Our verdict
The SuperRep has got to be Nike’s most flashy training shoe series. The third iteration receives some design tweaks to give you the right balance of cushioning for jumps, flexibility for planks, and support for side-to-side and other movements involved in HIIT. The shoe’s unusual design is not only there for looks, it enhances performance when it comes to high-impact exercises.
Pros
- Perfect for HIIT
- Light on the foot
- Bouncy cushioning
- Great flexibility
- Stable side support
- Snug, locked-down fit
- Breathable
Cons
- Not for wide feet
- Arc catches debris outdoors
Who should buy the Nike Air Zoom SuperRep 3
The SuperRep 3 is appropriate for circuit training and HIIT-type exercises. You can confidently grab a pair if your workouts consist of aerobic and plyometrics exercises including burpees, box jumps, rope jumps, lunges, squats, push-ups, mountain climbers, skipping, short treadmill runs, and similar.
This trainer is among the highly recommended footwear choices for HIIT.
Who should NOT buy this training shoe
Stay away from the SuperRep 3, if you see yourself in one of the following:
- You incorporate heavy weightlifting, squats, and deadlifts into your training routine. For that purpose, your first choice should be the Nike Metcon 7 or any of the previous Metcon iterations. They’ve got a flat and firm sole and solid side support which make it significantly more stable for lifting.
- You hope to stay on a budget. As one of the reviewers says, there are other trainers from Nike that could “give this shoe a run for its money.” Consider the SuperRep Go 2 ($100) or an even cheaper Renew Retaliation TR 3 ($75).
Updates to the SuperRep 3
“It’s a vast and much-needed improvement,” says the happy owner of both iterations. The SuperRep introduces a few design tweaks, upgrading both the visual and functional aspects of the shoe:
- It got lighter. Reviewers do notice that the shoe weighs less than previous versions and is more slimmed-down. The bulk has been trimmed a bit from the shoe’s cushioning, helping you stay fast on your feet.
- There is more stability. The newly-introduced plate connects the front and back portions of the sole to enhance support for side lunges, skier jumps, and other side-to-side movements.
Airy upper of the SuperRep 3
The shoe uses a thin yet soft fabric that is non-padded but wraps around the foot nicely.
A tester says that “the mesh material does make a difference” in keeping the feet cool and well-ventilated.
SuperRep 3 is perfectly cushioned for HIIT
As an avid gym-goer puts it, the shoe is “just what [he wants] for HIIT workout shoes.” Many other testers subscribe to this statement, noting how well the shoe blends cushioning, flexibility, and support. “So comfortable they are a must-have,” says another happy wearer.
Athletes are impressed with the two Zoom Air units in the forefoot which are efficient in absorbing impact and returning your energy for a kick-back:
- “feels like I’m walking on springs”;
- “finally, a shoe that has a cushioning that’s the same on the front side as it is on the back”;
- “feels like you are in a kind of bubble.”
A tester who is in his fifties is elated that the SuperRep 3 helps him not to feel a workout three days after he’s had it, he is sure “cushioning definitely helps with that.”
The SuperRep 3 is quite generously cushioned compared to most training shoes. It's got 31.7 mm of stack height in the heel and 27.5 mm in the forefoot. Compared to the average, it is 6.4 mm and 7.8 mm thicker respectively.
Disclaimer: We include insole thickness in our stack measurements. The insole in the SuperRep 3 is 3.2 mm thick.
Flexes with the foot - is it really?
For every burpee, mountain climber, and similar exercise, you’ve got to have enough flex in the forefoot. The SuperRep 3 comes with a divider that allows your foot to flex naturally. Nearly every reviewer commented on how easy it makes getting in and out of the planks and lunges in the shoe.
Surprisingly enough, upon checking the shoe's flexibility level in our lab, we found it many times stiffer than the average (62% to be specific).
