The Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% is Nike’s premiere racing shoe.
When Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in 1:59:40 in 2019, he did so in a prototype of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%. This extraordinary achievement was years in the making, the culmination of a collaboration between Eliud and Nike, beginning with Eliud’s effort to break the two-hour marathon barrier in 2017. Eliud’s feat has inspired some of the world’s fastest runners to test their own limits and break their own records, and now the shoe that he wore on that chilly October morning in Vienna is available to you.
Nike’s premiere racing shoe is loaded with new technology and innovation that includes two ultra-responsive Air Zoom pods in the forefoot and additional ZoomX foam in the heel. It’s a racing shoe made to shatter records and PRs, whether you’re looking to finish a marathon in two, three, four, or five hours.
Design
AtomKnit
During testing, the Nike Innovation team discovered that with the additional foam and the two Zoom Air pods underfoot, the overall weight of this shoe increased. To shave off some ounces, the Nike Innovation team developed a new Flyknit upper called AtomKnit. Flyknit fabric is steamed and stretched, delivering a lightweight, contoured fit with minimal water absorption and enhanced breathability.
ZoomX Foam
ZoomX foam is unique in two ways: It’s incredibly responsive and lightweight. The Alphafly NEXT% has more foam than the Vaporfly NEXT%, providing additional impact protection and cushion.
Carbon Fiber Plate
Working in tandem with the ZoomX foam and the Air Zoom pods, is a full-length carbon fiber plate that delivers a snappy sensation with each stride. We scaled the plate thickness for the size of each shoe—it is more flexible in smaller sizes and gets stiffer as the size of the shoe increases, which means that every runner has the same propulsive sensation no matter their size.
Zoom Air Pods
Two streamlined Zoom Air pods in the forefoot deliver even more energy return than just the ZoomX foam that is in the Vaporfly NEXT%.
Alphafly NEXT%, Behind The Design
Nike
03:42
NEXT% Innovation, Nike Innovation 2020
Nike / Carrie Dimoff
05:03
NEXT% Innovation, Nike Innovation 2020
Nike / Tony Bignell
04:52
