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Finlay McAndrew  •  Running Gear •  29.04.2022 •  4 min read

Nike ZoomX Streakfly – Nike's lightest racing shoe

The Nike Vaporfly created a new paradigm shift in racing shoe design: high-stack midsoles, carbon fibre plates and superfoam cushioning. While this technology and innovation has revolutionised the world of marathon running and helped athletes set world records, the attention has very much been on improving long distance racing performance. Some runners might say the Vaporfly and Alphafly meet all of your racing needs, however what may be optimal for longer distance racing may not be quite as applicable to shorter distances. Nike established that some runners crave a shoe that is bred purely for speed in faster racing, like 5k and 10k. The brief was clear, take the learnings from Vaporfly and Alphafly innovation and create a shoe that is built for the demands of short distance racing. The Streakfly is born. 

The tech:

Insights from runners and Nike athletes played a key part in the development of the Streakfly. 

Make as light as possible:

While the Vaporfly and Alphafly are not heavy, runners pushing for faster times always want lighter shoes. The Streakfly is ultra lightweight and comes in at just 170g, at least 25g lighter than the Vaporfly. Weight is kept down by utilising the brand’s groundbreaking cushioning material, ZoomX foam. This delivers exceptional levels of energy return and cushioning. It also features a minimal lightweight mesh upper to reduce weight. However, the upper construction has been carefully designed to meet the needs of short distance racing. A contoured heel pod securely locks the heel in place and a partially integrated tongue enhances the feeling of containment. This added support is complimented by lateral offset lacing that reduces any fit pressure on the top of the foot. Finally, medial and lateral toebox rand helps keep the foot in place while negotiating tighter corners. 

Improve the ground connection:

Some runners find high-stack shoes slightly unstable while turning corners or changing direction at faster speeds. While the Streakfly contains a full ZoomX midsole, it’s built with a lower profile so the runner can connect with the ground more. Built for speed, not for distance, the 32mm high heel and 26mm high forefoot offers amazing energy return in a manner that creates a more stable underfoot feel. To improve the connected sensation, the Streakfly doesn’t contain a carbon fibre plate. Instead it features a midfoot shank (partial-length polymer plate) that adds some structure to the midfoot and aids stability while twisting and turning. A high-traction rubber in the forefoot and intuitive outsole pattern grip effortlessly on technical corners and makes the runner feel in control. 

Close-up of Nike running shoe on road with double yellow lines in sunshine

How will the ZoomX Streakfly improve your run?

If you’re looking for a lightweight running shoe that maximises performance over shorter distance runs then the Streakfly is hard to beat. It could of course be used for longer events, but there are better options for half marathons and up, as more cushioning and carbon fibre plates may improve running economy further. In shorter faster runs the priorities are centred around keeping weight down, responsive energy return, dynamic stability, ground connection and traction. The Streakfly delivers on all of these. Not only will it be great in races, it’s an excellent option for interval sessions. Classic sessions like 5 x 1km or 10 x 400m are almost written for the Streakfly. The Streakfly is also considerably cheaper than the Vaporfly and Alphafly. For runners who don’t race longer distances, this makes it a much more affordable option. It’s also easier to justify using it for training sessions. 

Years of racing innovation for the marathon has been brought to shorter distance performance with Nike’s lightest racing shoe, the ZoomX Streakfly.

SHOP NIKE ZOOMX STREAKFLY

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