You can also see how difficult it is to bend or twist the shoe either way. We gave it 5 out of 5 in our manual flexibility check, where 5 is the stiffest. Apparently, this creates a sort of springboard effect underfoot, helping the wearer feel quick on their feet.
The stability you need for side movements
Every SuperRep shoe comes with these funky arcs on the sides. Wearers confirm that these do help in keeping your foot securely locked in place, especially for quick multi-directional footwork.
One athlete described that when his foot landed incorrectly when jumping off the box, “the awkward landing didn’t feel hard on the foot.” He attributed this to the rounded edges of the sole which make your foot feel really protected.
Contributing to the shoe's stability is its insanely wide platform.
It is indeed one of the widest we've ever come across in training shoes. The shoe's forefoot is 114.5 mm wide while the heel is 97.4 mm. For reference, the averages are 109.7 mm and 89.9 mm respectively.
Fits snug to keep you supported
Based on the general users’ feedback, the upper wraps around the foot to create a very close-fitting coverage. As one of the testers described it, the moment she put it on it was quite tight across the foot. She assumes that’s because of that enhanced support on the sides of the shoe, as “lacing them differently probably won’t help.”
Thus, the SuperRep 3 best suits people with narrow-to-average feet but forces people with wider feet to look elsewhere. For example, Reebok HIIT is one of the most highly-rated trainers available in Wide.
Unlike its broad sole, the SuperRep 3 is not so wide inside the toebox. We measured it at 97.9 mm in the forefoot, which is 2.2 mm narrower than the average.
Not the best shoe to wear outdoors
An expert warns that the carved-out arc underneath the foot is going to be a magnet for dirt and debris. So, if you do use it outdoors, you’ll have to give special attention to keeping this area clean. Don’t even think about walking in muddy areas.
Potential squeaking issue
An avid athlete and shoe reviewer complained that the Zoom Air unit in the left shoe started making a “squeaking or crunching sound” with every step he took. However, this problem only occurred in one of the shoes and was not the case in the new pair that he demanded from Nike.
Complete lab-specs overview
| Nike Air Zoom SuperRep 3 | Average | |
| Whole shoe |
||
| Weight (g) | 345 | 294 |
| Drop (mm) | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Overall Internal Length | 260.4 (men's US 8) | - |
| Flexibility of the shoe (N) | 82.4 | 31.5 |
| Flexibility of the shoe (Freezer 20 min) (N) | 98.7 | 42.7 |
| Flexibility of the shoe (% of change) | 19.8 | 45.1 |
| Longitudinal flexibility (1-5 scale, 5 being the stiffest) | 5 | 2.0 |
| Torsional flexibility (1-5 scale, 5 being the stiffest) | 5 | 2.5 |
| Upper |
||
| Thickness - Tongue (mm) | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| Width Upper - Forefoot (mm) | 97.9 | 100.1 |
| Width Upper - Heel (mm) | 72.6 | 75.5 |
| Flexibility of the heel counter (1-5 scale, 5 being the stiffest) | 2 | 2.2 |
| Tongue: gusset type | both sides (fully gusseted) | - |
| Heel: pull tab | none | - |
| Midsole |
||
| Width Midsole - Forefoot (mm) | 114.5 | 109.7 |
| Width Midsole - Heel (mm) | 97.4 | 89.9 |
| Stack - Forefoot with insole (mm) | 27.5 | 18.0 |
| Stack - Heel with insole (mm) | 31.7 | 22.2 |
| Durometer Midsole Heel (Room temperature) (HA) | 21.0 | 25.6 |
| Durometer Midsole - Heel (Freezer 20 minutes) | 34.5 | 36.9 |
| Durometer Midsole - Heel (% of change) (TEST) | 64.3 | 47.1 |
| Outsole |
||
| Outsole thickness (Heel) (mm) | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| Durometer Outsole Heel (Room temperature) (HC) | 84.0 | 83.3 |
| Insole | ||
| Insole Heel Thickness (mm) | 3.2 | 4.0 |
| Insole: removable | yes | - |
