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

Vaporflys

5/5

Overall

I was able to run in these shoes for 5 marathons before I saw the heel started to peel off. If you walk around in tile type surfaces, you hear these suction sound.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

5 mpw training for a marathon

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

Nike Vaporfly 4% Flyknit

4/5

Overall

As advertised it is a fast shoe. It provides superior cushioning and reaction. I only gave it 7/10 on cushioning, however, because of the lack of an insole. I need an insole for orthotic control due to long-term bone spurs. Since no stores within 500 miles of me carry the shoe I had to order it, and the literature says nothing about the lack of an insole. The shoe is expensive but as a racing shoe I imagine I can run in it once a week (races and tempo runs) and make it last several years. I just can't run in it very often without aggravating my bulging forefoot.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

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

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

Nike Vaporfly 4%. Excellent in parts.

5/5

Overall

I'm the sort of runner who needs all the help they can get - a woman of A Certain Age who can sneak into the age category prize list at local races if the right people fail to turn up. I run in Nike shoes already, and thought if I didn't give the Vaporfly 4% a try I might regret it. The shoes are true to size and comfortable straight from the box, and extremely light. The sensation of the foam and carbon plate underfoot takes a little getting used to, and walking in them feels very odd indeed. I've raced several 5ks, a 10k and a marathon in them and find that they do give me some advantage on flat and uphill sections, but this is partly offset by feeling less stable running downhill in the Vaporfly 4% than in my usual shoe (the now-obsolete Nike Lunaracer 3). I've noticed that when I wear the Vaporfly 4% my normally slightly noisy footfall is amplified, and I've had people comment after races that they thought they were about to be overtaken by a herd of elephants, not by a little old lady. Whether I buy another pair when my current pair wears out depends on whether the price comes down and what happens in shoe technology developments in the meantime.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Lunaracer+ 3

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

4% indeed

5/5

Overall

This is the best shoe I have ever used. I feel much faster and the times don’t lie. Most importantly the cushion technology has my legs feeling great far into long runs and better than ever after runs.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

55 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Havok XC2 Flat

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

Light & Fast But Doesn’t Last

5/5

Overall

I’ve had these shoes for only a few months and have put less than 50 miles on them. Although they feel amazing to race in, I have already noticed the sole of the shoe is becoming damaged. I’m 5’2”, 105 lbs and am very light on my feet so I’m surprised they are wearing down so quickly. In comparison, in the last I have worn the adidas Boston Boost for hundreds of miles and races from 5ks to marathons and have not seen the wear & tear I’m already noticing with the Vaporfly’s. For the price point I would expect a better quality and will probably only purchase another pair if I can find them at a discount again.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 7

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

Top Rankings

By Category

Best Deals

Explore

Start Here

Analyses

Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%

Exceptional