Nike Air Zoom Winflo 4

I purchased the Nike Airzoom Winflo 4 at a sale to wear it mostly as a dressing shoe as the White Nike swoosh on the black fabric looked the part.

Never did I realize then that these would become my favorite neutral running shoe. I’ll nit-pick everything I can in the review below of Nike Air Zoom Winflo 4.

Appearance

Nothing fancy here.

Mine were plain black with Nike’s famous swoosh in white, although it may look boring, Nike surely does have a lot of interesting colors on offer for the Winflo 4.

The midsole has the grey “Zoom” midsole and the white “Cushlon” material to provide the contrast with the fabric. The upper has a knitted look to it with the perforations on the foot providing an appearance of an expensive shoe.

I primarily picked this as a casual wear to go with my khakis and jeans. Trust me! They look the bomb.

Nike has always been in the forefront of design and they pride themselves in releasing some of the most beautiful shoes around. The swoosh has become a symbol of performance with top athletes sporting Nike products.

Weight

The Winflo 4 weighs around 9 ounces for my size 10. Although it’s not the lightest shoe around, I didn’t have any issues with it. It felt light on my feet and I could race and run longer in them.

The cushioning from the midsole helps to cancel the weight to a good extent. But I’ll come to the midsole later.

Fit & Upper Construction

Fit was true to size in my case. I had ample wiggle-room on my feet.

The upper was super-light and breathable, thanks to the pores on the upper. The pores are prominent on the top and fade away towards the sides enhancing the looks of the shoe.

There are no visible seams and on the upper and there was a great continuation from the forefoot to the midfoot where Nike has incorporated a criss-cross texture all the way up to the heel cup.

Nike has pioneered the fly-wire technology for more than 5 years and is employed in the Winflo 4s as well.

Fly wires are basically elastic bands that run from the midsole to the midfoot and ties it into your lacing system (as pictured below).

It works like magic for someone like me where I felt a good grip on my medial side of the foot. The fly wires are not employed on the forefoot where it’s not required.

Nike has certainly acknowledged what’s right and has not overdone anything here. It was not constricting at all and there were no pressure points in the shoe. The toe box was quite roomy for me allowing for my feet to expand during all the pounding on asphalt.

The tongue, often forgotten is nicely cushioned and gazetted with the fabric same as the upper. In my experience, it stayed in its position comfortably without exerting any pressure on my feet.

The lacing was spot on. When I wore it to the Hamilton Round the bridges, it stayed intact throughout the hour and a half pounding it experienced.

Running Performance - Midsole

 How do I put it? It was simply unbelievable.

The cushlon material incorporated is easily my favorite midsole material for a neutral runner. I felt Cushlon delivered a more responsive ride while providing ample cushioning. I felt like running on clouds that were responsive as well.

For me, it was easily the best EVA midsole out there. I have tried NB’s blown rubber midsole, Mizuno’s u4ic and Asics’s Solyte EVA materials. But Cushlon sits above all of them. After more than 100kms in them, they still feel plush.

You could actually press your thumbs against the cushlon midsole to experience the responsiveness and the cushioning it offers.

Putting the Winflow 4 shoes on is just an exaggeration of it.

Complementing the Cushlon midsole, Nike has incorporated Zoom midsole underneath, closer to the outsole, acting more like a crash pad.

I was able to run for 20km comfortable without my knees hurting, thanks to the midsole which was able to absorb and damp most of the impact from the strike.

As you may notice, the shoe has a slight curve in the heel region.

Nike has done this deliberately for all those who heelstrike during their cadence. I am primarily a midfoot striker, but when I occasionally landed on my heels, the shoes were very forgiving.

The heel to toe drop is at 10mm, one mm more than the 9mm sweet spot. It wasn’t an issue for me as I felt a great landing to toe-off transition. I never had to modify my cadence, unlike the Mizuno Wave Prophecy 6’s that I reviewed earlier.

In short, Nike has indeed hit a home run with the midsole.

Running Performance - Outsole

The outsole is nothing revolutionary here from Nike. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are serrations on the lateral side of the midsole with a dimpled Air zoom unit right under the heel.

Nike has also placed rubber pods on the medial side of the outsole where it’s imperative to get a good grip as your heel strikes the ground. Although the traction is okay-ish, it is by no means a shoe that you can wear for your trail runs.

