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

Nike Life

5/5

Overall

10/10

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

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

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

Nike Zoom Vaporfly Review

5/5

Overall

With all the hype surrounding Nike's Breaking 2 project, I had to get a pair for myself. The effect of the nylon plate is noticeable, and the stack height is quite large, but when it comes down to it, this is a fast, light shoe that I've welcomed into my rotation for tempo runs, longer intervals, and long runs.

carterschade · Feb 6, 2018

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

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

6 Years in Running Specialty and this is my Favorite Shoe

5/5

Overall

I got this shoe on a whim because I thought it would be nice to have a very responsive Nike that I could do tempos and such in. I ended up turning this shoe into an everyday shoe. Whether it was easy runs, tempos, grass workouts, this shoe has worked great for me. I usually train in the Pegasus but also frequently have run in Vomeros, Kinvaras and Rides. While this shoe is not "soft" it is incredibly responsive and yet seems to alleviate potential stress on the legs from a firm shoe.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

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

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

Zoomed Right In

5/5

Overall

I was skeptical when I first got this shoe as it feels a lot like a Newton and a Hoka had a child. I use it just for workouts at the moment and have loved it both on the track and on the treadmill. Workout paces vary between 5:00-5:30 and you can really feel some of the snap from that plate underneath it.

ChickFilA Runner · Feb 6, 2018

80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Streak LT 3

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

Great Shoe

4/5

Overall

This shoe is comfy and fast. I feel like I run faster in it and it feels best at 6:30 pace or better. Slower than 8:00 it just feels soft so you can say it firms up with speed. Mine started to pinch a little bit under the balls of my feet at 275 miles so I notched it slightly lower for durability (caveat are these were 275 winter miles so snow/salt/road grit miles). I think they run a 1/2 size small vs New Balance.

Anonymous runner · Feb 2, 2018

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4