When Nike launches a brand new racing shoe, it sells out. Rumours of the ZoomX Streakfly have been circling since early final 12 months and again in February 2022 when it launched in some elements of the world, it bought out instantaneously.
Such was the advertising and marketing hype surrounding the Streakfly. Sadly I wasn’t capable of buy a pair within the first spherical of launch so I needed to wait 2 months till its wider launch in April. There are actually sufficient pairs to go round, no less than right here in Malaysia.
Over the previous 3 years, shoe firms have been specializing in the excessive stack racing footwear in addition to the super-thick, unlawful racing footwear (above 40 mm in stack peak) however the low stack peak racers have been an untapped market.
Adidas was first to the market with their 5K/10K racer, the Takumi Sen 8. Later within the 12 months, New Stability will launch their Tremendous Comp Pacer and there are rumours of the Saucony Sinister however proper now, it’s Nike’s flip to wow us with their short-distance racer.
The ZoomX Streakfly is an evolution of the Zoom Streak sequence which was Eliud Kipchoge’s weapon of alternative earlier than he switched to tremendous footwear.
The Zoom Streak 6 prototype was that notorious shoe that rose to fame as a result of when Eluid used them within the Berlin Marathon, their insoles got here unfastened and had been flapping round his ankles. He nonetheless managed to run a 2:04 in that race.
The Streakfly is a totally completely different beast from the Zoom Streak. It now has a brilliant foam midsole, a skinny, knit higher, and a design which resembles the bestseller, the Vaporfly Subsequent% 2.
It weighs 0.9 oz (25.5 g) lower than the Zoom Streak 7 and it prices a considerable $50 extra as properly.
Nike ZoomX Streakfly First Impressions
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
When first pictures of the Streakfly emerged, I used to be hopeful that it might have a full-length, stiff carbon plate in its midsole however I used to be dissatisfied to search out out later that it’s solely a Pebax shank within the midsole, just like the plastic shanks discovered within the Zoom Streak sequence.
A full-length carbon plate would have made it a brilliant shoe however it might even have made it far more costly. I knew from the get-go that the Streakfly wouldn’t be comparable within the trip to the Vaporfly in any respect.
My first run was a ten km steady-paced run. The adjectives that stood out essentially the most through the first run within the Streakfly had been easy, minimal, and delicate. It additionally felt very versatile and pure.
The shoe that the Streakfly jogged my memory most of on the primary run was the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2. Each footwear are low-profile ZoomX footwear however the distinction is that the Peg Turbo 2 had a layer of React foam in its midsole as a substitute of being full ZoomX so the Peg Turbo 2’s cushioning felt extra substantial underfoot however not as bouncy.
Nike ZoomX Streakfly Sole Unit
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
The Streakfly has an general delicate trip character. The super-soft ZoomX midsole of the Streakfly has a really excessive fee of compression so that you get a excessive degree of floor really feel (not like within the Vaporly and Alphafly) as a result of there isn’t any carbon plate in its midsole. I craved for a bit of extra stack peak despite the fact that it’s solely a 5K/10K shoe as a result of the ZoomX compresses a lot when loaded.
The Streakfly has a stiff Pebax shank in its midfoot which offers some midfoot rigidity and stability. The shank doesn’t lengthen into the forefoot just like the Ultraboost 22’s LEP System or the Takumi Sen 8’s EnergyRods so the Streakfly stays very versatile within the forefoot.
The versatile forefoot makes transitions within the Streakfly really feel very relaxed. To me, the Streakfly appears like a coach and never a racer. I loved it for regular runs between 4.45 minutes per km as much as 5.half-hour per km however nothing quicker.
When doing strides and brief distance sprints within the Streakfly, I used to be lacking the highly effective toe-off that I get in stiff, carbon tremendous footwear. There’s nothing to launch you ahead within the Streakfly, no springboard impact. This makes it arduous to suggest the Streakfly for racing as a result of there are such a lot of higher choices that might offer you an even bigger benefit.
