In 2020, the Nike Alphafly took the road racing world by storm. Months before its release, Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to break two hours in the marathon distance in Vienna, Austria, where he ran a blistering time of 1:59:40.2 or 4:32 per mile.
After the race, Kipchoge is quoted as saying, “The Alphafly is an extraordinary shoe. I feel like I was flying in it,” which is the exact feeling the shoe has two generations later. The Nike Alphafly 3 provides a soft but extremely responsive ride that allows runners to glide at race paces without the harsh sensation of stiff foam and plate.
Changes and Notable Features
After Nike’s not-too-hot release of the Alpha Fly 2, the brand came for redemption with its successor, cutting the Alpha Fly’s weight down around 0.85 ounces, allowing for a smoother ride and taking the clunky feeling away. This truly took away the main setback of the previous two models.
With this new lightweight remodeling of the shoe came unprecedented breathability that I personally can’t compare to any shoe I’ve tried to date. This breathability is perfect for the hot summer days in New York City, where it can reach north of 90 degrees. To go deeper into the rabbit hole of Nike’s update to the Alpha Fly they seemed to reduce the arch height in areas where runners spoke out about pain and blisters. allowing your foot to rest more naturally.
Adding to the natural feeling you get in Nike’s most standout shoe is the widened toe box. Nike’s super snug toe box has always been my reason for not choosing the brand over ones I believe they may be better than, but the Alpha Fly was a huge step in the right direction. This wider toe box gives a stable feeling to the shoe where your foot isn’t falling off or being choked.
The stability in the shoe, combined with the soft ZoomX foam, gave the feeling of a max-cushioned shoe while also having two Air Zoom units, that give the feeling of flying amongst clouds.
Personal Opinions
Getting the notification that the shoe had arrived at the mailroom brought back the feeling of being a kid on Christmas, and wearing the shoe did not disappoint. Being a college middle-distance runner puts me slightly out of the intended audience of this shoe which is —half-marathon and marathon runners—but I do have my fair share of tempo runs and interval workouts. The first thing that caught my eye before putting the shoe on was the bulky, colorful, alien-like design that came out of the box, definitely, the most intriguing model I’ve ever seen.
The bright ombre purple and pink midsole contrasting with the white upper was beautiful. Back to the review: My Initial Impression of the shoe was during a 30-minute tempo, where the zoomX foam matched with a wider toebox allowed for a much natural and softer feeling at surprisingly the same pace my usual tempos.
The Alphafly definitely gives a more economic stride, which allows for great cutdowns when putting in a similar effort to other shoes. This was shown to me during this run where I was able to cut down from a six-minute pace to around five-forties.
Overall Thoughts
The final takeaway I had from Nike’s Alphafly 3, is despite critics’ doubts because of its predecessor Nike has made the next great marathon/half marathon running shoe, its new lightweight look and breathability allow for faster paces while fixing the fatigue it used to put on runners legs towards the end of races.
The ZoomX foam gives a soft ride that reminds me of the Invincible while the AirZoom units and carbon plate make the shoe just as fast as any other racing shoe. This was proved in the latest Marathon World Record where Kelvin Kiptum wore them in his blazing 2:00:35 in the distance.
If that alone is not enough to put the Alphafly in contention for racing shoe of the year, then I don’t know what is.
THE BREAKDOWN
Specs for the Nike Alphafly 3
· Weight: (7.6 oz / 218g) and (6.1oz / 174g)
· Stack height and drop: 40mm and 10mm
· Important features: Flyknit upper, ZoomX midsole, two forefoot Air Zoom units, full-length carbon fiber plate, notched laces, integrated knit tongue with lofted padding
· Price: $285
· Release date: January 2024
How We Tested This Shoe
· Men: Size 12.5 (7.6 oz / 218g)
· Women: Size 8 (6.1oz / 174g)
· Running conditions: Tempo, long runs along with speedwork on asphalt and the track
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Nike Alphafly 3 – Men
Nike Alphafly 3 – Women
