Overall great running shoe
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 27, 2019
30 mpw training for sprints came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%
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
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.
Confidence
100/100
What runners say
“These shoes are fast, and it was hard to dial the goal pace in because they want to go so fast.”
“On my first run in the shoes I immediately noticed some extra pop, more so than anything I had run in before.”
“The combination of the carbon plate with ZoomX midsole cushioning provides just the right amount of feedback and forward propulsion.”
“Normally the quads feel like rocks by that point, especially going uphill. But they felt much better in the 4% .”
“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.”
“This is the single best shoe i have ever run in, there is a genuine difference in comfort, road feel and speed.”
“The cushion technology has my legs feeling great far into long runs and better than ever after runs.”
“The first mile was downhill, and I could feel a lot of cushioning and springiness for each step.”
“They aren't too durable; after about 5 miles of wear, I can already see how the soles are grinding out on the street.”
“The cushioning can be comparable to a Hoka One One but quite honestly this is more plush.”
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.
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.
50
60
70
80
90
100
25
50
75
100
Better Shoes Rating
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.
Release year
-
2025 · 3 reviews
98 Exceptional
91 Confidence
-
2023 · 89 reviews
99 Exceptional
100 Confidence
-
2021 · 49 reviews
99 Exceptional
99 Confidence
-
2019 · 27 reviews
100 Exceptional
100 Confidence
-
Zoom Vaporfly 4% This shoe
2017 · 73 reviews
99 Exceptional
100 Confidence
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
Smart racing shoe
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 23, 2019
3 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Tempo
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 2/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 3/5
A weak update on the original gamechanger
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 21, 2019
60 mpw
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 2/5
Fastest Shoe
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 17, 2019
25 mpw training for a marathon came from the New Balance 1500v5
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 3/5
Why use PED's when you can use these legally
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 17, 2019
came from the adidas adizero adios Aktiv
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 1/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
More from Nike
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% In Context
More on the Nike Vaporfly
Compare every Vaporfly versionReviewers Also Ran In
- Nike LunaRacer 4 5 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33 4 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 2 runners