It is strictly a road shoe. After some 100kms in these, there’s a reasonable wear and tear that one can notice on the shoe, especially around the forefoot area. But for under $70, I cannot complain much.

Conclusion

Nike’s Airzoom Winflo 4 is a great shoe that offers a plush cushioning and a great comfort. It is a shoe that looks great and delivers great value for money.

Pros

• Plush cushioning
• Comfortable ride
• Great responsiveness
• Great for runs as well as for casual wearing
• Exceptional value for money
• Great for those longer runs
• Perfect for those heel-strikers.

Cons

• Surely not for over-pronators looking for some medial-side stability
• Concerns about outsole durability

The running shoes for daily training. 

They will first catch your eye with a very innovative look made by their great color combination on their sole, body and laces all finishing with the super look of the Nike swoosh!

Start the Journey

Looks are only the start of the journey because when you first try them on, you will feel like floating. A plane taking off will be the rush felt with these on your feet.

The sock liner material of this shoe welcomes you and provides a comfortable step without the compromise of a heavy shoe.

Comfort in the Clouds

I will have to say that comfort is one of the major winning characteristics of the Winflo 4. The upper sole supports your feet from heel to toe and delivers an excellent support and balanced step through their cushion.

The upper and midsole of Winflo 4 help your feet to relax on every step you make, whether jogging or running on the treadmill or asphalt.

The Winflo 4 is a shoe with fabrics on the upper side to make it light and comfortable as well as breathable through its spiderweb-looking black fabric on the front side of your feet.

The outsole is just the result of genius engineering, as it has three main components in its structure. First, it has the mini rods towards the inside of your feet to give you lots of grip and traction for any terrain and will help you maintain your cadence. 

Second, the outsole also has straight strip lines in the outside part of the foot for stability which will help balance the step and help maintain speed.

Third, the outsole has a pentagon like bottom space for cushioning below your heels, which provides an immense comfort on long races, or when you may start to feel tired.

The Experience

Having tried the shoe for more than 70 miles now, I can say that the shoe delivers!

Once your feet gets warm after the first few kms, you'll be able to appreciate the lightweight on these like a gift from the running Gods.

Your step is well guarded, well-balanced with the sole cushion and your foot arch will be well guarded inside too.

The midsole and outsole, although might give you the impression of being flatter than those found in other running shoes, is really made with the same idea of keeping your toes off the ground and of going forward with a cadence aid by the lightness of the shoes. It's pure comfort.

Not more to say than go and get yourself a pair! Enjoy your running!

I purchased the Nike Air Zoom Winflo 4 at a steal price of $80 in Nike’s outlet store as a replacement and upgrade from my Nike Free Run 2018.

I didn’t expect to like the Winflo so much because I was eyeing for the Pegasus 33 or 34 at that time. But, it eventually became my favorite pair of running shoes.

When I started wearing my Winflos, I was inspired to run more. I would constantly beat my running PRs when wearing my Winflos because I believe these made me run faster.

I didn’t even need to break them in when I got it. It just perfectly fits right away the moment I started running in it.

Nike Air Technology + Cushlon Foam

The combination of these two = soft, lightweight and responsive!

Appearance

It looks just like any other training shoe out there. The Winflo 4 is plain, simple and straight to the point. My pair is a light gray with gray and pink Nike swoosh.

I love how it looks. It was nothing too fancy, but it does its job perfectly.

Weight

The Winflo 4 is so light and comfortable. More or less it weighs about 9 ounces. It helps in making me run faster. I would wear it for both training and race day. Kudos to Nike’s Flywire tech!

Toe box & width

This pair is great for people with wide feet. My wide toes have no problem when wearing the shoes because the toe box is just the right kind of roomy.

Grip and laces

I wear my Winflo for training (road and track), race day, hitting the gym and even when I go on hikes. I also use this when doing my circuit/ HIIT workouts that involve lifting weights, squatting, jumping on plyo boxes, and other cardio activities.

I haven’t experienced any issues in the shoelaces as they were tight and always in place. The Flywires have something to do with that, I guess.

The outsole of the shoes is made up of waffle design, which means added traction, and I think that’s one factor that makes it a great running shoe. The grips on these shoes are amazing!

