Nike Zoom Fly

Name: Nike Zoom Fly
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.5 (89 reviews)

Racing · Neutral · Road · 8.6 oz · 8mm drop · 40/32mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Zoom Fly 3 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Zoom Fly ranks among the stronger racing shoes in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 90 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the Zoom Fly product line.

Good

86/100

Overall

Good 86

Appearance

Exceptional 99

Cushioning

Excellent 95

Comfort

Good 84

Value

Decent 76

Durability

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

98/100

Very high 98

Prefer this shoe over another

63% 41/65

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers find the plate propulsive and favor it for tempo runs, long intervals and races.
It weighs 8.6 oz on a 40mm heel stack, and reviewers find it cushioned enough for marathon-distance runs.
Three reviewers say their legs feel fresher after long, fast efforts in it.

Cons

Six reviewers wear through the outsole or foam between 150 and 350 miles, while three get 400 miles or more.
Five reviewers find it unsteady on turns and uneven ground.
Four reviewers report poor traction in wet or snow and an upper that soaks up water.

Zoom Fly rates 86. This shoe has very 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

2019 · 22 reviews

67 Below average

90 Confidence
Zoom Fly This shoe

2017 · 90 reviews

86 Good

98 Confidence
Zoom Fly 2 (2016)

2016 · 2 reviews

64 Below average

47 Confidence

Reader Ratings

90 ratings

5/5 53

4/5 31

3/5 4

2/5 2

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.6 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $190
Stack Height: 40mm heel - 32mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great all round/tempo shoe

5/5

Overall

I used this shoe for over 6 months as a long/steady run shoe as well as a tempo shoe. Lasted well over 300 miles for me. As well as this I found the responsiveness comfortable enough for longer track sessions

Anonymous runner · Jun 1, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

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

Faster workouts & better recovery

5/5

Overall

This is the only running shoe that has ever made a noticeable difference in my speed and recovery. It was an immediate and remarkable improvement over any other shoe I've worn. It makes me feel like it's propelling me forward. Really astounding and fantastic! The negatives are that I don't think the super bouncy propelling feel lasts super long, and the shoe retains a LOT of water. I wore it for Boston marathon and it was soaked like a wet sponge before I even started. But for some reason, I don't think the soggy soles slowed me down. The shoes just plugged along as well as, if not better than, my old Hokas. But I know it is is way faster in dry conditions.

Anonymous runner · Apr 21, 2018

58 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Vanquish 3

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

Great little brother to the 4%

4/5

Overall

The Zoom fly has been around for about a 1/2 year now and has received amazing feedback from many runners. This less costly version of the highly esteemed Nike Vaporfly 4% is definitely a more durable and long lasting shoe for more average training runs as the higher priced Vaporfly [4%] cannot handle many miles after about 100. The shoe is very durable on the outside with no risk of blowout or tearing. The comfort is very high thanks to the lunarlon foam and flywire combo. Though the first couple miles may feel a bit painful due to the stiffness of the shoes upper later it becomes more comformed to your foot and helps keep you going. The shoes carbon fiber shank helps propel you forward in this rocket of a shoe. This shoe is definitely worth the retail price of 150$ just by looking at its slick design and very diverse array of color choices. The Nike ZoomFly is a shoe that you want to go faster in step after step.

Dmitri_morse · Apr 12, 2018

70 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Nike Zoom Fly

3/5

Overall

My daily easy runs are performed in the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V3. These shoes were purchased to accomodate training workouts and simulate my race day Nike Vaporflys. The ride is comparable, but with less bounce than the Vapoflys. The tongue and collar are more cushioned, which results in a tighter fit and the toe box feels smaller. Unfortunately the differences in fit between the two models are causing the loss of two big toe nails, so I would definitely purchase a half size larger.

Anonymous runner · Mar 10, 2018

50 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3