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
Good86
Appearance
Exceptional99
Cushioning
Excellent95
Comfort
Good84
Value
Decent76
Durability
Bottom-tier58
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.
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.
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
5060708090100255075100
Better Shoes Rating
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
406080100
642016862017672019642021922022812024
Release year
We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating.
See why.
I ran in these for 3 months, and they were perfect for the first 2. The sole held up well, with little ware, and the upper stayed clean. However, in the last month the shoe laces fell apart, and the sole/heel portion started to fade. The shoe lasted me along time, with many workouts, long runs, weight sessions, and other activities.
The Nike Zoom Fly has a sleek and unique design. They are perfect for road races, yet durable enough for the weekly long run. They form/ fit perfectly to your foot and the shoe propels you forward with every step. This shoe has helped keep me feeling fast and up on my toes more to help straighten out my form. I recommend this shoe for longer runs, and not for everyday use.
The zoom fly was a surprising leap for my daily runs. It has the carbon plate which gives you “spring” like wings on each step!
Any day I don’t “feel”like running but step into these shoes really helps. Seems like after the first step you’re moving. The cushion is excellent and I use the shoe even on long runs up to 20 miles. For tempo or other workouts, excellent as well.
I’m most surprised by the durability since my first pair is nearing 300 Miles. Even though the sole looks worn on edges (I supinate), they still have that spring. The Nike website said the same, that they’ll last longer than expected. This makes them well worth the price and they’re definitely better than all the other Nike flats I’ve used as well as most of their neutral shoes.
Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018
50 mpw·training for a marathon
Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5
Bizarre Feel With Plenty of Cushion
4/5
Overall
Whether it was a placebo affect or a genuine physical effect, I immediately noticed myself running quicker on base runs as soon as I put the shoes on. The stack height of the shoe combined with the sharp roll from midfoot to toe-off takes some getting used to, but the Zoom Flys certainly feel as if they were made to race fast while providing a fair amount of cushioning (especially for an 8oz shoe). While the shoes do compress pretty substantially for even a smaller, neutral runner like myself; they provide a pretty smooth ride overall.
I was extremely interested in getting my hands on these when they were released as part of the breaking2 collection. After running many miles, I can say that they do make running fast just a little easier. The first thing that I noticed was the stiffness of the plate in the shoe, but the large amount of cushioning was extremely nice. My only gripe is that they arent the best shoe for slow recovery days because the plate is trying to get you to go fast!
