Shoe review: Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT % Eliud Kipchoge

I have never been a fast runner, nor will I ever be. As a middle of the pack/back of the pack runner, I have never picked shoes based on weight, it has always been based on comfort and support.

I was lucky enough to get a pair of Nike Alphafly Next % over the last month and all I can say is: wow! Never have I ever tried a shoe that would have this kind of effect on my running—good and bad—let me explain.

The first run I ever did in the shoes were in Kona with a 500ft downhill run to get to on my out and back, and I ended up running 10km or so. The second you step in these shoes is a feeling you cannot describe. Instantly, this shoe wants nothing more but to throw you forward, but at the same time seems to offer tons of support. You don’t even need to break in these shoes, you put them on and you are ready for your next PB—instantly.

The next day I woke up with sore legs. I didn’t know if it was the downhill run or the extra forward propulsion that was causing this. So, what I have done over the last month is wear them on the road and on the treadmill once per week. It’s incredible how on every run you feel like you can run faster, but at the same time get the support you need. It’s an extremely light shoe, but designed in a way to cushion every landing and simply move you forward. I would not be surprised if this shoe provided a slow runner like myself a faster pace by 5-to-10 seconds-per-kilometre.

This is the perfect racing and tuning shoe; I would not, however, recommend running in them every single day, simply because of the cost, and this could results in leg pain as your body is not used to that extra propulsion. So, if you are looking to improve your time in your next 5k, Half-Marathon or Marathon, this is totally the shoe for you. Even as a slow runner like myself with a poor technique I felt the instant propulsion, the instant feeling of running on a cloud, and I have been working on my technique on the treadmill and hopefully the combination of it all will mean a better performance on race day.

As a triathlete, I need the extra cushioning off the bike to start my run, and unfortunately I have not been able to race yet, but I am looking forward to my first Triathlon in a few years sometime by the end of July or August.   Then after that I will save my Nike Alphafly Next % shoes until October 9^th, 2021. . . Kona, baby!