Nike Vaporfly 4 review

After testing the Nike Vaporfly 4 in the lab, we believe that:

• Those who felt the Vaporfly 3 was a bit underwhelming will enjoy this update, as it feels faster thanks to its low weight and refreshed, Alphafly-inspired geometry.  
• Lightweight runners will discover in this shoe a race-ready tool that covers everything from speedy road miles to full marathons, all with a moderate rocker that feels natural.
• For average-sized runners, it’s a strong option for all distances up to 21K, offering a more agile ride that thrives at faster paces.  
• It’s the perfect supershoe for runners who find current models too towering, chunky, or overly bulky. This one feels more grounded yet still delivers an explosive performance.

We believe that runners who are not on the lightweight side may find the Vaporfly 4 a bit underwhelming when it comes to cushioning—especially compared to next-gen supershoes. In our tests, the reduced stack height felt slightly limiting for heavier runners, making options like the Nike Alphafly 3 or the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris more interesting choices.

Additionally, it's clear that the Vaporfly 4 remains on the pricey side. From our perspective, if you're looking for a good supershoe without breaking the bank, the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 is a more reasonable option, or you can consider the Nike Streakfly 2 if you're only racing 5K and 10K events.

For us, one of the main drawbacks of the Vaporfly 3 was that it lost its edge for short-distance racing, leaning more toward being a marathon-only shoe. That changed with the Vaporfly 4, as Nike turned this shoe into a versatile, lower-stacked option for 5K, 10K, and half marathon events.

The heel design closely mirrors that of the Alphafly 3.

Therefore, there’s no concern with the World Athletics limit either, as Nike reduced the stack height to 34.1 mm. It’s a rare, bold move in today’s taller-and-taller shoe trend, but we applaud it—now the Vaporfly 4 fits perfectly within Nike’s lineup and mixes well with the Alphafly 3 for those that can afford both.

But then, what happens about the marathon distance? In our experience, it’s still a solid choice, but better suited for lightweight runners—think males under 65 kg and females under 55 kg or so. Otherwise, a shoe closer to the 40-mm limit in the heel would probably be a smarter pick.

As expected, the forefoot stack got reduced too, now measuring 25.5 mm. However, there’s not a major change here, as we tested the Vaporfly 3 in the lab at 26.0 mm.

The experience underfoot remains familiar for forefoot strikers, although we noticed there’s less foam through the midfoot. In our view, for those craving a touch more plushness in the forefoot, a solid alternative is the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4, though it also comes with a bulkier ride.

Another big change in this shoe is that Nike claims a reduced drop of 6 mm. To help us with that matter, they added two marks at the exact spots where the stack height is measured under World Athletics rules. We loved this detail.

The problem is that, after testing and carefully measuring multiple times, we found an actual 8.6 mm drop. Still, the ride feels much flatter compared to the Vaporfly 3, where we measured 11.1 mm. It seems that Nike consistently reports slightly lower drops than what we discover during lab testing.

This new drop, however, is still really good for a supershoe, and we believe it will feel comfortable for all footstrike patterns.

There are no big changes in the foam, as Nike sticks with ZoomX. There’s nothing new here, and despite brands like PUMA making huge gains with new compounds like A-TPU, we found under the microscope the same Pebax from earlier versions.

In terms of softness, Nike chose a balanced approach and the shoe feels a bit firmer than the VF3. It’s not cloud-like soft, and that’s a smart move because powerful runners could bottom out with the reduced forefoot stack. At 19.9 HA, it’s a good feeling underfoot that also avoids any midsole sinking sensation.

Energy return is superb, as we expected. However, we all know that Nike is no longer leading—the Vaporfly it’s now on par with most supershoes. If you were expecting a miracle in bounciness, it’s just the same as previous Vaporfly models.

Nike invented the supershoe recipe: two layers of foam with a carbon plate sandwiched in between. In the Vaporfly 4, we discovered that both ZoomX slabs have nearly identical softness, with the secondary one measuring 20.0 HA.

This setup is not very common, as most brands opt for a dual-density configuration. Yet in this shoe, it works seamlessly, delivering a smooth-and-consistent underfoot feeling that feels quite nice during fast-paced runs.

ZoomX is made from Pebax, which means excellent performance under cold temperatures. However, this is one of the best results we’ve ever seen in the lab, showing an impressive 1% change in softness.

