Racing · Neutral · Road · 6.9 oz · 8mm drop · 38/30mm stack
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Vaporfly 3 replaced it
How it ranks
The Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 is one of the strongest 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 49 runner reviews and 4 other rated shoes in the Vaporfly product line.
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
99/100
“The pop and bounce and ease of going race pace is unrivalled.”
“Terrible durability, expensive, hard to put on, bad stability.”
“Kept its speed for 50 miles before it went downhill; not recommended past 150–200 miles.”
“The outsole of the shoe near the heel wore out really quick and the sides started to split.”
“What trumps all its myriad flaws is pure speed.”
“This is the fastest shoe I have ever run in hands down.”
“The back heel constantly causes friction on the Achilles and cuts through it.”
“For threshold days I barely had to push to hit the required paces and for speed days I was able to run fast easily.”
“If you tend to heel strike or race at 5min/km pace or slower, you probably shouldn't buy these.”
“Only truly last 200–300 miles but you can push it.”
67% 16/24
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Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
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.
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Better Shoes Rating
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
ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 This shoe
2021 · 49 reviews
99 Exceptional
99 Confidence
2019 · 27 reviews
100 Exceptional
100 Confidence
2017 · 73 reviews
99 Exceptional
100 Confidence
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
4/5
Overall
Feels amazing running in these. Calves flared up for me, as someone with weak calves. Wears quickly, only after about 10 sessions there is noticeable wear. Looks cool. Of course narrow because nike runs narrow for men.
Anonymous runner · Dec 6, 2023
5 mpw training for 5K and 10K
5/5
Overall
This shoe is amazing. The rocker in the midsole helps propel and push the runner forward. I used this shoe for basically every speed session except for 1500m and 800m race specific sessions. For threshold days I barely had to push to hit the required paces and for speed days I was able to run fast easily. For races I was hitting new pbs in 5k and 10k almost everytime I ran. However the outsole of the shoe near the heel wore out really quick and the sides started to split. The durability is really bad but this didnt hinder my performance in any noticeable way. The lock down was hard to get right due to the laces but it was improved slightly when I went up to the next eyelete chain.
If your looking for a race day shoe dont look past the Nike Next %2
Trotski · Nov 30, 2023
20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS EvoRide 2
3/5
Overall
This shoe is great for middle to long distance races and workouts, like the 2 mile +, but they only truly last 200-300 miles but you can push it. The bottoms tend to tare up after the first few uses.
Anonymous runner · Nov 29, 2023
training for a half marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Dragonfly Spikes
4/5
Overall
Very nice race day shoe, ran 5k-half in them
Anonymous runner · Nov 27, 2023
7 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Saucony Kinvara 13
5/5
Overall
Love these shoes for racing and some key workouts because they’re lightweight and responsive! However, I find the arch to be a little too high for me which causes some discomfort, but only after a run which makes them perfect for racing! Also, I personally prefer these to the Alphaflys.
Anonymous runner · Oct 26, 2023
80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Zoom Alphafly Next%
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