Nike Vaporfly 2
Price$250
Weight6.9oz / 196g
Drop8mm
TypeRacing
Stack height40mm / 32mm
Pros & cons
✓ What testers liked
- +Plush Comfort & ZoomX Cushioning (20.0%): Soft ZoomX foam stack providing high impact absorption and plush underfoot comfort over marathon distances (especially women's).
- +Performance (19.6%): Exceptional propulsive forward drive powered by the full-length carbon fiber plate, heavily praised for race day and setting personal bests (especially women's).
- +Weight (10.4%): Featherlight race weight that promotes rapid foot turnover without added fatigue (especially women's).
- +Aesthetics (9.6%): Sleek race profile and attractive, vibrant colorways (especially women's).
- +Bounce, Energy Return & Responsiveness (7.7%): Lively, springy toe-off response off the full-length carbon plate (especially women's).
- +Engineered Mesh Upper & Breathability (7.7%): Redesigned engineered mesh upper offering improved forefoot breathability, comfort, and lockdown over version 1 (especially women's).
- +Platform Stability & Support (4.1%): Improved upper containment providing decent straight-line stability for a high-stack supershoe (especially women's).
- +Joint Relief & Fatigue Reduction (3.2%): Effective shock absorption that dampens road harshness and minimizes leg and knee soreness.
✕ Where it falls short
- –Durability (9.8%): Exposed ZoomX foam scuffing, rubber tread peeling, or sole disintegration within early-to-mid mileage (especially women's).
- –Sizing & Fit: Runs Small / Narrow (5.2%): Snug, low-volume toe box and narrow midfoot requiring some runners to size up by half a size (especially women's).
- –Heel Friction, Slippage & Blisters (4.0%): Minimalist heel collar padding occasionally causing heel rub, slippage, or blistering (especially women's).
- –Value (3.5%): Premium retail price tag ($250) making short shoe lifespan hard to justify for non-race training.
- –Narrow Midfoot & Ankle Instability (0.8%): Extremely narrow midfoot waist feeling slightly wobbly on sharp turns or uneven road camber.
- –Noise (0.1%): Rare acoustic slap or squeak on smooth paved surfaces.
Community reviews
4.5
Love2 reviews
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0Anonymous
May 21, 2023
May 21, 2023Great
Rob C
May 13, 2023
May 13, 2023First pair were the Brooks Hyperion Elite 2’s. Loved the responsiveness. Then got the Alfafly’s but found the high instep harsh on really long efforts (what they’re designed for!). Finally got the Vaporfly 2’s which are just amazing. Great blend of comfort and responsiveness.