Nike Air Zoom Elite 9

Name: Nike Air Zoom Elite 9
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.7 (20 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.3 oz · 8mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Nike Air Zoom Elite 9 ranks above most daily trainers in our data. Looks and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Comfort scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 20 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Air Zoom Elite product line.

Good

84/100

Overall

Good 84

Appearance

Excellent 96

Value

Good 90

Cushioning

Good 82

Durability

Decent 74

Comfort

Below average 66

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

89/100

High 89

What runners say

“This shoe holds up and holds off stone bruises as well as any trail shoe I have worn”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw came from the Nike Lunar Tempo

“There are no hot spots with seams and the lacing provides good lockdown without excessive pressure”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw came from the New Balance Vazee Pace

“The weight is great such that I can easily maintain a 190+spm cadence”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 8

“The sole grips well, but the rubber is on the soft side and wears down relatively quickly”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw came from the New Balance Vazee Pace

“I prefer a very snug fit so I go half a size down from my regular size”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Elite 8

“The more firm midsole than traditional Nikes is predictable whether the run is fast or chill”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“Has an incredibly comfortable ride at tempo paces (5:45/mi) and faster”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Freedom ISO

“The lugs are sturdy and lasted much longer than the soles of my slow runner”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO

“They have the right amount of cushioning with the Zoom technology that your feet don't get too beat up during hard workouts”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon

“The shoe is light but provides more cushioning than a flat does”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Infinite

Prefer this shoe over another

59% 10/17

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Light at 8.3 oz, and reviewers favor it for tempo runs and racing.
Reviewers describe a firm, responsive midsole that stays predictable at fast and easy paces.
Reviewers report a true-to-size fit, secure lacing and no hot spots.

Cons

Several reviewers saw the soft outsole rubber and the upper wear early, and one had the flywires snap.
Some runners find the forefoot narrow and the tongue slides out of place.
A few reviewers report forefoot pressure from the firm ride on longer runs.

Air Zoom Elite 9 rates 84. 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 This shoe

2017 · 20 reviews

84 Good

89 Confidence
Air Zoom Elite 8

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

20 ratings

5/5 13

4/5 7

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: 8.3 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $120
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Nike Zoom Elite 9

4/5

Overall

Good with sufficient cushioning but the flywires snap easily.

ethanyanyan · Feb 8, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

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

Reader review

4/5

Overall

I only have 35 miles on my pair so this might be too much of an initial impression. I've found the Zoom Elite 9's to handle very well and I've enjoyed the feel of these shoes a lot. Due to my mid foot strike and most of the plantar pressure going through my forefoot I really enjoy the forefoot zoom air unit. This is the first pair of Nike's I've worn in a very very long time so I haven't had experience with the forefoot zoom air unit before. The forefoot zoom air unit gives sense to a springy feeling ride. The only caveat I have with this is that after 4 or so miles of running I get an uncomfortable sensation under my forefoot (both feet) which can be quickly alleviated just by walking for about a minute. I wouldn't say this is a hotspot where a blister is forming or anything like that, it's just an uncomfortable feeling of pressure. I'm hoping that after some more mileage this sensation will disappear. I would say that so far I've been very happy with them and will probably purchase again if the forefoot pressure I mentioned above goes away as they break in.

tycruickshank · Feb 7, 2018

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Vazee Pace