Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project)

Name: Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project)
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.7 (19 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 14.0 oz (women's) · 33/23mm stack · 10mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project) is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 19 runner reviews.

Good

Overall

Good 88

Appearance

Very good 92

Cushioning

Decent 79

Value

Decent 76

Comfort

Decent 71

Durability

Below average 60

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.

Confidence

93 High

High 93

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.

Brand rating
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“The shoe seems to propel you forward. Like the Kinvara, but MUCH better.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Responsive to changes in pace and the plated rocker keeps them springy and light whilst not sacrificing comfort.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20

“Extremely lightweight and well cushioned; propels you forward.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 25

“Bottom tread breaks down immediately unless you're a perfect foot striker; wears out too quickly.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw

“Built for fast days; wants to go fast.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Runs small; size up at least half”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Micro G Assert 7

“Size up”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“The rocker shifts weight from back to front, preserving momentum and maximizing energy return.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20

“Amazing cushioning while very responsive”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Hupana Flow

“Go up a half size.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Best suited for higher intensity training; wouldn't recommend for easy-paced long runs.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20

“Can tear your Achilles region without socks.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Nike Zoom Streak 6

“Size up half a size”

4/5 Full review 75 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante Solas

“Great feeling of propulsion”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“Size up half compared to other Nike shoes”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 25

“One of the greatest high performance practice/racing shoes ever made”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20

“Makes you feel capable of extra mileage even when tight”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“Stiff forefoot with minimal give”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Nike Zoom Streak 6

“Comfortable, stable, with great bouncy feeling”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Micro G Assert 7

“The lightest of the three versions”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Runs small compared to regular Zoom Fly”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“Shines at speed”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“Holds up through 200-250 miles”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

Prefer this shoe over another

61% 14/23

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers describe a fast, propulsive ride that still feels cushioned.
Runners call it light and use it for tempo runs and racing.
Three reviewers say their legs feel fresher after long runs and marathons.

Cons

Durability averages 3.6 out of 5, the lowest of its six dimensions, and three reviewers say the outsole wears through early.
Twelve of the nineteen reviewers say it runs small and advise going up half a size.
Four reviewers find the forefoot stiff until it breaks in.

Zoom Fly SP (Special Project) rates 88. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Runner Ratings

19 ratings

5/5 13

4/5 6

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 14.0 oz (women's)
Release: 2018 Q3
MSRP: $150
Stack: 33/23mm
Drop: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

The Pinnacle of Nike ZoomFly

5/5

Overall

I have run in this shoe nearly every day for the last 3 years, in which time I have watched its price increase steadily and sadly as it is no longer in production. I wont offer my critique into the economics of running shoes right now so here's my review: I believe this may be one of the greatest high performance practice/racing shoes ever made. I have thin, high arched feet and they fit me very well (they run about a half a size large). I have run these shoes through high school training from the mile to the 5k, collegiate training from the mile to the 10k, and even some professional training. hundreds of miles a month, thousands of miles a year, these shoes never failed to disappoint. They're responsive to changes in pace and the plated rocker keeps them springy and light whilst not sacrificing comfort. I do, however, believed they are best suited for higher intensity training. I wouldn't go out and run a 10 miler at 9 minute pace in them. Not that they couldn't handle it, just that it would feel weird. They're designed for speed, the rocker shifts weight from back to front in a way that preserves momentum, maximizes energy return, and propels the runner foreword, so trying to run slower than your average jogging pace is almost difficult in a way. I could summarize it like this: if the Brooks Ghost (what I'm most familiar with as a boiler plate training shoe) is a minivan, and the Nike Alphafly is a fighter jet, the Zoomfly sp is somewhat of a modded Honda Civic. Its not the fastest but its pretty darn close, and its not the most comfortable/forgiving, but it trys.

Anonymous runner · Jul 21, 2022

60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20

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

Nike Zoom Fly SP

5/5

Overall

Comfortable, stable shoe with a great bouncy feeling. I ordered this shoe recently on eBay for a great price and have been impressed so far. Runs small, so order at least a half size up.

Anonymous runner · Mar 27, 2020

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Under Armour Micro G Assert 7

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

Decent shoe

4/5

Overall

Overall this shoe was very good. It was not the most comfortable shoe to run in, but nothing too bad. It is marketed as a racing shoe, but i used it for training and racing, and was able to get a lot of miles out of it. I wore a half size larger than usual.

warm up champ · Dec 30, 2019

75 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante Solas

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

Nike Zoom Fly SP

4/5

Overall

In my experience, this is a pretty fast yet cushion-y shoe. There was a bit of a break in period for me where it felt a bit stiff, but after that passed I used this as my go-to easy and long run shoe. I think I still prefer the upper on the regular Zoom Fly (the upper on the SP is more plasticky and pliable as a result; also I felt that the SP runs slightly more narrow than its non-SP counterpart), but I'd still purchase the SP again, if it were on sale. I think the full price is a bit much to pay, but then again that's true of most Nike products.

Anonymous runner · Aug 28, 2019

40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Zoom Fly 3

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

My favorite training/racing shoe ever!

5/5

Overall

I've loved these shoes from my first run in them. I purchase them at Nike Outlet stores for 1/2 price ($75). Recently I stopped by an Outlet store on its last day. I found them for $25/pair. I bought 4-pair. I'm a pretty strong supinator, so I wouldn't recommend them to most runners, however, for me, they roll with my forefoot strike and I've never rolled out in them. I've had 4-pairs, not counting the 4-I just purchased. This shoe will be good, for me,from 1-mile to 50-mile races.

Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019

35 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Zoom Fly 3