Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

Nike Zoom Fly 3

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.

Nike Zoom Fly 3

of 5

Below average

67/100
Overall
67
Appearance
95
Cushioning
89
Durability
77
Value
54
Comfort
52
Confidence

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

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.

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.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

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

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

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

Showing 21–21 of 21 written reviews

Great shoe for Achilles issues

5/5

Overall

After years of post Achilles surgery pain, was able to run pain free in this shoe. Now running in my 7th pair and still loving them!

Anonymous runner · Jul 7, 2019

30 mpw came from the HOKA Clifton 6

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

Alternatives

Other shoes worth considering.

More from Nike

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
Choose a model
Best appearance
Newest / Lowest price
Lightest / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Speed / workouts
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
8.9 oz M
8.5 oz M Lightest
Stack
36/28mm
40/35mm
Drop
8mm
8mm
5mm
Release
2019 Q2
2024 Q4 Newest
2023 Q1
MSRP
$160
$180
$145
Best price
$99.97 Lowest price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Below average (67)
Good (81)
Exceptional (99) Best overall
Comfort
Bottom-tier (52)
Bottom-tier (59)
Exceptional (99) Best comfort
Cushioning
Good (89)
Decent (77)
Exceptional (99) Best cushioning
Durability
Decent (77)
Below average (68)
Very good (92) Best durability
Appearance
Excellent (95) Best appearance
Excellent (94)
Very good (91)
Value
Bottom-tier (54)
Below average (60)
Good (88) Best value
Specific shoe

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