Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 review

Who should buy the ZoomX Invincible Run FK 3

Stop fretting and grab a pair of the Nike Invincible Run 3 if you:

• Have always wanted to try the Invincible but were overwhelmed by its wild ride.
• Loved running in your Invincible 2s but felt it could use a bit more finesse.
• Want a protective max-cushioned road shoe for your LSD runs.

Who should not buy it

If you’re the type to push through long runs rain or shine, you need a shoe that won’t slip on puddly pavements—a good option that we can suggest would be the Brooks Glycerin 20.

And for an equally massive trainer that won’t have you worrying about heel slips, we recommend checking out the Saucony Endorphin Shift 3.

V3 vs V2

While the transition from version 1 to 2 consisted mostly of just an upper update, the move to the FK3 entailed a drastic overhaul:

• A more generous helping of Nike ZoomX foam in the midsole
• New strobel lining underneath the insole
• Smaller heel clip that’s reminiscent of the Infinity Run 3
• Much thicker rubber outsole coverage
• Redesigned geometry with a wider, more stable base
• Less padding around the heel collar
• Thinner (albeit denser) Flyknit upper material

Pretty fly for a Flyknit

This v3’s revamped Flyknit material provided a bit more structure, support, and ventilation compared to its predecessor. And although some padding has been trimmed from around its collar, it remains quite plush and comfortable on foot.

The shoe's got plenty of padding in the tongue. We measured it to be 7.4 mm thick, while the average is 5.8 mm.

There is no detracting from breathability though! With the amount of smoke easily passing through the upper fabric, we rated the shoe's breathability as 4 out of 5.

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 (left), Adidas Runfalcon (right)

You can also see how the light shines straight through the knit fabric.

Fast foam for a slow shoe

With plenty of that Nike super foam in its midsole, we found the Invincible Run 3 to be incredibly protective and amply responsive.

The shoe is able to pick up the pace but it is certainly more targeted at impact absorption than at energy return.

According to Nike, the stack height in the Invincible 3 is 40 mm in the heel and 31 mm in the forefoot. However, based on our calliper measurements, the heel shows to be 35.2 mm, while the forefoot is 25.6 mm. Significantly thinner than stated but still pretty massive.

But the drop appears to be close to the claimed 9 mm. It is 9.6 mm based on our stack measurements.

Disclaimer: We measure stack height with the insole included.

The insole is not so heavily cushioned on the FK 3. At 2.9 m in the heel, it is thinner than the average 4.6 mm.

Still got the squish

Even though we felt that the FK 3 wasn't as insanely squishy as the FK 2, it still turned out to be immensely soft in our durometer measurement.

With a reading of 14.5 HA, we found the shoe to be 65% softer than average! It also proudly made it to the top 10% of the plushest shoes on our list.

Disclaimer: We take measurements five times prior to noting down the result. The photo shows the final measurement.

To check how this foam behaves when the temperature drops, we put the shoe in the freezer. But even after sitting there for 20 minutes, the Invincible only got 10% firmer! This is really impressive given that on average shoes become 25% stiffer.

The Invincible Run is not too crazy this time

Nestled between the insole and midsole is a new layer that helps to tame the squish of the Invincible and keep it under control.

So if you really enjoyed sinking into the previous iterations of this Nike beast, you will find it missing in the Invincible FK 3.

This new strobel lining makes the ride more stable but it does dampen the cushioning a bit.

On the other hand, if you thought that the last gens were a wild, wobbly mess, we think that you will appreciate the stabilising effect.

Invincibility for everyone?

In case it hasn’t been obvious, extra stability was a key element in the Invincible 3’s redesign. The strobel lining, stiffer heel clip, thicker outsole, and wider base were made as such to address the v2’s main point of criticism.

As a result, the bouncy, squishy, uniquely Invincible ride has been somewhat muffled. In its place, we got a more controlled, snappier, and less crazy ride. The changes made the Invincible 3 more similar to the React-based Infinity Run 3 and the Pegasus 39.

We believe that this new ride will click with more people, particularly with those who found the previous editions a bit too much.

More integrity in the ride

We can confirm the shoe's increased sole width (even though just looking at the bottom of the shoe makes it obvious). In the widest part of the forefoot, our calliper showed 121.8 mm (9 mm wider than average) and 102.1 mm in the heel (12(!) mm wider).

The only shoe on our roster that could compete in width with the Nike Invincible 3 is the Hoka Bondi 8 (126.5 mm and 100.9 mm, respectively).

The shoe also gained a little firmness in the flexibility department, offering a more consistent ride.

Based on our resistance test, the Invincible FK 3 is 5% stiffer than the average and belongs to the moderately flexible category of running shoes.

Twisting and bending the shoe in our manual assessment, we ranked its longitudinal flexibility as 3 out of 5, where 5 is the stiffest. Meanwhile, torsional flex received 4 out of 5. This is pretty rigid for a neutral road shoe but it helps to stabilise the ride a bit more.

Cruising speeds only

In our opinion, the ZoomX Invincible Run 3 works best for doing a lot of easy miles in supreme comfort. Long, slow, recovery-type days are where this Nike shoe shines.

And though it can be coerced to provide shorter bursts of speed, it’s far too heavy and bulky for sustained fast efforts.

Tipping the scales at 10.9 oz (310 g), the Invincible 3 is a bulker. For reference, the average weight of daily road runners with a heel height of 35 mm and above is 10.1 oz (286 g).

A little too much syrup on this waffle

Version 3’s thick waffle-type outsole is dependable—but only in terms of longevity. We were not too happy with the grip offered by the shoe. The small nubs felt too soft and failed to grip wet surfaces very well which felt a bit dangerous at times.

The much thicker outsole rubber also contributes to the shoe’s firmer but steadier ride.

Measuring the shoe's rubber outsole, we were amazed by its thickness - 4 mm. This is even thicker than on many trail shoes.

A heel clip that actually clips heels (in a bad way)

Another big change in the Invincible FK3 is the redesigned heel clip, which is now thinner and extends further into the midsole. This made the back of the shoe more rigid and structured, thus providing significantly more stability in the heel.

In our manual assessment, we found that there is some stiffness in the heel counter. On a scale from 1 to 5 where 5 is the stiffest, we rated it as 3.

Although this really helped in preventing unnecessary side-to-sides, we sometimes felt as though the clips were poking into the sides of our feet, especially on sharp turns.

A vulnerable lockdown in the Invincible 3

We noticed that the amount of room in the midfoot has noticeably been dialled down, leading to a snugger fit that’s no longer as accommodating for wide feet as the earlier models.

This performance-oriented fit, however, was surely missing at the back as we did experience a subpar heel lockdown. Although cinching down on the laces helped to alleviate this problem, tightening the shoe further made its already narrow midfoot more uncomfortable.

As for the toebox, we measured its widest area at 97.7 mm which is right at the average of road running shoes. On top of that, the shape of the toebox is not very tapered which leaves ample room in the forefoot for medium-width feet like ours.

Reflective stripes at the back

A very welcome touch for those running in low-light conditions.