The insole comes in pretty thin at 2.9 mm, aiming to maximise the ZoomX experience as much as possible. However, we wonder if Nike will someday craft a ZoomX insole... that would be truly awesome!

Nike is really swimming against the flowstream with the Vaporfly 4. They lowered the stack—almost unheard of in a supershoe model update—and designed a very moderate forefoot toe spring, even low if you want to call it that. The heel curvature, inherited from the AF3, is also almost non-existent.

While most competitor shoes have a much rockered shape, or even an ultra-rockered design like the HOKA Cielo X1, Nike is crafting an appealing option for runners who love a less assisted ride, encouraging landing just below the first metatarsal where the plate bends and creates its leverage point.

The carbon-fibre Flyplate running from heel to toe has changed slightly from the Vaporfly 3. It now sits closer to the heel and curves a bit more through the midfoot and forefoot, making the iconic spoon shape even more dramatic.

After testing, we discovered that this new Flyplate enhances leverage and promotes a slightly faster, snappier toe-off, even though underfoot it still delivers a very familiar ride for most Vaporfly aficionados.

One of the usual concerns for anyone eyeing a Vaporfly update is the fit. Is it similar to the previous version? We tackled this with our super-precise gel test to make sure there’s no guesswork involved.

In the widest part of the toebox, we measured 91.7 mm, a slightly snugger fit compared to the 94.3 mm we found in the previous version. In our view, the 1.3 mm difference per side should not alarm most runners, but those who felt the VF3 was already too tight might consider the more New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 instead.

The big toe area stays pretty much the same as its predecessor, offering a generous 73.2 mm for a supershoe. This roomy fit is a real bonus for long events and runners who dislike overly-snug uppers in this zone.

We believe the Vaporfly 4 won’t cause any pressure points or black toenails if the length of the shoe is the right one.

It measures 27.3 mm—similar to most daily trainers—providing a relaxed, pressure-free feeling even during long runs.

The Vaporfly has never been one of the most stable supershoes, and in our view, that story hasn’t changed with version 4. It’s still a not-very-stable ride, especially for heel strikers, as the shoe remains extremely narrow in that area.

However, we found that for some runners it may feel slightly more stable than previous versions due to the reduced stack height, which is definitely noticeable underfoot in that sense.

Despite packing a carbon plate, the Vaporfly 4 doesn't reach peak torsional rigidity, ending with a 4/5 score. This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it features of the recent Vaporflys—they feel more approachable and forgiving, trying to please both elite racers and weekend warriors.

But we believe this comes with minor trade-offs, as faster runners tend to prefer extra-stiff setups that deliver a more aggressive, rocket-like ride during fast efforts, like the first and second generations of the Vaporfly series.

The heel counter leaves most of the stabilization work to your tendons and muscles, but still offers a hint of structured support. That’s why we rated it at 2/5 in our lab test.

One of the defining features of the Vaporfly series over the years has been its compact size, staying clear of bulky designs—and we loved that because it always felt agile and highly-responsive underfoot. 

Well, we found that Nike made the Vaporfly 4 slightly roomier than the VF3, growing 3 mm to reach 110.6 mm, but still keeping it well below most average running shoes.

The heel is extreme. At just 77.0 mm, there’s not much platform to land on, feeling more like a Nike Dragonfly 2 Elite, which is absolutely fierce. Therefore, it this stays true to the signature, race-focused Vaporfly DNA.

For context, the Alphafly 3’s heel is a massive (for a supershoe) 91.9 mm!

The thickness of the Flyplate stays pretty similar, and the shape is almost identical to the v3. However, due to the slightly reduced stack height, we found a small drop in stiffness, from 18.4N to 18.0N. Anyway, it feels practically the same underfoot, delivering a ride very close to other high-speed supershoes.

This is the standout improvement of the Vaporfly, and the main reason to choose version 4 over its predecessor. At 5.85 oz or 166g, we’re looking at a 13% weight reduction from the Vaporfly 3, which is incredibly hard to achieve at this level.

How did Nike make it happen? We found three main factors behind this:

• Midsole design: The centre of the midsole has been hollowed out, inspired by the Alphafly 3, accounting for most of the weight savings.
• Upper and tongue: Minor yet effective tweaks here helped shed a few extra grammes.
• Lower stack height: As we showed earlier, Nike reduced the stack height slightly, contributing to the lighter build.

