Nike’s Alphafly 4 goes on general sale: what the new super shoe changes
Nike says its new marathon racer returns 10 per cent more energy and is 5 per cent lighter than the last version. The shoe sold out in minutes in September; wider release follows on 29 October.
Nike’s newest marathon racing shoe, the Alphafly 4, goes on general sale on 29 October, after an early, limited release on 17 September that sold out in the United States in under five minutes, according to Marathon Handbook.
What Nike says is new
According to Nike:
- More energy return. The shoe returns 10 per cent more energy than its predecessor.
- Lighter. It is 5 per cent lighter, measured in a men’s UK size 7.5.
- New foam. A new foam, ZoomX LT, sits above and below the carbon-fibre Flyplate alongside standard ZoomX. Nike says ZoomX LT is up to 17 per cent lighter than ZoomX.
- Same basic design. The shoe keeps the Alphafly’s dual forefoot Air Zoom units and its curved “propulsive scoop”, with a new seamless Atomknit upper and a lighter outsole.
Nike says the design drew on feedback from athletes across several Alphafly generations, including extensive trials with women runners. Addisu Gobena wore it to win the Sydney Marathon in a course record this year, the company says.
“Our goal was simple: create a shoe that helps athletes feel more confident and capable deep into the race,” said Emily Farina, senior principal for running footwear at the Nike Sport Research Lab.
What we don’t know yet
The figures are Nike’s own. The company has not published the shoe’s stack height or weight in grams, and we have not yet seen independent laboratory tests of its energy return or running economy. Under World Athletics rules, road racing shoes are limited to a sole thickness of 40 mm.
The shoe arrives in a year that has made the stakes of shoe technology obvious. Sabastian Sawe broke two hours for the marathon in London in April wearing Adidas’s Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, and course records have fallen across the World Marathon Majors. Shoes are only one reason (training, pacing and the depth of competition matter too), but almost every elite marathoner now races in a carbon-plated shoe.
Who it is for
Nike describes the shoe as for marathon runners “from elite athletes to everyday runners aiming for personal bests”. It has not published data on how the shoe performs at slower, recreational paces, where most marathoners run.
