Retweet on the lock laces. Just raced in them on Sunday and was super easy to get my foot in and was very secure the whole time. The heel pad works perfectly to lock the heel in. The tongue on my left foot was folded over a little bit but it is so thin I didn't notice at all with socks on. Overbiked my way into a miserable run but still very happy with them overall and lots of jealous looks on the run course.

I was told by a friend who has the original 4%s that you get extremely low volume out of the shoe... like 100 miles. Because the carbon plate thing is hard on the foam. Hard to believe. Anything to this?

No, this is not true. I have a ton of miles on my very first pair and still use them for training. They are still good shoes. The soles on both of the first two versions look half ruined after one run, which I assume is why people [rightfully] worry about how many miles you can put on them. But my experience is that despite their appearance, they hold up fine to rather high mileage.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Would you say they only have a couple of actual races in them, but are fine for training in for quite a bit longer? Like maybe you only do two IMs or marathons in them, but then retire them to be training shoes for a while?

I got tired of fighting "Nike" and got a pair of the Next%. I have tried a ton of other race shoes and Nike always fits me the best (I wanted to love Hoka but Hoka didn't love me). I didn't want to be "that guy" who spends too much on a race shoe but the fit did me in...….

Yes, they are fast, bouncy and I'm not as beat up after a race. The real surprise was the Nike Zoom Fly 3. It is almost as good at the Vaporfly at a much better price. Its heavier than I want to race in but if that wasn't the issue for the price the Zoom Fly 3 would be my go to. The upper on both shoes are great. I live in the South and any kind of knit weave upper gets too heavy when I sweat. These shoe solve that problem.

Thanks again for the sizing info. The 13 was perfect for me (coming from a 12.5 Altra) and I finally did a run in them this morning. The forefoot was plenty wide for me. Kind of weird running in a non zero drop shoe for the first time in years, but it felt natural once moving.

Glad it worked out....yes, going from Zero Drop to these took some adjustment, but it’s a non-issue now.

For those interested, they have Next% in Nike by You now. You can change the upper to FlyKnit or Engineered Mesh (though you lose the offset lacing), change the tread pattern to waffle, and customize the heel text.

Still no color choice though, haha!!

https://store.nike.com/...next-premium-by-you/

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You will never, in your life, have a chance like this again.
If I were you, I would not pass this up. I would not let this go by...this is rare.
Come on...what harm??

I like that you can choose the upper, strange to me that you can change the tread, lame that you can't change the colour!

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

It's been a few weeks, I've run one short training run and one oly race in these and they're fantastic. They were my first VF and seriously blew me away. What are people pairing with these for training? I have some Nike Epic React 2s which I think are only OK, looking to grab a new light cushioned trainer for longer stuff. Considering Rincon, Turbo 2, Beacon 2... Thoughts?

The sales rep at the flagship Nike store in NYC suggested the Pegasus Turbos. According to him they use the same "Zoom-X" foam that the next% use. I grabbed a pair at the local Nike outlet and it feels comparable.

I use the Zoom Fly for training. It has the carbon plate but with React foam instead of the Zoom X. To me they have the same feel, i.e. track the same, with just less cushion.

I first went Nike with the VF4%. I tried the Peg Turbo (since they use the same foam, but no carbon plate) and I just couldn’t get into them. They felt a little dead to me.

I then tried the Zoom Fly FlyKnit (different foam, same carbon plate as the 4%). They felt fantastic. Very lively with great cushioning. I picked up another pair on sale for ~$70.

I still use the Zoom Fly FK with the Next%. When I wear out the Zoom Fly FK, I’ll try a pair of the Zoom Fly 3’s.

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You will never, in your life, have a chance like this again.
If I were you, I would not pass this up. I would not let this go by...this is rare.
Come on...what harm??

Interesting... My thoughts with the Zoom Fly were that based on reviews and stats it was simply too heavy and the cushioning too different to simulate the VF. Might try to find a place where I can try both the new Turbo 2 and the Zoom Fly 3 to compare.

That’s what I’d heard as well.

I ordered Turbos, Zoom Fly, and 4% from Nike and ran in all of them. Don’t get me wrong, I think the 4% is a better racing shoe than the Zoom Fly, but I feel the Zoom Fly more closely mimics the 4% than the Turbos. The ZF never feel heavy to me, either. Just great to run in.

