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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Springy, light, excellent long tempo or steady state shoe.

WADA joke · Jan 13, 2018

40 mpw

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

Perfect for the marathon

5/5

Overall

This was the perfect shoe for me. As I have gotten faster (3:29 for a 50 year old), I have wanted lighter but I am not really a candidate for flats in a marathon. This shoe gave me something light that was still cushioned (I am 6' 0" and race at 155 lbs). I liked the feel of the plate--felt like I was being pushed forward. It really felt comfortable from the moment I put it on and never didn't feel like a pleasure to have on my feet--light, fast, soft.

Anonymous runner · Jan 8, 2018

50 mpw training for a marathon

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

Faster

4/5

Overall

It might be because of Nike's appealing marketing, but I feel faster in Fly. They are lighter than Pegasus, but heavier than Vaporfly. They are very well cushioned. Good for hard surfaces. I´m curious of the durability. They might feel like the shoe that doesn't last long. We´ll see.

WhPh · Jan 8, 2018

20 mpw 261 miles in this shoe training for middle distance came from the Saucony Triumph ISO 3

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

Versatile, Great Shoe

5/5

Overall

It took a few days to break into the shoe. I experienced terrible blisters on my heels (I wear no show socks mostly) at first. Once I got used to the Zoom Fly, I greatly enjoyed it. Perfect for anything 4:30 pace and up. Lots of support alleviated the knee and arch pain that I used to get running. I wore it for around 600 miles before purchasing a new pair. It did not have any tears or rips, but the foam bottoms were clearly less supportive around 550 miles. Best shoe I have worn. Have gone through a few pairs now and cannot bring myself to go back to other shoes.

mars2024 · Jan 4, 2018

50 mpw training for middle distance came from the Nike Free RN Distance

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

The Zoom Fly

5/5

Overall

This shoe is a very high quality racing shoe. I love to use this shoe for medium length reps and tempo runs. If used as a trainer I am sure the durability would be much lower, but if used properly this shoe can last a fairly long time.

Anonymous runner · Jan 3, 2018

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