7 Best Nike Road Running Shoes

With nonstop upgrades for the past forty years, the Pegasus series remains at the top for a reason. It has perfected the formula of a liberating, comfortable, yet stable ride that caters to the needs of beginners and even seasoned runners. Backed up by solid numbers from the lab, Pegasus 41 is our ultimate Nike shoe for road running.

Looking at its bottom, it features the brand’s iconic waffle-patterned outsole and has multiple grooves to increase its flexibility. Upon checking with our bend test, it’s indeed 34.0% more bendable than average, allowing for a freeing and relaxed feel that flooded our runs.

Moving to the sliced midsole, a plush ReactX foam unveils itself and two Air Zoom units to enhance responsiveness. Our feet truly enjoyed its soft touch, which our durometer confirms is 26.2% softer than average. At a moderate 33.6/22.2 mm height, the shoe delivers a stable feel during testing. Additionally, the midfoot sidewalls and generous landing base ensured our steady strides.

However, as a jack of all trades, Pegasus 41 is a master of none. Those who prefer more kick of energy should explore more exciting options. 

Echoing velocity through each of its seams, the ZoomX Streakfly is the epitome of speed workouts. It’s bouncy and an absolute delight to run in, all while packing Nike’s premium tech into a shoe that feels as light as air.

Leaving our chronometer struggling to keep up with the pace, the Streakfly obliterated each of our repetitions. It picks up the pace as easily as it maintains it, making it a superb option for an endless variety of workouts. There’s no beating this sparky feeling, with the ZoomX foam emerging as a plush 50.0% softer than the average running shoe.

Its upper screams summer-ready, dissipating heat at the highest rate. We pumped smoke into the shoe for the naked eye to see it happen. How easily and smoothly the smoke ushed out through the upper wasn’t foretold, earning the Streakfly a perfect 5 out of 5 for breathability. Plus, its weight (or the lack of it) is truly mindblowing! It’s as if gravity itself has lightened, with its mere 171 grammes (6.03 oz) outperforming the average 244 grammes (8.61 oz) for speed trainers.

Heel striking with the Streakfly might not be ideal, particularly at slower paces. Our calliper revealed a midsole 12.8 mm narrower than average at the heel, which can lead to stability issues when landing.

Vaporfly hits the mark with its V3 edition, emerging as the top choice for 5K/10K races, outperforming all other Nike road-running shoes in our laboratory and real-world trials. This lightweight champion strikes the perfect balance of comfort and energy return for extended distances. The V3 model maintains our power and pace, guaranteeing peak performance in our races.

V3’s ride feels phenomenal as it blends energy return and comfort. Its ZoomX midsole promotes a lot of bounce and feels cosy underfoot. Our durometer confirms the foam stands 29.1% softer than average. This racer ensures comfort for any footstriker with its 37.1/26.0 mm heel and forefoot stack.

V3’s unyielding ride ensures record-breaking runs with its spoon-shaped carbon plate springing back the power with every stride. It feels very rigid, translating to stronger energy return and sustained momentum. Our bend test confirms our observation as V3 emerged 88.3% stiffer than average!

Another factor contributing to each stride feeling smoother is the V3's lightweight and breathable design. Weighing in at 6.7 oz (190g), it surpasses the average supershoe (7.5 oz/214g). The well-ventilated upper, which earned a perfect score in our lab breathability test, ensures both comfort and breathability during endurance runs.

Those of us with wide feet or mild pronation didn’t enjoy the 107.6/76.6 mm narrow midsole. We recommend exploring other shoes for more support.

The third time’s a charm as Alphafly 3 is crowned best for marathon — beating all other Nike road-running shoes in our lab. This featherweight champion hits the sweet spot in our runs, delivering comfort and energy return for long miles. A3 sustains our power, speed, and surefootedness, ensuring a strong pace from start to finish.

