I’ve watched most major marathon winners cross the line in Vaporflys. I was surrounded by them at the Boston Marathon (their perforated upper gave them a distinct squishing sound each step in the downpour). Price and availability have prevented me from owning a pair until now.
So, with high goals for my upcoming marathon season, I decided to try the Nike Vaporfly 4% for myself. I tried a pair on at Fleet Feet San Diego, where I once worked, to determine what size would be best. If there was any doubt about buying the 4%, trying a pair on erased it. The shoe just feels fast. Something about it made me want to bolt out the door for a tempo workout. It’s light and bouncy without feeling over the top.
I went with my normal size (11.5). For some shoes, I have to adjust up a half size. Based on other reviews I’ve read, I thought I might need a little extra space in the Vaporflys, but 11.5 fit perfectly.
Because the Vaporfly 4% isn’t made as a high-mileage shoe, I plan on using my pair for race day only. But I needed to put a few miles on them first to make sure they are going to work for me.
I headed out for my first 4% run this past Friday, planning on doing some tempo and race-pace miles. Immediately my pace dropped. My warmup, which was mostly uphill, was significantly faster than my paces have been over that same stretch of the Las Vegas West Beltway Trail. Then, as I ran back downhill, I clocked some of my fastest miles in months. I did seven miles total, with 2.5 faster tempo in the middle and then an all-out downhill 800m in the final mile.
The Nike Vaporfly 4% is fast. And I wanted the shoes to be fast, so I don’t know how much of my effort was adrenaline and placebo effect.
I have the flyknit version of the Vaporfly 4%. Because I’m a late adapter, I don’t know the fit comparison between the flyknit and the original. But I do know how the flyknit upper fits to my foot. I hardly need to tie the laces. The upper hugs my foot, keeping it in place even at faster paces. My only complaint on the fit would be a slight lateral slip on sharp turns.
As I rounded corners on the running trail, I could feel the heel on my planting foot move sideways a little bit. I tried running some of the turns slower, and there was still a little movement. The instability on those corners isn’t a big deal, but it was enough that I noticed it quickly.
The closest I’ve worn to the Vaporfly before has been the Nike Zoom Fly, the $150 version of the shoe. I’ve worn two pairs of the Zoom Fly, and my current marathon PR of 2:42:46 came in that shoe (I haven’t tried the newer flyknit version of the Zoom Fly yet). The Zoom Flys have rubbed up and down on my achilles tendons almost every time I’ve worn them. Eventually I started wearing the thinnest socks possible (Balega hidden dry) and used body glide on my heels. I was worried the Vaporflys would create a similar heel friction, but the flyknit upper didn’t rub at all.
As I settled into my faster miles, the shoes felt less bouncy and more like racing flats I’ve worn before. Nike uses ZoomX foam and a stiff carbon fiber plate through the midsole for a responsive feel. I could feel the firmness of that carbon fiber plate springing me forward. When I first tried the shoes on, they felt amazing. But I was worried they might be too much like a trampoline for me. I typically gravitate to more firm and responsive racing flats — the Adidas Adios Boost and New Balance RC1400 are still some of my favorite shoes of all time. When I started running, however, the Vaporfly 4% felt much more firm than when I was simply standing around.
The true test will come on Dec. 2, when I race California International Marathon in Sacramento. My wife has made it clear only a new PR will justify spending so much on a running shoe. I will run one more long run in my Vaporflys before race day. Then, I still love them as much as I do now, I will likely race the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon in them in February as well as Boston in April.
For anyone else out there on the fence — try on a pair. Unless you’re scared that you might fall in love with a $250 shoe. If that’s the case, then stay far away.