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

Fast, but that's about it...

4/5

Overall

This shoe is impressive when running in straight lines on pavement, beyond that it lacks adaptability. For instance, because of its height and cushioning, it lacks responsiveness when going at high speeds on turns. In addition, it lacks turn over speed capability (i.e. its hard to accelerate in, even on pavement). Furthermore, the shoe wears quickly. After running tens of miles, the sole was visibly broken down and worn. On the plus side it is fast. The foam in the shoe allows for reduced stress when landing, aiding with efficiency. This is especially true on long steady runs. I would recommend this shoe for training/racing in marathons. Particularly, marathons that are not very technical in nature.

Anonymous runner · Aug 11, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36

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

Great tempo/race shoe

5/5

Overall

This shoe bridges the gap between the 4% and typical Nike trainers. It has great cushion. Feels like the 4% and the flyknit melts into your foot

Quincyceltic · Aug 10, 2019

80 mpw training for a marathon

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

Great for faster work

5/5

Overall

I love these shoes, especially during faster long runs or track workouts. They feel really fast, and I just ordered my second pair after my first pair broke down. I only had 255 miles on them but the entire bottom of the shoe is gone on one side where you can even touch the carbon fiber plate. This might have been my own fault because I went on a trailrun with them, but I still did not expect this. They feel a little stiff when running slow, like during a cool down, so I wouldn't recommend doing your easy runs in them. Overall they are a great shoe, which I would recommend mostly for track workouts.

Anonymous runner · Aug 10, 2019

35 mpw training for middle distance came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus 35 Turbo