From our perspective, it seems the new standard for supershoes will hover around 6-7 ounces, with ASICS, Adidas, and PUMA already targeting or even beating that mark. And Nike clearly wanted to be there.

Nike went for a fresh approach with the Vaporfly 4 upper. While the Vaporfly 3 featured giant ventilation holes—similar to the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4—this time Nike skipped that idea entirely.

As a result, ventilation is slightly reduced compared to the previous version, but it still performs admirably. Considering that most marathons are run in cool or breezy conditions, we believe a 4/5 ventilation score is fair and leaves us satisfied.

During our tests, we discovered that the Vaporfly 4 delivers even breathability across the toebox and midfoot. That's a clever move, especially for runners who tend to overheat around the arch.

Using our microscope, we observed how Nike built this upper. They combined thick, robust yarns bonded together with an ultra-thin, almost see-through material to maintain structure and strength without adding unnecessary weight.

In our view, it’s a highly-functional and breathable design that should be durable without sacrificing performance.

Although it doesn’t match the ultra-stretchy comfort of Atomknit found in the Alphafly 3 (and Nike once again left Flyknit out of the Vaporfly) we’re convinced that this upper delivers exactly what we expect from a top-tier supershoe.

The design change paid off, as we moved from a disappointing 1/5 to a super-impressive (for a supershoe) 4/5 in toebox durability, all while keeping most of the ventilation intact. A fantastic upgrade!

In terms of heel padding durability, the Vaporfly did a solid job, especially considering the padding is fully exposed. Therefore, a 3/5 in this area feels quite good to us despite being an average result.

Moving to the outsole, there are many updates worth mentioning. The biggest and most crucial one is that Nike finally addressed the early wear issues we found in the Vaporfly 3 by adding a full-length forefoot rubber, much like they did in versions 1 and 2. From our perspective, it's remarkable they achieved such a feather-light build while still offering this layer.

We also discovered that the rubber compound has evolved. At 64 HC in the forefoot and 71.5 HC in the heel, it is a bit harder than previous iterations.

We started working on the forefoot, where we found 4.6 mm of damage. That's an outcome that is far from ideal, and those who are heavy on outsoles may feel a bit concerned with this kind of performance.

Afterward, we focused on the heel area. Based on our experience, we already knew that this super-soft material wasn't built for long-term durability, and once again the Dremel easily tore into it, reaching a worrying 8.6 mm depth of wear.

That said, we believe that in this case, the test is a bit too aggressive against this specific material, as we developed it for the regular rubbers found in 99% of shoes. Therefore, in real life it’s still a weak spot, but not as dramatic, especially based on our experience after hundreds of miles in the Alphafly 3.

The rubber thickness in the heel measures 2.3 mm, which leans toward the thinner side. However, it’s exactly what we expect from a high-performance supershoe.

The price remains the same as previous models, and we think it's a fair ask for the Vaporfly 4. In fact, most brands have been steadily raising prices. In our view, for getting a top-end carbon plate, an ultra-lightweight build, and a powerful ZoomX foam midsole, it would be naive to expect anything less than this MSRP.

Nike kept the Vaporfly 4 completely free of reflective elements, although we think you won’t really need them for race day anyway.

The tongue is one of those areas where Nike really pushed the limits to drive the weight of this shoe as low as possible. It was also a very important update because the one in the v3 irritated many runners with its excessive size and sloppy feel. That's fixed now!

In the Vaporfly 3, we found 2.5 mm across the entire tongue, but in this updated version, Nike used a paper-thin, feather-light tongue paired with a super-small foam pad of 2.5 mm to protect the instep exactly where you tie the laces.

Like most supershoes, the tongue can move freely since it isn’t attached to the sides. However, thanks to the secure fit, we believe it shouldn’t cause any issues for the majority of runners.

The heel has been completely redesigned, although it skips the finger-loop heel tab from the Alphafly 3. Instead, it features a tiny pull tab that feels more like a style-driven gimmick than a functional upgrade.

A nice upgrade in the Vaporfly 4 is that the insole is now removable—unlike in the Vaporfly 3—and comes perforated to save weight and boost ventilation. We loved this detail, and it truly fits the premium price.