Running performance, experience, and quality

The Winflo 4 stands out well in road runs. It is light, fits perfectly, but at the same time, it gives you the support your feet needs to go that extra mile.

The arc support is 4/5. It is also well-cushioned and breathable. These shoes never gave me a problem whether I go for speed runs or easy and long runs.

My pairs also never gave me a problem when I hit the gym or do cross-training (drills, footwork, etc.). I even use it when walking or just strolling the mall because it also looks great for casual wear.

I don’t feel any bulk or heavy feeling when running in these. I’ve used Nike shoes all my life when running, and this is the best pair I’ve owned. It’s a bang for the buck!

The Nike Winflo 4 is of the same price point as Nike Free Runs (and I love those too), but the Winflos totally beat them.

Durability

I’ve used Winflos for around two years already, and I can say with confidence that my pair will still last me a year or two of running before it ultimately gives up.

I run in these no matter when I’m on the road, trail, or track. I run in these even when it rains. Such resilient shoes!

Conclusion

The Winflo 4 is so underrated and deserves much more attention. It definitely beats the Nike Free Runs and other running shoes within this price range.

I’ve had it for almost two years now, and it still does its job well. But, of course, after two years of using it all the time for running, the sole and cushion now feel a bit thinner as compared to the first few months I’ve had it.

Pros

• Lightweight, comfortable and well-cushioned
• Bang for the buck, durable and long-lasting
• Looks good, simple, and has a lot of colorways
• Responsive shoes

Cons

• Nike could have added more attractive colorways

Although Nike releases its models very frequently, and the latest model available with Nike Zoom Winflo 7, I still use the Nike Zoom Winflo 4. I love this model because it's a lightweight shoe approximately 250 gm to 300 gm and available with a budget amount of Rs. 7999/- (INR).

It's ideal for runners having neutral pronation for daily use and regular running practice on road or ground. It gives perfect breathability and smooth transitions and traction through every mile. You may get this pair at a reasonable price if you have any discount at your location.

Shoe selection 

Perfect shoes in long-distance running or marathon are quite important. If you chose the perfect shoes, then you can avoid the chances of injury and improve your performance also you can have a good running experience.

First of all, you must understand your pronation, either it's neutral pronation or under pronation or overpronation. Everyone has unique feet and body structure so you may take some technical expert advice or gait analysis.

If some models are best for me, then it may not even be good for you because of our unique body, i.e. feet, legs, weight, and feet landing style. So, you must choose your running shoes wisely.

These are the few images of my Nike Zoom Winflo 4 shoes after using 500km it's perfectly fine even though there is no sign of wear or tear. Experts recommend that the life of running shoes may vary from 700Km ~1000 Km.

If you feel some stiffness/less cushioning or feet burning concern, then its time to replace your shoes. This is my second pair of Nike Winflo 4. The earlier pair I used up to 850 Km.

Features & technical aspect

The outsole of this shoe provides more traction than other shoes in this price range. The rubber used in outsoles has a durable and unique design, providing a high level of traction, making it versatile.

It has a high level of grip on slippery surface, grounds, grass, or areas where other shoes aren't effective.

The midsole features the Nike Air Zoom, which provides a high level of comfort and cushioning without adding extra weight. The unique design of these shoes saves the energy of runners because of its high shock absorption. These shoes help avoid fatigue or injury during long-distance running.

Nike engineered mesh material makes this shoe more breathable and comfortable. The upper material creates a perfect fit with the runner's foot and not allow to move the foot inside the shoe while running.

You will always feel like there is air touching your fingers and feet when you are on track.

It has a stylish design and great colours like black/dark grey and white. I love dark grey colors, which make these shoes more attractive and price worthy.

The weight of this pair is just amazing: 9 oz or 255 gm. The lightness of these shoes is because of Air Zoom midsole material used by Nike.

The main support of this shoe is found in this upper material and midsole. The upper provides foot support and a comfortable fit, and it keeps the foot stable from the back. Lightweight midsole avoids unwanted side movement of feet and keeps the runner energetic.

Cons

The life of this Nike pair is average in comparison to other shoes. So, after 700~800 km, the midsole gets compressed and cushioning gets reduced over some time.

Conclusion 

The Nike Zoom Winflo 4 is breathable, durable, lightweight, comfortable, and stylish. It is an ideal pair for long-distance runners with neutral pronation.