Nike Zoom Fly 3

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

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.9 oz · 8mm drop · 36/28mm stack

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

How it ranks

The Nike Zoom Fly 3 trails most 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 22 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the Zoom Fly product line.

Below average

67/100

Overall

Below average 67

Appearance

Excellent 95

Cushioning

Good 89

Durability

Decent 77

Value

Bottom-tier 54

Comfort

Bottom-tier 52

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

90/100

High 90

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

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 Sep 14.

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 67. This shoe has high certainty. 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

64 2016 86 2017 67 2019 64 2021 92 2022 81 2024

Release year

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

Zoom Fly 6

2024 · 27 reviews

81 Good

87 Confidence
Zoom Fly 5

2022 · 33 reviews

92 Very good

92 Confidence
Zoom Fly 4

2021 · 9 reviews

64 Below average

76 Confidence
Zoom Fly 3 This shoe

2019 · 22 reviews

67 Below average

90 Confidence
Zoom Fly

2017 · 90 reviews

86 Good

98 Confidence
Zoom Fly 2 (2016)

2016 · 2 reviews

64 Below average

47 Confidence

Reader 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: 8.9 oz
Release: 2019 Q2
MSRP: $160
Stack Height: 36mm heel - 28mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

A runner’s best friend

5/5

Overall

This shoe is now my best friend after realizing my potential with them. They have the most comfortable fit, lightweight material and may you feel like you are flying in each stride.

Anonymous runner · Jan 23, 2020

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-DS Trainer 25

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

Decent

4/5

Overall

Felt kinda clunky for a “faster” shoe, the heel had very little rubber so although I land mid/forefoot the rubber at the heel has been rubbed down pretty far. These are great for faster long runs but I wouldn’t use them as your every day trainer.

Anonymous runner · Jan 22, 2020

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 12

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

Awful

2/5

Overall

I usually run in the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2 or the Adidas Boston 8. Both of these shoes are reasonably light and weigh around 8-8.5 oz in a UK size 9. I wanted to try the Nike Zoom Fly 3 out of curiosity. As soon as I received the parcel I could tell that these shoes would be heavy. My initial impression of the shoe was not good - they have a huge stack height and in white / atmosphere grey they literally resemble moon boots. One positive was the vaporweave upper which looked smart and the lacing system was good - better than the Pegasus Turbo 2 (in which the tongue never lies flat). I took them on a tempo run and the results were confusing. I ran at my usual pace, if not slightly faster, but the entire run felt hard. These shoes are bottom heavy and just felt heavy in general. I would liken the experience to a tennis racket with a high swingweight - it took more effort to accelerate and responsiveness was lacking. The react foam felt very muted - possibly because of the huge stack height. I didn't notice the carbon plate at all. Durability wise, I was surprised to find a stone had sunk itself deep into the react foam at the front of the shoe. This was surprising as the Pegasus Turbo also uses react foam and the sole of the shoe looks good after hundreds of miles. My legs felt OK after the run, but I was glad to finish. I returned them back to Nike.

Anonymous runner · Jan 22, 2020

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2

Comfort: 2/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 1/5
Value: 1/5

My achilles loves them but they are a challenge to get on.

5/5

Overall

They provide an optimal amount of shock absorption (for me) while also create significant energy return. Most of my other running shoes do either one or the other well, not both. My training paces tend to be faster when I use them because I don't feel like I am getting as beat up as much as I do in light shoes that have less shock absorption. Most likely due to the 8mm drop, my Achilles tendon, which tends to get irritated on and off, feels the best it has in years. The upper have a snug fit. The foot slips into them. There is no tongue. My left foot is slightly wider than my right foot and borders on needing a wider width shoe. Initially, when I ran 20+ miles at once in them, I can feel the shoelace eyelet press on the top of my left foot. I will feel sore spot (likely as a result of some foot swelling). There is no way to loosen the upper because of the sock liner design. I don't have this issue on my right foot. Over time, they seem to loosen up some and I no longer have this issue. Because the shoe slips on like a sock (and then laces up) it can be a wrestling match for me to get them on. A shoehorn would actually solve this problem, but I am a 44-year-old female, not my grandpa. Once on, they feel good enough for me to keep using them. I will buy more.

Anonymous runner · Jan 17, 2020

90 mpw training for a marathon

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

Zoom for me

5/5

Overall

Trained for last spring marathon in Nike Zoom shoe. But with my aging body and trying to attempt my second marathon in the fall I changed to a more cushioned shoe. Hoka Clifton. Now with all the mileage I’ve racked up I’ve decided to try to get fast and needed a fast shoe to help. My first 14 miler I ran the fiat 9 at 8:30 pace. Switched shoes for the last 5. Drop to 7:20 pace without effort. Amazed at the comfort and spring they offered. Waiting to see how well they hold up. One winter run they did not handle minimal snow ice very well

Anonymous runner · Jan 14, 2020

40 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 4