Nike’s Iconic Super Shoe Goes Full Stealth Mode for 2025

The Vaporfly is hard to beat and harder to miss.

Since its debut in 2017, Nike’s record-breaking super shoe has ushered in a new era of not only lightweight, plated trainers but bold colorways like highlighter green and neon pink.

One recent release, for example, went so far as to carry a bright-red flame graphic, emblazoned near the forefoot of the shoe.

Nike

Coming into 2025, however, the Vaporfly will turn a corner to go full-on stealth mode, adopting a blacked-out color scheme as part of Nike’s new “Metallic Medium Ash” collection.

Nike

Here, the swoosh logo is barely discernible, printed on both sides of the black Flyknit upper. A matching midsole completes the covert makeover, with a small green cutout providing the only pop of color.

Nike

Nike also added a small Easter egg for longtime fans of the Vaporfly series. Printed on the back of each shoe, the text “running is mental” replaces the usual “Nike Racing.”

Nike

Part of the pack

Incidentally, this sort of subdued colorway — though rare for the Vaporfly series in an official capacity — is an important part of its heritage.

When the Vaporfly was still in its infancy, and other brands had yet to catch up to Nike on the technical side, professional athletes sponsored by competing brands would sometimes wear blacked-out versions of the super shoe.

Also, when developing new shoes, Nike frequently outfits its athletes in blacked-out prototypes to keep technical details hidden from the public until they’re ready for widespread release.

Nonetheless, the new all-black Vaporfly is very much real and very much official, available now on Nike’s website for $270 — a small surcharge on top of the routine price of $260.

Soon, it will be joined by another low-key release from the king of super shoes: a militaristic take on the Alphafly 3 that’s already surfaced in Japan.

Together, the two colorways show Nike flying somewhat under the radar coming into the new year, at least in an aesthetic sense.

Nike

Nike Vaporfly 3

• $270 at Nike

Nike

New Release

Nike Alphafly 3 Premium

• $285 at Nike

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