Alphafly 3 feels phenomenal underfoot as its world-class ZoomX midsole blends propulsion, comfort, and stability into one platform. It features two layers of foam with the stiff FlyPlate in between and the Air Pods in the forefoot. From top to bottom, the first foam measures a firm 29.3 HA for a balanced ride. Next is the rigid carbon plate, which emerged 144.7% stiffer than average in our bend test. Together with the Air Pods, these translate to insane responsiveness that comes alive once engaged correctly. The bottom cushion is a plush 18.1 HA for dampening the impact of repetitive landings.

What also makes each turnover easier is its airy build. Tipping the scales to 7.1 oz (201g), it sits above the average supershoe (7.5 oz/214g). Ensuring comfort and breathability even for the hottest marathons is the well-ventilated Atomknit upper that scored a 5/5 on our lab breathability test.

Just like other race shoes, the outsole wears out faster than average. Our lab shows the Fast Shot rubber is only 1.9 mm thin.

The InfinityRN 4 embodies protection and comfort, overflowing with that homey feeling when gliding through the city streets. Its lab data leaves no room for doubts, this is the finest cushioning from Nike road running.

Hitting the asphalt with the Infinity was a breeze, with the lofty midsole muting any landing impact from our strides. The shoe is generously cushioned, mainly at the heel, exhibiting 34.2 mm of heel stack and 24.4 mm of forefoot stack. Well, in today’s world, these numbers aren’t eye-popping. However, with our durometer ranking the ReactX foam as an ultra-downy 47.9% softer than average, the Infinity reaches unbeatable levels when it comes to cushioning.

Much to our delight, Nike’s Flyknit upper graces this shoe. It’s durable, stretchy, and very premium-feeling. Our toes wiggled in joy within the virtually boundless toebox, with our calliper confirming the upper to be 2.9 mm wider at the big toe.

All that cushioning doesn’t go weightless, as the Infinity’s 316 grammes (11.15 oz) fall deeply on the heavier side of the running spectrum. For reference, the average running shoe sits at 268 grammes (9.45 oz).

With plush cushioning radiating from every seam, the Invincible Run Flyknit 3 remains the star player of Nike’s comfort game. Soothing and stable, it seals the deal with a roomy toebox that delighted our feet.

A melter of hearts, the Invincible Run 3 sank each of our footfalls in its white velvet. Its gentle core received our durometer’s approval, with the ZoomX foam standing as 40.8% softer than average. Still, it doesn't feel all over the place, with the extra width of the midsole ensuring secure landings. Bringing our calliper back into action revealed a midsole width of 102.1 mm at the heel and 121.8 mm at the forefoot, easily surpassing the average by 12.1 mm and 9.0 mm respectively.

Endless room inside the toebox enhances the Invincible’s comfort, and our toes left each of our workouts overflowing with joy instead of sweat. With 97.7 mm at its widest, the upper falls a mere 0.2 mm short of the average—while that may seem disappointing at first, the stretchy upper makes up for it and we were utterly satisfied with its loose fit in the toe area.

However, beware of the rainy season, as the Invincible’s traction system couldn’t handle wet asphalt at all.

Downshifter 13 defies the traditional budget-friendly shoe with its remarkable versatility and impressive breathability in our runs. Our lab confirms its solid durability, offering high value for its £80 price. For reference, the average Nike road trainer costs £130, making Downshifter 13 our top budget pick.

Downshifter 13 offers a pleasantly comfortable ride—a feature often found in more expensive counterparts. Its low level of resistance to our natural movements makes it easy on the feet. Our force gauge shows a remarkably low 17.5N resistance to our 90º bend test, reflecting 39.7% greater flexibility than average. This adaptability makes it suitable for walking and activities beyond running.

Meanwhile, its mesh upper has numerous ventilation holes that allow the cool breeze in. Our lab reveals an impressive 4/5 rating in our smoke test, which aligns with the refreshing ride we had. Despite the light upper, it still received a good durability score of 3/5.

The rubber in the outsole registered a firm 90.5 HC in our durometer, validating its toughness vs. the 80.1 HC average. Furthermore, it only sustained a minimal 0.8 mm dent in our abrasion test, proving its longevity and giving us the confidence to use the shoe regularly. However, it delivered average traction in our runs so we recommend sticking to dry roads. Those who need more traction should invest in grippier models.