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Is Nike’s Most Promising Shoe About to Reach Its Full Potential?

After a full redesign, the Zoom Fly may finally become the super trainer to beat.

Nike running shoeNike

By Jack Seemer

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On paper, the Nike’s Zoom Fly series has always shown plenty of promise.

Like the Pegasus Plus (formerly the Pegasus Turbo), the Zoom Fly is a hybrid trainer designed to fill a hole in runners’ rotations — something between a daily workhorse (e.g. the Pegasus) and long-distance racer (e.g. the Vaporfly).

Yet previous iterations have always felt a little flat. Too bulky. Too firm. Not quite quick enough. The black sheep of the Nike Zoom family.

After a full redesign, the upcoming Zoom Fly 6 may finally put those concerns to bed. Could this be the new super trainer to beat?

Nike Zoom Fly 6

Unlike the Pegasus Plus, the Zoom Fly has always featured the same full-length carbon fiber plate found in the record-breaking Vaporfly and Alphafly models.

But a plate without a worthy midsole is like a tire without air.

The new version brings top-shelf ZoomX to the line — the real deal, not recycled ZoomX in the Zoom Fly 5 — combined with EVA-based SR-02. The pairing not only means more snap than earlier versions in the series but less weight, too.

Nike running shoe
Efficient and lightweight, ZoomX foam is Nike’s top-shelf midsole compound.
Nike

According to Nike, the Zoom Fly 6 shaves 10 percent of its total weight from the previous generation — a difference of 25 to 30 grams depending on the size.

The upper, too, received a refresh. Here, two layers of mesh result in a sock-like fit that “aims to replicate the race day experience on any training run,” Nike says.

Nike running shoe
Two mesh layers combine for a sock-like fit akin to Nike’s fastest race-day shoes.
Nike

Pricing and availability

As always, the Zoom Fly sounds like the best of both worlds: stable but snappy and endlessly versatile.

“This is the shoe runners should choose for their workouts all week long, instead of the ‘super shoes’ some are using for their long runs and fartleks,” says Eliud Kipchoge, who played a role in the shoe’s development, according to a press release.

Nike running shoe
The Zoom Fly 6 will cost $170 when it releases in November.
Nike

Do the new changes stack up to a shoe that lives up to its promise? We’ll find out when it hits streets next month. The Zoom Fly will be available from November 1 for $170.

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