An earlier poster in this thread commented that they felt the ZF3 are a close analog to the Next%. “Nearly as good for less $$”. That’s about how I feel: ZF FK vs 4%. Now that I’m moving on to the Next%, I’ll definitely give the ZF3’s a try.

FWIW: If you join NikePlus (free), you get free shipping both ways, 30 days to run in the shoes, and free returns. Takes (most of) the pressure off when plunking down for $200+ shoes, haha!!

Good luck!!

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You will never, in your life, have a chance like this again.
If I were you, I would not pass this up. I would not let this go by...this is rare.
Come on...what harm??

I’ve been using the zoom flys for over a year and just got the 3rd version and they’re great. Tried them on with the turbo 2s and they felt way better. Took them out for 2 hours with some pace work and didn’t skip a beat (my body did though! Ha). Also a lot more similar to the VF than the turbos if that matters.

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Twitter - Instagram

Just picked up a pair of 4% today on sale, with coupon for store got them for $185 which I thought was a good deal. I am planning on using these on race day. Would those that have both the zoom fly fly knit and zoom fly 3. Which one would you recommend for daily training shoe. I have had two pair of pegasus 36 turbo and had issues with bottoms on those models.

I think the Zoom Fly FK are closest in feel to the 4%...plus they’re getting discounted due to the ZF3’s.

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You will never, in your life, have a chance like this again.
If I were you, I would not pass this up. I would not let this go by...this is rare.
Come on...what harm??

...AND, you can put your goal time on the heel! Gimmicky, but kinda cool.

They are shoes, just like other shoes. People are getting the usual 300~500 miles out of a pair and they're fine throughout.

Has anyone used those in a marathon on gravel / packed dirt? I had not thought about it, but my next marathon is done on such surface (bike path). Once, I did a train run on the Carbon Rocket which have a very mushy sole, and after 30k I had about 300 pieces of gravel in the sole. I have seen pictures of the 4% with same results as the Carbon Rocket, is the Next% going to pick up material as well?

There is no way I would used the Next on a trail or gravel. There is no stability what's so ever on the Next. You can feel it on an off camber road. They would be really wobbly on a trail or gravel. The Next is built for a fore foot runner to get the maximum benefit from the shoe. There is very little lateral stability and running down hill because of the upper your feet slide forward.

On flat to rolling roads, and hard surfaces, and a mid to fore foot runner the Next is the fastest shoe out there. If you get away from that environment there are better, and less expensive, shoes.

Thanks, this is another way to look at it... First time I am doing a gravel marathon (it is a very fast course, with net negative elevation, etc.), so I had not looked into other aspects.

This has not been my experience. The next have been a pleasant surprise to me. I found the 4% to be quite "wobbly" but have been very surprised by how stable, in a natural way, the the next % is. I have had an ankle issue due to injury for the past 25 + years. Since then I have ALWAYS had to have orthotics/Superfeet/Powerstep/Aetrex inserts or I would have flare ups. Amazingly, in the next % I seem to be doing pretty well (big knock on wood). I have also done some limited running in them on gravel roads, and again was pleasantly surprised. Now, I certainly agree that the next are NOT trail shoes and for that use I will probably stick to Hokas.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

I did 70.3 Santa Rosa and the first half(ish) of the run was on a gravel path (also slightly negative elevation) and I had no issues with the next%. The soles didnt pick anything up and I found the shoe plenty stable, even compared to my Altras with orthodics that I train with.

Tyler Butterfield wore Next % at Ironman Boulder 70.3 and that course is 97% all gravel/uneven dirt pot holes with large rocks sticking up all over the place--and where there isn't that, there is grass with rocks in it on a two-track road. He ran a 1:11 half, it did not deter him too much.

That said, I found them horrible on gravel/dirt with uneven surfaces. My feet & legs took more of a beating, but I had zero blisters from not sliding around in the Next %. I have the right shoe size, it mostly depends on what terrain / style course you're using. I would not use it on a screwy run course that has a ton of sharp turns. Ideally, it is a straight forward flat surface shoe. You have to be a special kind of a runner for it not to be noticeable. I am not that kind of runner...quite sensitive baby feet!