Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%

Name: Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.7 (71 reviews)

Racing · Neutral · Road · 6.9 oz · 10mm drop · 39/29mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% is one of the strongest racing shoes in our data. Looks and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 73 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Vaporfly product line.

Exceptional

99/100

Overall

Exceptional 99

Cushioning

Exceptional 99

Comfort

Exceptional 99

Appearance

Exceptional 99

Value

Bottom-tier 59

Durability

Bottom-tier 50

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

100/100

Very high 100

What runners say

“These shoes are fast, and it was hard to dial the goal pace in because they want to go so fast.”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“On my first run in the shoes I immediately noticed some extra pop, more so than anything I had run in before.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 1500 v4

“The combination of the carbon plate with ZoomX midsole cushioning provides just the right amount of feedback and forward propulsion.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 1500 v4

“Normally the quads feel like rocks by that point, especially going uphill. But they felt much better in the 4% .”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike LunarTempo 2

“These do what they are advertised to do, help you really roll/pop off your toes with the plate. It was a stressor that my achilles, ankles, and calves just couldn't handle, leaving me extremely sore.”

1/5 Full review training for a marathon

“This is the single best shoe i have ever run in, there is a genuine difference in comfort, road feel and speed.”

5/5 Full review 100 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike LunaRacer 4

“The cushion technology has my legs feeling great far into long runs and better than ever after runs.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Havok XC2 Flat

“The first mile was downhill, and I could feel a lot of cushioning and springiness for each step.”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“They aren't too durable; after about 5 miles of wear, I can already see how the soles are grinding out on the street.”

5/5 Full review 3 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project)

“The cushioning can be comparable to a Hoka One One but quite honestly this is more plush.”

4/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Zoom Pegasus 35 Turbo

Prefer this shoe over another

51% 34/67

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers repeatedly report legs feeling fresher after races and long runs in it.
At 6.9 oz on a 39mm heel stack, and reviewers call it incredibly cushioned for the weight.
Reviewers report race PRs at distances from the 10k to the marathon.

Cons

Durability is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.3 out of 5, and reviewers report the outsole wearing and the sole peeling, one after about 200 miles.
Value rates 3.7 out of 5 against a $250 list price, and reviewers who like the shoe still call it too expensive.
Reviewers say it feels unstable at slower paces, and eleven of seventy-three find it runs small.

Zoom Vaporfly 4% rates 99. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Nike Vaporfly

Each dot is one version of the Vaporfly, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

99 2017 100 2019 99 2021 99 2023 98 2025

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Vaporfly 4

2025 · 3 reviews

98 Exceptional

91 Confidence
Vaporfly 3

2023 · 89 reviews

99 Exceptional

100 Confidence
ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2

2021 · 49 reviews

99 Exceptional

99 Confidence
ZoomX Vaporfly Next%

2019 · 27 reviews

100 Exceptional

100 Confidence
Zoom Vaporfly 4% This shoe

2017 · 73 reviews

99 Exceptional

100 Confidence

Reader Ratings

73 ratings

5/5 55

4/5 16

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 2

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 6.9 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $250
Stack Height: 39mm heel - 29mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Best shoe ever made

5/5

Overall

This is the single best shoe i have ever run in, there is a genuine difference in comfort, road feel and speed. The bit no one will tell you about is how great your legs feel the next day, you pull up so much better after racing than any other shoe ive ever worn.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

100 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike LunaRacer 4

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

When the hype is real

5/5

Overall

There has been so much hype surrounding the Vaporfly 4%. For me, it plain works, has a very springy feel, yet is very gentle on the legs and you definitely feel less beat up by the end of long tempos or races. Durability is surprisingly good, although they lose a bit of their nice pop after a hundred or so miles. Planning on getting a new pair when possible and keeping it fresh for races, and running the old pair into the ground, particularly on sustained/longer tempos where they really help to get you into the grove. These things make you want to go fast.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

75 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Nike Vaporfly 4% - wish it would last 4% longer...

5/5

Overall

I believe the shoe is purely for the racing component. No training for me in these shoes. I love the design and believe that if there is a Vaporfly 4% Version 2, that the shoe will be designed differently. While i do love the foaming system and how they built the outsole and insole but the upper I believe can be improved. I am surprised there was not a true flyknit upper like they did for the Vaporfly Elite. I personally would not train in them but wear them only for racing. In terms of racing, I love them. I think they are fantastic and I will say, it could be also because I am a huge fan of Nike. And I am slightly bias but I believe Nike will continue to make the changes needed to make this the best running shoe for elite runners. Durability is the biggest question but I don't believe Nike will make it more durable since it is designed to be a racing shoe. In most cases now, I use the Zoom Fly to train and the Vaporfly to run in.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 2/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

Best Marathon Shoe I've Ever Ran In

5/5

Overall

The Nike Vaporfly 4% is the perfect combination of light, responsive, and cushioning all mixed into one. Throw in the rocking/propulsive feel you get while using them and you get the perfect racing flat for long tempos, half marathons, and especially the marathon distance. I would highly recommend this shoe to anyone and everyone.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

40 mpw training for a marathon

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