![]() ![]() Max Air was the company’s first foray into visible Air. If that comes close to the performance of the Turbo 1 and 2 then that will be another clear pick ahead of the Zoom Fly 5.Zoom Air expands on this concept with knit, tensile fibers that compress upon impact to cushion every step and regenerate that movement for long-lasting action. Nike is also set to resurrect the Pegasus Turbo line this year with the Pegasus Turbo Nature. ![]() The only similar shoe outperformed by the Zoom Fly 5 is the Hoka Bondi X, another hefty plated training shoe. It’s much lighter and faster than the Zoom Fly 5 while being cheaper and less cumbersome on relaxed runs. I also rate the Hoka Mach 5 as a better all-round training shoe. Then there’s the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, which is more impressive on all fronts, and the New Balance SuperComp Trainer, which is ridiculously expensive at $180/£210 but bouncier and more comfortable than the Zoom Fly 5, while still being lighter despite its huge stack. It’s enjoyable to use for long, easy runs, but there are better cushioned shoes, such as the Brooks Glycerin 20, Puma Velocity Nitro 2 or Nike Invincible 2 if that’s all you want from it. The Zoom Fly 5 isn’t a horrible shoe to run in and it has more bounce than the Zoom Fly 4, but to me it seems like a shoe without a purpose. If you’re just looking for a nice shoe to use for easy and long runs you can find better options that don’t have carbon plates and cost a lot less, like the Puma Velocity Nitro 2, which is also lighter and quicker than the Zoom Fly 5. If that sounds like faint praise, it’s because it is. I found it has an efficient ride that helps you log a faster pace than you’d expect given your effort level or even heart rate – and if you keep to the lower heart-rate zones it’s a nice option for ticking off longer runs in particular. Speed is not the Zoom Fly 5’s strength, then, but if you put preconceptions about how it should perform out of your mind, it is an enjoyable shoe to use for easy training runs. The SuperComp Trainer is a higher-stack shoe – it towers over almost everything at 47mm – but crucially the foam used is all New Balance’s FuelCell, which isn’t as impressive as standard ZoomX but outperforms the recycled ZoomX/SR02 combo in the Zoom Fly 5. In contrast, I also used the New Balance SuperComp Trainer during the same session, swapping after 10 reps, and the difference in feel was dramatic, with the New Balance bouncier and more enjoyable. The Zoom Fly 5 felt huge and blocky on the foot, and the midsole didn’t feel like it was delivering any kind of bounce or propulsion despite the foams and plate used. I took it to the track to use for the first half of a session running 20 reps of 60 seconds on alternating with 60 seconds’ rest, aiming to run a bit faster than my 5K pace. ![]() However, it is not a fast shoe, and the least enjoyable runs I did in it were those that involved any attempt to move beyond cruising pace. It’s got a big Nike swoosh on the upper, a carbon plate in the midsole and it says ZoomX on the midsole, so you might be forgiven for thinking the Zoom Fly 5 is a speedster of a shoe. I have run in all four of the previous models of the shoe as well. I have run 50km in the Zoom Fly 5, including a mix of easy and steady runs, as well as a track session. It fit me well enough, but was cramped in the toe box on my right foot, so going true to size would probably be the best choice. I tested a UK 8.5 Zoom Fly 5, which is half a size down on my normal size. It’s a good outsole that grips well on light trails, as well as the road, and should increase the durability of the shoe. That idea is backed up by the outsole, which has more extensive rubber coverage than on the Zoom Fly 4, with large sections on the forefoot and at the heel. It’s not an upper that aims to trim weight in the way you might expect from a fast training shoe, which perhaps points to the idea that Nike is positioning this as a daily trainer. The mesh upper provides a comfortable locked-down fit and there is extra cushioning around the tongue and collar. ![]()
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