Nike Air Zoom Elite 8

Name: Nike Air Zoom Elite 8
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.5 (11 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10.2 oz · 8mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Air Zoom Elite 9 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Air Zoom Elite 8 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Comfort scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 11 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Air Zoom Elite product line. One more review would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Good

90/100

Overall

Good 90

Appearance

Very good 90

Cushioning

Decent 79

Durability

Decent 78

Value

Decent 71

Comfort

Bottom-tier 58

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

88/100

High 88

What runners say

“I've been able to put 2000 miles on a couple pairs of elites without the shoe breaking down.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

“The outsole wears down quite quickly. It showed significant signs of wear after the first 100 miles.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

“The shoe seems a bit too stiff (overall), and outsole is not as durable as should be expected.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

“They're not a cushy shoe, they give you a bit more feedback from the road/trail/track.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

“The shoe is incredibly good for workouts, and anything pretty quick, but it isn't incredibly durable.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Pure Flow 4

“Amazing for tempo work but soft enough for everyday running.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 32

“For some who want more cushioning, this shoe might be best for faster paced runs only.”

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

“Would use them on rotation with another shoe because of their stiffness.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“I enjoy the lighter feel of this shoe and wear it for all runs (up to 14 miles).”

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

“I appreciate the lightweight air cushioning in the forefoot of this model.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

Prefer this shoe over another

44% 8/18

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers use it for tempo work and faster training runs.
Runners like the light feel and the road feedback for everyday miles.

Cons

Three reviewers find it stiff, one keeping it in a rotation for that reason.
One reviewer finds the toe box tight, and another wants a snugger fit through the arch.
Durability reports split, with two reviewers seeing early outsole wear and one getting 2,000 miles.

Air Zoom Elite 8 rates 90. This shoe has high certainty. 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 93 2013 85 2014 90 2016 84 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

84 Good

89 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 8 This shoe

2016 · 11 reviews

90 Good

88 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 7

2014 · 27 reviews

85 Good

93 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 6

2013 · 38 reviews

93 Excellent

92 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 5

2012 · 9 reviews

69 Below average

71 Confidence

Reader Ratings

11 ratings

5/5 5

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: 10.2 oz
Release: 2016 Q2
MSRP: $125
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Continues an excellent line of shoes

5/5

Overall

I alternate days between the Elite 8 and the Elite 7, which I've worn for a couple of years now and honestly can't notice any difference between them. The elite is a neutral shoe They are extremely durable shoes, I've been able to put 2000 miles on a couple pairs of elites without the shoe breaking down. They're not a cushy shoe, they give you a bit more feedback from the road/trail/track. The elites are slightly more aggresive than the pegasus. Slightly lower heel-toe drop, slightly less cushioning, slightly less weight, slightly less weight. Nikes are fairly expensive, but the quality of the shoes are excellent. Other shoes I've worn have broken down off of many fewer miles, while the elites just keep going. I have not suffered any major injuries from running in these shoes, including many 100+ mile weeks.

Kool-Aid · Jul 12, 2018

70 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7

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

Great cushioning, not the best fit

4/5

Overall

Would be a great shoe but wish the fit was snugger through the arch.

kdmh · Feb 7, 2018

65 mpw came from the Brooks Launch 4

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

Nike Zoom Elite 8 Review

4/5

Overall

I appreciate the lightweight air cushioning in the forefoot of this model. At times, the shoe seems a bit too stiff (overall), and outsole is not as durable as should be expected. The outsole wears down quite quickly. It showed significant signs of wear after the first 100 miles.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7