VaporFly 4% Shoe Comparison
After reading the recent NYTimes analysis of the Nike VaporFly 4% via a deep dive into Strava Big Data, and Jeremy Behler's experience at IMLP, I sprung for a pair a few weeks ago. Since then, I've had the four pairs of shoes I currently have out onto two courses, a two mile effort and a three miler. I ran at the same RPE for each, at basically my TRP. The HRs for all the mile intervals confirm that. The Shoes:
Bottom Line: The VaporFlys are 4.4% faster than my "racing flats" and 5.8% faster than my trainers, with a slightly lower (1.36%) HR, and a resulting 4% increase in power.
Be aware, this is NOT "free" speed. The VaporFlys retail for triple the price of my racing flats and trainers, but they are not available anywhere at that price. The "street price" is more on the order of 5x what I would pay for the A8s or Kinvaras.
- Hoka One One Cavus...These are a "replacement" for the Cliftons: a lightweight, but cushy trainer, 258 gms
- Saucony Kinvara 7 ... My go to neutral trainers for the past five years, 252 gms
- Saucony Type A8... My racing flats for all distances 5K>>Marathon, 188 gms
- Nike VaporFly 4% ... Marketed as 4% faster with no increased energy cost, 209 gms
Bottom Line: The VaporFlys are 4.4% faster than my "racing flats" and 5.8% faster than my trainers, with a slightly lower (1.36%) HR, and a resulting 4% increase in power.
Be aware, this is NOT "free" speed. The VaporFlys retail for triple the price of my racing flats and trainers, but they are not available anywhere at that price. The "street price" is more on the order of 5x what I would pay for the A8s or Kinvaras.
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For example, I train and race in zero drop Altras. I gave in to the siren call of “free” speed and popped big bucks for a pair of these sexy Vaporflys. After 7 miles I developed tightness in my left anterior tibialis and ankle inflammation, 3 weeks out from A race. Rookie mistake - for sure; should have transitioned slowly back in April. Just a PSA and word of caution: takes time to transition into these shoes, especially if there is a history of foot and leg issues.
I train in much heavier shoes which I also think helps make these shoes even faster for me. I alternate between a lot of different pairs of shoes (most with a 4-5 drop) but I have not had any problem running in the VaporFlys. The VaporFlys do, however, feel a little unstable to me going around corners. Nothing comes of it, just a feeling.
Sizing was normal for me...same size as my Newtons.
Toe box is fine...I only had an issue in LP because of my degrading form in the race. No issues in my training runs.
I bought mine here: https://stockx.com/nike-zoom-vaporfly-4-bright-crimson
If you setup an account, you can setup alerts. I setup one for each different color in a Size 13. So I get an email anytime there is a trade or price change. You can basically click in to see ALL of the pairs currently on offer... So you can almost always buy multiple pairs (if you can stomach the price). I think I paid ~$315 for mine. On this website, when you buy, the seller ships it to Stockx first and they verify that they are New and Authentic before they ship them to you.
I would think that Nike would release another batch of these shoes relatively soon. The last release was in March or April this year.
I'm going to try the wide version of the Clifton 4 for my normal runs. They are on sale now at Running Warehouse. I don't run in my VaporFlys unless its a race. They cost too much and they supposedly wear out after a few hundred miles.
- My other shoes are all size 11. I wear street size 10.5 The Hokas are a touch too big, the Kinvaras are spot on and the A8s are a touch too small. I;d say Vapor size 11 is more like the Hokas, 10.5 a touch smaller than the A8s. Conclusion...go with your normal running shoe size.
- Like John, I bought mine thru StockX, which is like eBay with an internal verification process. They specialize in a few consumer goods like hard-to-get "sneakers" and easy-to-fake expensive watches. You bid or "buy-at", they get the product from the seller, "verify" it, and then send it on to you. You are only charged when they actually send on to you. Mine came with a little "verification" tag, which I was warned not to remove if I wanted to send them back.
- In addition to the inner carbon plate, which gives a very springy fee to each step, the 4% are also shaped more dramatically: narrowest footbed of all my shoes, and most severe "rocker", ie, a big curve up at the end of the heel and toe. All the shoes I have are 4 mm drops heel-to-toe.
