Nike’s Most Popular Racing Shoe Is Finally Getting a Reboot

The world of running shoes changed with the first Nike Vaporfly. Since then, the shoes have kept getting better and better. Today, almost every performance-wear brand has got their own version of the revolutionary shoes and its carbon fiber plate. Naturally, the reboot model, called Vaporfly 3, sparked quite a bit of interest among athletes and marathon runners. So, what’s so good about them?

Nike ZoomX Vaporfly 3

Many athletes are wondering whether the newer model is worth it. The quick answer is, yes. Let’s find out why. Firstly, the new model comes with a more sculpted design than Nike Vaporfly 4%. The brand has also claimed the rebooted version restored more energy than the original. Other than that, significant changes really come from the new model’s design.

The lateral Swoosh of this model is not as oversized as the previous one. It provides a more modest look and pays homage to the original Nike Vaporfly worn by many athletes back in 2017. The midsole has gone through a complete transformation.

The Nike Vaporfly 3 has a midsole carved entirely via foam. Another distinctive change is that designers have cut a wedge of foam on each side of the shoe, plus one from the sole. So, the new model is not as sleek as Vaporfly 2.

Other Versions of Nike’s Ulitmate Running Shoe

We shouldn’t overlook all other versions of Nike Vaporfly, though. First launched in 2017, the original shoe has seen so many updates that it is becoming harder and harder to come up with improvements. Designers of today have to rely on out-of-the-box thinking to invent even better running shoes.

Some of the notable prior versions of the Nike Vaporfly shoe include Vaporfly Next% 2, Vaporfly Next%, and AlphaFly. The latter version has sacks of air packed inside the midsole and has been used to break the two-hour marathon barrier.

Finally, the new model works pretty much the same way as all other versions. Namely, it relies on a combination of a carbon fiber plate and soft running foam. As Nike has stated more than once, their performance shoes are likely to help athletes recover faster from long runs.