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Nike’s vaporfly 3 trainer is said to be the brand’s fastest running shoe yet
The sports company has introduced a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return
Sneaker-heads, listen up. Nike is officially relaunching its coveted vaporfly 4% marathon shoe, which shook up the running-trainer world more than half a decade ago. Arguably the most talked-about shoes in the world, the vaporfly range focuses on speed and comfort for long-distance runners – and its newest iteration is called the vaporfly 3.
Tweaking the design of Nike’s vaporfly 2 (released in 2021), the company has introduced improvements – from a smoother transition and better stability to more energy return – to benefit long-distance runners.
The trainers remain as pleasingly lightweight as their predecessors, while the initial colourway pays tribute to the Nike running team’s development journey.
Combining a reductive zoomX midsole geometry and flyknit yarn upper, Nike announced that, thanks to continued refinement and improvement, it has made the market-leading shoe even faster.
If you’re looking to reach a new personal best, here’s everything you need to know about Nike’s new vaporfly 3 – including how much the trainers will cost and when they’ll be released.
Nike vaporfly 3: £235, Nike.com – available from 6 March
Levelling up the cult vaporfly 2, Nike’s designers focused on refining the running shoe, introducing a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return.
Though the core propulsive design of the vaporfly remains the same (runners laud the pairing of a full-length carbon fiber flyplate and zoomX midsole), the vaporfly 3’s reductive midsole features a convex shape around the forefoot, which provides a comfortable and stable ride throughout transition.
The first colourway of the new vaporfly 3 will pay tribute to the development journey, with graphic text on the midsole nodding to the number of flyknit upper iterations the team tested (57) and a dedicated weartester’s identification number at the top.
Complete with the recognisable drop swoosh against an all-white silhouette, it pays homage to the first-ever vaporfly worn at a test event in 2017.
The prototype finish of the new Nike vaporfly 3 will be available from 6 March, with more colourways to follow.
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