I will include some pix in a subsequent post.Hoka Cavu, Kinvara, A8, 4%. Note they are even narrower than my minimalist flats.
@Tim Sullivan - wondering how much you get out of them, the NYT article referenced a life of about 100 miles for the carbon piece that gives this shoe it's extra oomph..
I plan on using these for races only and will run once in them before doing so. Given that I won't be racing until a turkey trot, I will probably walk around the house a bit in them.
I read that Nike reps say 300k. @Donnacha Holmes is the only one I know that has worn some out
-Sent from my iPhone
On sizing, I wear a 10.5 in Mizuno Wave Riders and an 11 in Asics Gel Hyper Speed 7. I found a 10.5 in the Vaporfly fit me best.
I only have about 10 miles on mine so far, 3 of that in a sprint tri last weekend. For the tri they were a touch harder to get on than my usual shoes since the heel area is less stiff, but it wasn't a big issue. And I had skin rubbing off one of my heels from running without socks -- not a big deal for a sprint, but I might add socks for a longer race.
@Al Truscott I just wanted to confirm that the VF sizing is comparable to the Cavu?
I'm very curious to try these now, based on Al's data. I've been checking Stockx, and there's not much in my size, other than one clown that wants $555 for a pair. Ummm, no thanks.
BUT ... please take that thought, and consider turning it into your #1 goal: "Don't blow up on the run." That attitude will infom lots of good decisions about pacing and nutrition on the bike that will make your day one of fun and success. At least it worked for me, my first time there.
I have size 11 Cavus, and feel there are a touch large. I wear thick socks with them, and still have loads of room beyond the toes. I have 10.5 Vaporflys, and with thin/no (I tried each once) socks, find them tighter than the 11 Cavus, but still OK for running. Vaporflys are narrower than Cavus.
October 4th will be like the good ole days of sitting at your computer a year in advance waiting for noon for the coveted Ironman registration to open up...
Or a Flo wheel sale.
It wasn't that hard to get the Vaporflys in April, even directly from Nike. Though the hype is bigger now with the NYT article. It might be worth checking local running stores as October 4th gets closer.
I wouldn't be surprised if the secondary market prices fall over the next month, since this is an updated, lighter version of the shoe.
I thought I'd post a quick update for those like me that have never tried these on and are wondering about sizing. I scored a pair of these in 12.5 (same size as my Cavu's) off eBay. They fit OK out-of-the-box, but when I tried to put my custom orthotics in them (as I do with the Cavu's) they were too tight, so I definitely need to go up 1/2 a size to a 13. Good thing this eBay'er takes returns. From the little bit that I walked around in the house with them, they definitely feel very springy.
@“John Katsoudas” Do you absolutely need to wear your orthotics. I have another friend who has used orthotics for years. He got the Vaporflys and wore them as is, without orthotics, and they were perfect for him...
We're going tangential here, but I figure if it's a thread I started, I can't really hijack it...I have some high-end carbon fiber orthotics a podiatrist made for me nearly 20 years ago as I was deciding whether to get surgery for a bunion. They help re-align my feet for less pain and as a side effect, my knees improved a bit. But when I tried them in running shoes, I felt like I was trying to run in ski boots or cycling shoes - things were too rigid. I learned that running in neutral, lighter weight shoes (especially after the surgery) has the effect of forcing me to develop the small muscles in my feet and calves to do the stabilizing, rather than the orthotics.
I still wear the orthotics on occasion in other shoes, but less and less over the years. I think that's due to the improvement in my natural alignment which has come from, as I said, forcing me to use my own internal resources to get all those bones in my feet and ankles to work as they are supposed to. Orthotics are literally a crutch, and IMO one should be looking to discard them over time, rather then increasingly rely on them.
@John Katsoudas I use sole inserts in some of my daily runners but I do not use them in my Vaporflys. I think thats defeats the purpose of those shoes being as fast as possible. I only race in these shoes so it’s not like I am using them all the time. Like @John Withrow suggests you might want to consider using them without inserts. All that cushion really helps.