Nike Fast Pack Introduction:
Way back in the mists of time before the Fast Pack, Nike created one shoe to rule them all. The Vaporfly was the must have shoe for serious road racers. Hard to come by, illusive, elite. It had the magic runners wanted. PBs tumbled. World records were shattered. Rules were broken?
Now, nearly a decade later, the Vaporfly is ubiquitous. Myriad colours. Deep discounts. Practically every running shoe company has their own carbon plated shoe. Even fashion brand Zara has a carbon plated racer on their shelves. To combat this flood of competitors, Nike expanded the ZoomX line. The Alphafly was the first shoe to ever break the two-hour barrier in the marathon. The original Streakfly was targeted as a 5 – 10k racing machine. While it missed this mark, it was a fun shoe at a reasonable price.
In previous iterations, the Alphafly and Vaporfly were both do it all shoes used for the mile to the marathon. Thai year, Nike have made some changes to their line. The revamped Streakfly 2 is a hyper-aggressive road spike for short blasts. Meanwhile, the Vaporfly has lost weight and a significant amount of foam in the midsole. Finally, the Alphafly has had a resurgence after a difficult second version.
In the eyes of the Nike marketing team, the uses are clear. Anything less than 10km the Streakfly is the choice. Between 5km and the half marathon, you should be using the Vaporfly. For those who want to take on the marathon, the Alphafly is for you. However, we runners don’t all fit into idealised boxes, so which shoe should we be using?
Three minimal uppers with moderate differences
Andy: Firstly, among all three uppers there is a lot of breathability. However, the fit is different among all three.
As expected, the Streakfly with its spike-like design is the snuggest. Those with wide feet would be well served by trying first. The upper offers some stretch however, it is a narrow platform that hugs the foot tightly. There is very minimal padding and the lace chain is a simple piece of string. After a few weeks of running in mine, I was expecting to see some degradation here. Thankfully, that has yet to come to pass. Overall, the lockdown is excellent and the Streakfly 2 vanishes on foot.
The Vaporfly has a similar mesh upper to the streakfly but offers slightly more room in the toebox. Despite buying the Streakfly and Vaporfly in the same size, the Vaporfly’s last feels more generous. The laces have moved away from the doily style of the Vaporfly 3 and into a stretchier, thinner guise. The midfoot is narrow and people with high volume feet might be well served by trying before they buy. While mid and forefoot lockdown is good, there is some heel slip with the Vaporfly 4. The stiffness of the plate and the power being pushed through it does cause some heel lift. If this is something that bothers you, a runner’s knot maybe the answer.
The oldest of the current Nike racers is the Alphafly 3. With Kipchoge and others wearing the Alphafly 4 in London recently, the new release may be soon and this article will need an update. However, for the time being, we will focus on the currently available version. People with sensitive arches may do well to avoid the Alphafly. Even though the midfoot has been widened from the second version, runners with low arches may want to get them on foot before splashing the cash. Lockdown is very good and the serrated laces hold firm once tied.
While they all have their quirks, the Vaporfly 4 probably offers the most versatile fit for all runners. It is just a shame that some will experience heel slip when they put the power down to the pavement.
Midsoles which are miles apart
Andy: Here we get to the crux of the choice. The three midsoles are wildly different and offer a runner very diverse rides. The Streakfly 2 is a Dragonfly on steroids. Not much padding in the heel, a stiff carbon fibre plate running through the foam and a beefy forefoot. Meanwhile, the Vaporfly offers a more traditional supershoe experience. A wedge of bouncy foam and a carbon fibre plate to add propulsion and stabilise the foam. Finally, we come to the cornucopia of technology which packs a whole toybox of goodies into the ride. Zoom Air pods join the fun with the foam and plate. It is also the thickest of the three.
For me, the ride and feel of the Vaporfly will be the most accessible to the widest variety of runners. Whilst it has the inherent instability of all higher stacked racers, it doesn’t demand a particular foot strike and the transition through the ride is the most conventional feeling.
Then we come to the Streakfly and the Alphafly. The Streakfly is the most exclusive of the three. As it bears most in common with a track spike, it rewards a forefoot strike and feels better the faster you run. If you can get up on your toes and have well seasoned calves, the speed benefits are clear. Although, as the thinnest and most aggressive of the three shoes, it is limited in the distance range it works for. It is definitely a shoe for a fast time not a long time.
As the thickest of the bunch, the Alphafly offers all day protection. It is the fastest marathon shoe in the world for a reason. The plate, foam and pod combo offer energy return and cushion to the max. That said, it is probably not a great shoe if you are a heel striker. Stability is not a forte. Furthermore, some people can find the ride a little bumpy when it gets to the pods. Again, it is a shoe which favours a mid to forefoot strike. It also has a greater versatility than just the marathon. You will find Alphafly on startlines from road miles to the full 42.2.
Overall, the Vaporfly offers the most versatility in terms of distance, pace and type of runner it will suit. The Alphafly is a truly marvellous shoe if it works for both your foot shape and foot strike. Meanwhile the Streakfly is a great tool to have in your arsenal. However, it is the shoe of the three that has the narrowest use case and will really excel for the smallest group of runners.
Gripped by waffly goodness
Andy: All three have some kind of variant of a Nike waffle outsole. For weight saving and use case, the rubber is mainly confined to the forefoot. All three shoes have a pair of pads on the heel to offer some protection to the foam. The midfoot area on all is exposed ZoomX foam with a channel cut through to expose the FlyPlate. It is worth noting that all three are prone to picking up passengers if you are running in stony areas.
Across the range, grip is solid. From my personal experience, the Alphafly and Streakfly offer a little more sure footed grip than the Vaporfly. That said, none of the shoes will make you fearful of going fast in most conditions.
Which fast shoe for you?
Andy: With the Fast Pack racing line, Nike have 3 very good shoes. The Vaporfly and Alphafly have proven their chops on the world stage and the feet of amateur runners around the globe. The Streakfly is the new, young upstart which brings a brash aggression to the table.
If you are looking for a well rounded race shoe which you could lace up for any distance, the Vaporfly probably remains choice number one. If you are a fan of mechanical assistance, it doesn’t come more apparent than the Alphalfy. Finally, if you are a speedster with a devil may care attitude to your calves, grab the Streakfly and go.
