Featuring a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return
After two long years Nike is finally launching the long-awaited follow-up to the hugely popular Vaporfly 1 and Vaporfly 2. But will the Vaporfly 3 live up to our expectations? Here’s everything we know so far.
The Nike Vaporfly has been the OG for runners looking to set PBs since it was first released in 2019. Its successor popped up in 2021 in the form of the Vaporfly 2, but only with some minor changes. The Vaporfly 3 is set to change that with what looks to be some big improvements to the shoe.
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Those changes include a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return. It will also have a new reductive ZoomX midsole geometry and a Flyknit yarn upper.
Nike says that the engine of the Vaporfly 3 is the same, but now the midsole features a convex shape around the forefoot to provide a comfortable and stable ride throughout the transition.
Visibly, there are some big updates to the look of the Vaporfly 3, retaining some of the hallmarks of its older siblings but sprinkling them with a fresh new look and some noticeable changes. The most noticeable of those appears to be a tantalizing new outsole build, with a generous layer of forefoot rubber and an interesting stepped aesthetic at the heel.
The performance benefits of these new inclusions are yet to be understood, but Nike has peppered the shoe with tributes to the developmental journey. Graphic text on the midsole is a tip of the cap to the 57 Flyknit upper iterations the team tested along with a weartester identification number (20126-23).
The Swoosh also references the first-ever Vaporfly worn at a Breaking 2 test event in 2017.
According to Elliott Heath, Nike Running Senior Footwear Product Manager: “The Prototype colorway of the Vaporfly 3 is again a nod to our development process, where athlete and every day runner feedback critically informs and guides our innovation journey from start to finish.”
This prototype version of Nike Vaporfly 3 is available for £235/$250 from March 6 and you can expect many more colorways to follow in the future. We’ll be testing the shoes out as soon as we can get our hands on them, so watch this space for more info.
