Nike Zoom Fly 3

Name: Nike Zoom Fly 3
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.2 (21 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.2 oz · 36/28mm stack · 8mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Zoom Fly 4 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Zoom Fly 3 ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 22 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Zoom Fly product line.

Decent

Overall

Decent 71

Appearance

Very good 92

Cushioning

Good 83

Durability

Decent 74

Comfort

Bottom-tier 59

Value

Bottom-tier 59

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

94 High

High 94

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.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“Traction in wet is awful—lose 10-20 seconds a mile slipping.”

4/5 Full review 5 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Upper is awful—impossible to lace right; too tight causes pressure or too loose causes sliding.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon

“Achilles tendon feels the best it has in years.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a marathon

“Super tight forefoot after a mile—burning sensation like mile 20 of a marathon.”

2/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 6

“Shines for faster long runs—copious cushioning keeps legs fresh with springy pop.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36

“Optimal shock absorption plus significant energy return.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a marathon

“The React cushioning is responsive and reliable and stays comfortable on long runs.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 17

“Withstands almost 500 miles—you definitely get your money's worth.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon

“Unique springy ride with a nice pop in every step.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance

“Upper fit is tricky—either too loose or too tight, hard to get the lacing right.”

5/5 Full review 12 mpw training for a half marathon

“At 400 miles, still feel springy and very well cushioned.”

4/5 Full review 5 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Training paces faster—less beat-up feeling than lighter shoes.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a marathon

“It's hydrophobic and repels water in wet conditions.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 17

“Huge stack height makes them resemble moon boots.”

2/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2

“After mile 3 on longer runs, becomes uncomfortable—cushioning not geared for distance.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance

“Drop to 7:20 pace without effort.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 4

“No way to loosen the upper because of sock liner design.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a marathon

“Took more effort to accelerate and responsiveness was lacking.”

2/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2

“The stack height is quite high and can feel unstable.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 17

“A stone sank deep into the react foam at the front.”

2/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2

Prefer this shoe over another

54% 14/26

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers praise a springy, well-cushioned ride for tempo runs and faster long runs, and rate cushioning 4.6 out of 5.
Several reviewers report 300 to 800 miles from a pair.
Three reviewers use it to train for racing in the Nike Vaporfly.

Cons

Several reviewers struggle to get the lacing and forefoot fit right, finding it either tight across the top of the foot or loose at the heel.
Several reviewers find it heavy and bottom-heavy for fast sessions.
Two reviewers report poor grip in the wet, one of them losing 10 to 20 seconds a mile to slipping, and one on light snow and ice.

Zoom Fly 3 rates 71. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Nike Zoom Fly

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

78 2017 71 2019 73 2021 87 2022 86 2024

Release year

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

Zoom Fly 6

2024 · 28 reviews

86 Good

92 Confidence
Zoom Fly 5

2022 · 34 reviews

87 Good

95 Confidence
Zoom Fly 4

2021 · 9 reviews

73 Decent

86 Confidence
Zoom Fly 3 This shoe

2019 · 22 reviews

71 Decent

94 Confidence
Zoom Fly

2017 · 90 reviews

78 Decent

100 Confidence

Runner Ratings

22 ratings

5/5 10

4/5 9

3/5 1

2/5 2

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.2 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 8.9 oz · Women's 7.4 oz
Release: 2019 Q2
MSRP: $160
Stack: 36/28mm
Drop: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Heavy, but nicely cushioned, faster shoe that is a nice to prep in for racing in vaporflys

4/5

Overall

I use these for faster sessions to get the feel of running fast in a plated shoe. I've run 400 miles in them and I they still feel springy and very well cushioned. The uppers have held together well, and the shoes have proven surprisingly durable. They are heavy, but good for what I got them for. The only con I have is that their traction in the wet is AWFUL, you'll straight up lose 10-20s a mile slipping. Just don't run with them in the rain.

R&R · Apr 2, 2024

5 mpw training for 5K and 10K

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

Good and comfortable ride but awful upper

3/5

Overall

The shoe is well cushioned and comfortable to run in. However the upper is awful, it's impossible to get the lacing right - either it's too tight and puts a lot of pressure across the top of the foot or it's too loose and the foot slides into the front of the shoe. Paired with a loose heel because of the way the upper is designed, it really does ruin what could be a good shoe.

Anonymous runner · Nov 3, 2020

40 mpw training for a marathon

Comfort: 2/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

This shoe was a gift from https://emerchantauthority.com

5/5

Overall

As good performing employee I got a gift from https://emerchantauthority.com and I am just loving this shoe: I rate it like: Comfort = 10/10 Cushioning = 10/10 Durability = 10/10 Appearance = 10/10

https://emerchantauthority.com · Apr 11, 2020

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

Cushion and speed

5/5

Overall

Upper does not fit that well, it's either too loose or too tight, it's hard to get the lacing right. Otherwise, it's great for longer distance, my feet don't feel the pavement at all. If you like the Turbo 2 and Next %, I think you will like this one. It's bouncy, great energy return, I like it, running feels a bit easier, I don't really mind that they are apparently a bit heavy. Before buying, I was a bit worried about the stack height being a bit too much, but it's OK.

Anonymous runner · Apr 7, 2020

12 mpw training for a half marathon