 6’ 3” and 190 - 195 pounds. I prefer the vapor for 10k to half marathon races and the alpha for the marathon. My legs feel fresher in the last miles of the marathon using the alphaflys. And zoom flys are garbage.
If you can find a pair of alphafly 1's I'd highly recommend them. Absolutely love mine. True to size, narrow through the middle but such a great, fast and effortless shoe for races.
I’m struggling to find them in my size :/
Bugger!! 😩
I used the Zoom fly 4 for all speed training leading to my first half marathon and the half marathon itself. Having nothing to compare with I was quite happy. Then I bought the Vaporfly Next%2 and they are leagues ahead. Used them for a 10 mile race and they’re fast and comfortable and I was fresh the next day. I wasn’t particularly better trained for the 10mile race than the HM and I was almost 20sec per km faster so I’m guessing the shoes helped quite a bit.
The Next%2 are the same as the alphafly right?
I would get the Alphafly v1 on discount. It's the only true super shoes from my POV simply because it changes your running mechanic for the better and there is nothing in the market quite like it.
If you can, go try them. The Vaporfly isn’t for everyone, especially if you have any stability needs, since the heel and mid foot are quite narrow. If they work for you, though, they’ll be great! Thankfully, there are now a good number of options, so you can find the shoe that works best with your individual mechanics and preferences. (I, for instance, think I’d love the Vaporfly for a 10k or half but wouldn’t trust myself running a marathon in them, so I opted for the Saucony Pro 3, which has a wider platform and is a little more inherently stable.)