Nike Air Zoom Elite 6

Name: Nike Air Zoom Elite 6
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.6 (38 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.1 oz

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Air Zoom Elite 7 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Air Zoom Elite 6 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Looks and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 38 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Air Zoom Elite product line.

Good

Overall

Good 83

Appearance

Excellent 93

Value

Good 86

Durability

Decent 77

Comfort

Decent 76

Cushioning

Decent 76

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

92 High

High 92

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“Zoom crash pad in the forefoot protects your forefoot unlike neutral trainers where the forefoot feels like a piece of paper”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon

“The cushioning is superb and has held up more or less unchanged for me through about 400 miles”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“The firmness of the shoe gives me enough support for longer training runs, but keeps feeling fast enough to do speedwork in”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon

“Zero plastic under the arch, which gives the shoe a nice predictable feel and allows it to flex as needed”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon

“I get between 400-500 miles out of a pair of Elite 6s”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“Relatively durable and lasts 400-500 miles, with the sole wearing away before the upper”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon

“The nike zoom elite 6 is a lightweight, durable trainer, that is uncomfortable to heel strike in”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“Light enough for tempo runs and speed workouts, but has enough support for longer runs too”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon

“The out-sole does tend to wear out slightly quicker than other parts of the shoe”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“Love the responsiveness. Just the right amount of support with the small board last in the heel.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“Very good for forefoot runners. Not a lot of cushion but lightweight and low profile.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon

“It was relatively firm and allowed me to feel like not only a runner, but an athlete”

4/5 Full review 75 mpw 3,911 miles in this shoe training for a half marathon

“Just don't last long. Shoes break down quick.”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon

“The cushioning has lost some of its resilience and effectiveness”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“Feels too tight in midfoot”

2/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon

“They are pretty stiff out of the box”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“The Elite is definitely more firm than the Pegasus”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 5/10

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

A firm, responsive ride reviewers use for easy runs, long runs and tempos.
At 9.7 oz, reviewers call it light but supportive enough for distance.
Reviewers report 400 to 500 miles from a pair, and it lists at $110.

Cons

Three reviewers report the outsole wearing out before the upper.
Two reviewers find the midfoot tight or the shoe stiff out of the box.
One reviewer says there is not a lot of cushion underfoot.

Air Zoom Elite 6 rates 83. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Nike Air Zoom Elite

Each dot is one version of the Air Zoom Elite, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

69 2012 83 2013 79 2014 86 2016 79 2017

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Air Zoom Elite 9

2017 · 20 reviews

79 Decent

92 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 8

2016 · 11 reviews

86 Good

92 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 7

2014 · 27 reviews

79 Decent

97 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 6 This shoe

2013 · 38 reviews

83 Good

92 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 5

2012 · 9 reviews

69 Below average

85 Confidence

Runner Ratings

38 ratings

5/5 26

4/5 9

3/5 2

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.7 oz · Women's 8.6 oz
Release: 2013
MSRP: $110

Runner reviews

Write a review

5/5

Overall

Very good for forefoot runners. Not a lot of cushion but lightweight and low profile. Very versatile; light enough for tempo runs and speed workouts, but has enough support for longer runs too.

nixone458 · Sep 9, 2014

40 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

5/5

Overall

Ran in HS and college at a high level. Always had injury problems and this was the first shoe I found that I was totally happy with

Anonymous runner · Sep 9, 2014

85 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

5/5

Overall

First time wearing this shoe after being recommended to it by several friends. I rotate through several different shoes at a time, one of which is always a lightweight trainer like the Zoom Elite. Previously filling this spot were the Mizuno Precision (to compliment the Wave Rider) and then later the adidas Boston (to compliment the supernova Glide). I typically use the Pegasus for true recovery days, days when my legs feel beat up from a hard workout or a long run or something, and use the Zoom Elite for a typical "easy" run, the main difference just being pace. The Elite is definitely more firm than the Pegasus, which works well when I am fine with pushing the pace a little more (as opposed to a true recovery day, in which the pace would be kept under control in favor of more complete recovery).

teddy_farley · Sep 9, 2014

70 mpw training for a half marathon