Nike’s New Running Shoe Looks Like It Came Out of a Military Surplus Store

The Swoosh’s fastest shoe ever will run in a different direction next year.

Published January 6, 2025

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

The Alphafly might have the most impressive CV in the history of running.

Nike’s top-of-the-line racer is the only shoe to go under two hours in the marathon; it currently holds both the men’s and women’s world records in the distance; and, according to recent data, it’s the best-selling race shoe in the world.

nike running shoes — According to Strava data, the Alphafly (bottom) is the most popular shoe in marathons around the world.

All to say, the Alphafly is fast. It’s popular. It’s the undisputed GOAT of long-distance running.

But it’s also something else: an eye-sore, with its half a dozen colorways coming in various shades of neon yellow, pink and orange.

A new direction

Finally, Nike’s designed team has decided to point the shoe in a different direction in 2025.

A new lifestyle-friendly colorway of the Alphafly 3 just dropped online, draped in hues that sound like they came straight out of a military surplus store: Light Army, Ironstone, Light Khaki and Desert Moss.

At face value, the shoe lacks any cobranding details, making it a Nike release through and through. However, it could be seen as something of a visual successor to Nike’s dormant Gyakusou line, a collaboration with Undercover founder Jun Takahashi.

Takahashi famously lent a lifestyle hook to Nike’s performance-oriented running shoes and apparel. The pair’s last release — one-off colorways of the ZoomX Vaporfly — came out in 2021.