Nike’s Legendary Super Shoe Looks Faster Than Ever. Who Is It For?

The Vaporfly 4 could be the fastest in the franchise. Is it running its own race?

By Jack Seemer

Published March 6, 2025

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Updated March 6, 2025

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Nike has previously committed to streamlining its lineup of running shoes but any pruning will just have to wait.

The brand rushed into 2025 with its fully loaded Pegasus Premium and followed it up with a new max-cushioned trainer under the longstanding Vomero series.

Next up, Nike will release a completely remastered Streakfly and, almost as a footnote, a new Vaporfly, the super shoe that started it all back in 2017.

With countless alternatives now available to runners — many from Nike’s own catalog — does the legendary racer continue to matter to a sport still running in the shadows of its influence?

white NIke shoe — The new Vaporfly 4 releases on March 14.

A changing of the guard

Not long ago, the arrival of a new Vaporfly would have put the running world on pause. In fact, it did.

The original model was so influential that World Athletics — the global governing body for road running, cross country and track and field — changed its equipment rules.

National Geographic made a feature documentary film about it. And naturally, every runner just had to have a pair, enamored by the Vaporfly’s game-changing carbon-fiber plate and ultrapropulsive foam.

underside of a nike running shoe — The original Vaporfly popularized the use of carbon-fiber plates, still present in the newest Vaporfly.

As successful as the Vaporfly has proven itself commercially, however, it never quite accomplished what it set out to do: break the two-hour marathon barrier.

When Eliud Kipchoge finally did so in 2019, he wasn’t wearing the Vaporfly but its chunky, tech-laden successor, the Alphafly, which has since claimed several world records, including the men’s and women’s marathons, as well as the only half-marathon time under 57 minutes (set in February by Jacob Kiplimo).

nike running shoes — A majority of long-distance runners have traded the Vaporfly (top) for the Alphafly (bottom). The latter holds the current world records in the men’s and women’s marathons, as well the men’s half marathon.

As for elites who do prefer the Vaporfly’s more nimble, streamlined silhouette, even they have had trouble adopting newer versions of the shoe.

Many runners at the top level, including Joshua Cheptegei, the world-record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, prefer to race in the Vaporfly Next% 2 — a discontinued version of the Vaporfly that debuted all the way back in 2021.

A victory lap?

Still, credit where it’s due. The Vaporfly 4, releasing this month, looks not just flashy but quick — undeniably so. According to Nike, it’s 10 percent lighter than the Vaporfly 3 and nearly an ounce less than the original Vaporfly from 2017.

The Vaporfly 4 might even be the most versatile shoe among Nike’s top-shelf racers — including the Streakfly, Alphafly and Ultrafly — as it can feasibly take on distances between a mile and the marathon, unlike it’s more distance-specific brethren.

All to say, if the Vaporfly 4 does turn out to be a victory lap for the world’s most famous super shoe, it probably won’t go out with a whimper.

The Vaporfly 4 will be available from March 14, starting with a white-and-orange prototype colorway.