The Streakfly is much more secure than the Takumi Sen 8 and carbon racers just like the Vaporfly/Adios Professional because of its wider midfoot however it’s nonetheless very unsupportive and unstructured so something longer than 10 km turns into uncomfortable.
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
On the outsole, all the forefoot is roofed in thick, however delicate ribbed rubber with two vertical strips on the rearfoot defending the outer heel. There’s a whole lot of delicate, uncovered midsole foam on the midfoot which can also be ribbed so I didn’t have any issues with grip.
Sturdiness is the Streakfly’s greatest weak spot. After simply the primary run, which was 10 km, I seen a whole lot of scuffing on the lateral aspect of the rearfoot not lined with rubber. The issue with ZoomX is that it’s extraordinarily brittle so it must be protected with rubber.
The Streakfly is designed for racing so there isn’t full outsole rubber protection. It might have been an ideal coaching shoe if it had extra outsole rubber, just like the Pegasus Turbo 2.
Nike ZoomX Streakfly Higher Unit
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
The Streafly’s higher feels very roomy and accommodating for a racing shoe, particularly within the midfoot and toe field so I feel it’s appropriate for wide-footed runners.
The size is true to dimension however I needed to put on my thickest socks so as to fill the area within the shoe and get a superb lockdown. Even with thick socks, I seen a whole lot of materials bunching on the highest of the toe field so it’s not your typical, dialed-in racing match.
The higher is hyper-thin and marketed by Nike as a knit materials however it feels extra just like an engineered mesh. It’s so porous that I might see my socks by means of the fabric however I couldn’t really feel any breeze on my toes as a result of I needed to put on thick socks with it.
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
There is no such thing as a padding within the collar or the heel tab to save lots of weight and the heel tab is lengthy and skinny so it folds over whilst you’re operating however I feel Nike designed it to fold over. Heel lockdown is nice as a result of there are double final row eyelets so you should use a runner’s knot.
The tongue of the Streafly is connected to an interior sleeve so there’s no tongue motion and the lacing space is offset just like the Vaporfly’s lacing to alleviate stress on the highest of the foot. I don’t thoughts this offset lacing setup however I additionally don’t assume it’s vital.
Nike ZoomX Streakfly Conclusion
image of Nike ZoomX Streakfly
The Streakfly is a extremely enjoyable shoe due to its featherlight weight and its tremendous delicate trip. Its draw back nonetheless is its fragile construct so it could possibly’t be used for normal coaching.
At $160, it’s nonetheless comparatively reasonably priced. The Pegasus Turbo 2 was $180 and its midsole wasn’t even full ZoomX just like the Streakfly’s. The Pegasus Turbo 2’s outsole was nonetheless much more sturdy and it was an ideal shoe for coaching.
The ZoomX Streakfly is a vastly completely different shoe to its predecessor, the Zoom Streak 7. It’s a lot softer, lighter and extra versatile. It’s additionally far more costly however it has a contemporary, participating trip. For my part, it’s an improve however it doesn’t dwell as much as the advertising and marketing hype.
The Streakfly doesn’t have a spot in my shoe rotation as a result of I’d choose a brilliant shoe over it for any racing distance. The Streakfly doesn’t supply a lot velocity help, primarily due to the dearth of an aggressive carbon plate.
It’s additionally not nice for coaching due to its fragile build- it’s even much less sturdy than the Vaporfly/Alphafly and I will probably be very shocked if you will get 400 km out of it.
In comparison with the Takumi Sen 8, the Streakfly has a greater match for my foot form; it didn’t give me blisters just like the Takumi did. It’s additionally softer and extra relaxed than the Takumi so it doesn’t really feel as quick. It’s much less sturdy however it does value much less as properly. If I needed to choose one, I’d choose the Streakfly.
I’d suggest the Streakfly to you when you worth a light-weight construct above the rest as a result of, at 6 oz, the Streakfly is among the lightest trainers available on the market. I’d additionally suggest it to you when you beloved the super-soft trip of the Pegasus Turbo.
As editorial coverage, we don't settle for free samples from firms.
We bought this pair of Nike ZoomX Streakfly at Working Warehouse with our personal cash.
