Facts
Road
Shoes best for road, track and light gravel. See the best road shoes.
Trail
Shoes best for trail, off road, mountains and other unstable surfaces. See the best trail shoes.
Good to know
As long as you stick to the road or path, and if you want just one running shoe, buy a road running shoe.
Neutral / cushion / high arch
Shoes for runners who does not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.
Stability / overpronation / normal arch
Shoes for runners who needs arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a normal arch. See the best stability shoes.
Motion control / severe overproanation / flat feet
Shoes for runners who needs a lot of arch support. Best for runners with flat feet. See the best motion control shoes.
Good to know
- Rule of thumb: If in doubt, buy neutral shoes to avoid injuries.
- More about arch support in this video.
- Find your arch type by following steps from this video.
Daily running
Cushioned shoes for your daily easy running. Great comfort. See best shoes for daily running.
Competition
Lightweight shoes good for races, interval training, tempo runs and fartlek. Here are the best competition running shoes.
Good to know
If you want just one pair of shoes, buy a shoe for daily running.
The height difference from the heel to the forefoot, also known as heel drop, toe spring, heel to toe spring or simply drop.
There are many opinions about what a good heel drop is. We do not recommend any in particular. Lean more in this video.
Summary
We spent 6.5 hours reading reviews from experts and users. In summary, this is what sneaker fanatics think:
7 reasons to buy
- Using textile on the upper of the Nike Air Max Zero proved to be a wise move because a lot of wearers are raving about the comfort that they feel when they wear this shoe.
- The AM Zero is part of the inspiration that led to the creation of the Air Max 1. It’s for this reason that the former is called the One before the 1.
- The Nike Air Max Zero continuous to get high overall satisfaction scores from a lot of purchasers.
- A handful of buyers say that this pair of sneakers is actually good for long-distance walks and other kinds of physical activities.
- The Nike Air Max Zero is available in a lot of colorways, and buyers will surely have fun choosing the best one from such a colorful haul.
- Majority of those who left reviews express their willingness to recommend this shoe model to family and friends.
- A good number of wearers appreciate the lightness of this shoe.
2 reasons not to buy
- There are wearers who say that the Nike Air Max Zero is actually tight on the sides and around the ankle.
- Some reviewers think that this shoe model is cheaply put together, and it uses low-quality materials.
Bottom line
The Nike Air Max Zero is one that delivers on the promises of its price. At $130 a pair, this model provides high levels of comfort and support, and fitness enthusiasts can’t help but leave highly positive reviews. Those who are looking for aesthetics won’t be disappointed either. With its classic look, the Nike Air Max Zero is said to be very pleasing to the eyes, some even went as far as saying that this model goes with almost anything that they wear.
Rankings
Popularity
Ratings
My Rating
Expert Reviews
Experts are sneaker fanatics, who post reviews at youtube, directly at RunRepeat or at their own websites. Each expert is categorized from level 1 to level 5 based on expertise. See stats on expert reviews and how we calculate scores here.
Are you an expert? Apply to contribute here.
Nike Air Max Zero History
The Nike Air Max 1, when it was released in 1987, revolutionized how the world would view sneakers. Designed by Tinker Hatfield himself, it drew inspiration from one of the most thought-provoking architectural feats in the modern world-- the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. This building is designed in such a way that features that are supposed to be hidden (e.g. beams and posts) or kept indoor (e.g. staircases) are purposefully brought to the fore for the whole world to see.
When Hatfield pitched the idea of carving a window on the midsole so that the air packets that provide cushioning will be visible, he was not met with enthusiasm. There were concerns about durability, and then there was that good old conservative notion that the characteristic workings of a shoe are best kept hidden. In fact, there were moves to remove him from the design team. Good thing he found an ally in Dave Forland, Nike’s Director of Cushioning Innovation at the time, and the Air Max was finally released on March 26, 1987.
The shoe became the spark that Nike needed to keep itself afloat in the midst of fierce competition. The window idea did pay off, and that’s probably because it wittingly added a unique touch to an otherwise old technology--the Nike Air which had already been in use since the late 1970s.
Because of its success, the Air Max 1 has been through a lot of transformations since its release. One of the most noteworthy is the release of the Air Max 180 in 1991. This model, according to Forland, is one of the most difficult Air Max shoes to put together; its designed called for the packets to be visible not only when viewed from the sides, but also when viewed from the bottom.
In 2015, Nike took an interesting turn to celebrate yet another milestone for the Air Max series. Instead of moving forward and creating new designs and incorporating new technologies, the company dug deep into its archives, and created a shoe that served as one of the inspirations behind the Air Max 1.
After languishing in the archives for close to 3 decades because of its futuristic design and construction, the Air Max Zero finally came to light. It was somehow fitting that 2 years before the AM 1 turned 30 in March 2017, the shoe that helped start it all finally got the recognition and adulation it rightfully deserved.
Just two years since it has been introduced, the Air Max Zero already has several variations and has been the subject of a handful of collaborations. The versions coming from atmos and Staple are two of the most popular collaborative works based on the silhouette of the AM Zero.
Nike Air Max Zero Style
The Nike Air Max Zero sports a throwback silhouette whose simplicity endows it with a timeless relevance. It goes well with a variety of outfits, including those for workouts and casuals strolls around town. This model is available in a lot of colorways, so there surely is a pair for every ensemble.
If the ready-made colorways are not satisfactory, the Nike Air Max Zero can actually be customized to suit the buyers’ unique tastes.
Fit & Sizing
The Nike Air Max Zero is available in women’s and men’s sizes. The ladies can pick from sizes 5 to 11.5. The gentlemen, for their part, can pick the one that best fits them from a haul of shoes that range from sizes 6 to 14.
Notable Features
Like all shoes in the Air Max series, this model has air packets that are made visible through a carved-out window in the midsole, in the area right below the heel. This display gives the Nike Air Max Zero and all the other Air Max releases an identity that is uniquely theirs.
Additional Info
- Textile is used on the upper of the Nike Air Max Zero to make sure that the wearer experiences high levels of breathability.
- The upper has molded overlays to provide shoe structure reinforcements and more secure foot support.
- In addition to the air packets that are situated directly below the heel, the shoe also uses foam on the rest of the foot to ensure comfort.
- This Nike Air Max Zero is a slip-on shoe, and its tongue is securely connected to the rest of the upper.
- The tongue and collar have adequate padding for more comfort.
- There are flex grooves in the outsole for some semblance of flexibility.