Best shoe i ran in
5/5
Overall
I really liked thia shoe
Kyle blackie · Dec 19, 2023
80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Nike Vaporfly 3
Racing shoe · Neutral · Road · 6.4 oz · 38/30mm stack · 8mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Vaporfly 4 replaced it
How it ranks
The Nike Vaporfly 3 is one of the strongest racing shoes in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 90 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Vaporfly product line.
Exceptional
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
98 Very high
External retailer ratings
We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.
The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.
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
- External ratings
- Product line track record
What runners say
“The etching in the sole to create that aerodynamic 3D-printed topographical look makes for just that many more edges to get rubbed off in a race.”
“Carbon fiber plate and foam are great and give back a lot of force—feels like a trampoline.”
“The moment I did a stride in the VF 3's I knew they were categorically better than the VF 2s.”
“Have helped me hit new marathon PRs with much less leg fatigue later in the race.”
“Runs 1/2 size small.”
“After 35 miles of work the bottom of these shoes are more worn than I would have expected.”
“At this stage, it's a light shoe, but it's unstable and has low energy return.”
“The only issue with it is the lack of durability when comparing to the price.”
“The VF 3's have the stability and cushion to make for an ideal half to full marathon racing shoe.”
“The Vaporfly has a lot of energy return and is incredibly light.”
“They all have been great for the first few months before the foam wears out.”
“Increased control around turns and corners on tight courses.”
“After that the energy return lowered until about mile 80.”
“Awesome for races and definitely lowered my times.”
“The VF 3's are a smooth, still sporty-responsive ride.”
“They are very cushioned so it distracts you from the fact that you're running hard.”
“It is light and fast, while still being comfy.”
“Really bad stability and no ways to run slow part on it.”
“The lockdown/upper is not ergonomic at all.”
“Uncomfortable when walking.”
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 23.
Pros
- At 7.1 oz in the men's build and 5.8 oz in the women's, on a 38mm heel stack.
- Reviewers report race PRs, strong energy return and quicker recovery afterwards.
- Four reviewers who have run earlier Vaporflys call this one an improvement.
Cons
- Durability is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.5 out of 5 against a $250 list price, and reviewers report the foam and thin outsole wearing out fast, one of them by 200 miles.
- Reviewers keep it for races and key workouts rather than easy or long runs.
- Three reviewers report it feeling unstable, particularly at slower paces.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Nike Vaporfly
Each dot is one version of the Vaporfly, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
2025 · 3 reviews
98 Exceptional
71 Confidence
-
Vaporfly 3 This shoe
2023 · 90 reviews
99 Exceptional
98 Confidence
-
2021 · 49 reviews
99 Exceptional
97 Confidence
-
2019 · 27 reviews
99 Exceptional
95 Confidence
-
2017 · 73 reviews
98 Exceptional
99 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 6.4 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 7.1 oz · Women's 5.8 oz
- Release
- 2023 Q2
- MSRP
- $250
- Stack
- 38/30mm
- Drop
- 8mm
Runner reviews
Less cushion, more control
4/5
Overall
The Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3s are unlike its two previous counterparts in that, less cushion can be felt by the shoes. However, this opportunity cost brings increased control around turns and corners on tight courses and still retains a firm amount of support in the midfoot and heel areas. Similar to the Nike ZoomX Victory spikes, this shoe forces one onto the mid-foot/front of the foot, propelling them to new PBs.
Joe · Dec 5, 2023
training for a half marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 3/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 3/5
Good for high milage weeks
5/5
Overall
I'm consistently at 60-70 miles a week in my base phase and push up to 90+ during marathon build up. Most of my running is on roads with about 10% on a track. I cannot describe how much quicker I recover in supershoes. I know they weaken your calves a little bit but I think I compensate by lifting hard and heavy once a week. No joint issues, no knee issues - these shoes are magic. I'm sure all the supershoes are good but I 'm stuck on these.
Oh, while I love the Vaporfly 2's, the 3s are just so much lighter!
Sanjay · Sep 19, 2023
80 mpw training for a marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Cushion, energy return, and lightweight
4/5
Overall
Uncomfortable when walking . Good for tempo . Outsole pattern should be reworked to provide more grip like the Nike lunar spider. not the best lockdown. Plate combined with zoomx makes it amazing . Everything else is just ok. Cost of 2 shoes.
Anonymous runner · Sep 19, 2023
30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Fastwitch 9
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Great shoe, runs 1/2 size small, excellent feel lightweight for short races 5-10 miles, expensive
5/5
Overall
Great shoe, runs 1/2 size small, excellent feel lightweight for short races 5-10 miles, expensive
Kathleen · Aug 19, 2023
20 mpw training for 5K and 10K
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
More from Nike
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Nike Vaporfly 3 In Context
More on the Nike Vaporfly
- Nike Vaporfly 4 next version
- Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 previous version
- Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next%
- Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 5 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 2 runners
- Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 2 runners