So I got the 4% a few weeks ago. I ran about 2 miles in them. They felt good. I am a heavy heel striker and took these off foam on the heels is already peeling off. Is this normal. I have up to 60 days to return these.

I had some wear like that initially and was worried a bit but once that little "covering" comes off I have not noticed anything else bad. I have almost 300 miles in my originals and still going strong.

---

Twitter - Instagram

Mine look the same but I can’t answer if that is normal.

Same thing happened to mine. Ran in them once (~ 4 miles) and they look like this:

Wow , that looks bad

It's normal. Nike puts a white layer over the foam so it doesn't look like it's made of couch cushion. Comes off right away once it hits the pavement, but the shoes don't wear badly for me after that.

I went for my first run in the Next % this pas Sunday, 14.5 miles so I just jumped right in. The shoe is very lively! They definitely feel easier on the legs as you get deep into a long run. My pace was very good for the HR and RPE values. The only metrics which were less efficient for me we’re vertical ratio, ground contact time, and cadence. I’m pretty bouncy with a low turnover anyway and that was more pronounced. Now I’m not sure how much import I put on those data points but it was I interesting to see. Going to try a sickness run with speed laces today to see what kind of race shoe this can be.

---

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Ok not so good sock less. The interior upper is fine but the heel band in the heel cup and the plastic feeling tongue chafe a bit.

---

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Just got a pair of the Next% and raced in them over the weekend, setting at HIM run PR by 2 minutes at 70.3 Maine (1:27). They feel far more stable than the VF 4%, especially in corners. I'll be wearing them in Kona, but don't have any high expectations in my first rodeo there.

Laces are tricky - I tried some elastic ones, but didn't feel like the heel was really kept down. I opted to just use regular laces and tie them as quickly as possible in T2. I only have 15 miles in them, but wear on the outsole seems less than the 4%.

I'll also add that about 48 hours post race my legs feel great. Usually the quads are hurting pretty good around this time after a 70.3, but that's not the case. Not sure if it's the shoes or just knowing what efforts to put out on the bike and run.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Agreed, particularly if you get sand in them. My foot was torn to shreds from a sandy 5k in a sprint tri (which I aggravated by doing wearing sockless in another sprint tri a week later). Also not that easy to get into quickly in T2 even with speed laces. That said, I've worn them now in a 140.6 and two sprints. The 140.6 run was fantastic, and I felt great after. I had no problem with my achilles, which I was worried about considering I didn't have my custom orthotic in the Next. The sprints also felt comfortable and were a strong pace considering I was still recovering from the IM, it was hot and I had sand tearing my skin off.

I am using my custom orthotics in mine. Seem to fit well.

---

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

wow you just ticked off all the things I didn't like about the 4% this weekend.

I too had a PRish run but am wondering was it increased fitness or the shoes? Even with only a 2% discount, my time converts to my usual less than trained HIM run times.

See you in Kona!

Eric

---

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

I've worn the new ones once, for a 4k leg at a local road relay. They felt awesome - I'd done virtually no running for months, and yet I felt really good and ran a lot quicker than I had any right to do. And just like the 4%ers, hardly any soreness afterwards. It was a soaking wet day and I had to run though a massive puddle at one stage (maybe 15 metres long, and 5-6cm deep), and they coped fine.

BTW see how many of the top ITU guys were wearing them at the Lausanne Grand Final? Blu certainly flew!

Wait ... I thought this was a placebo?! And you doubted that my EXACT comments to you about the 4% (HR/RPE) were true.

I think someone has some crow to eat. And welcome to the future.... yea yea I kno zoot did it blah blah blah 😂

---

http://www.TriScottsdale.org

I just returned mine to nike last night. Wore them three times. I could not get over the fit, sloppy in the heel and too tight everywhere else. Also, I am not a heel striker so I am not getting the benefit of the magic carbon plate. Personally I think these are gimmick/placebo but just like in medicine gimmick/placebo can have a positive effect as well.

I develop achilis tendon inflamation on my left foot when running on the Vaporfly 4%. No such issues when I go back to my other shoes (Adidas Adios 4).

Anyone else has this problem and found out wether this can be fixed? Would maybe the Next% fix this? Or is it just not our shoe if you have this problem :)

How is the fit for you compared to the 4%? I have been holding off buying the next since I got 2 pairs of the 4% (like you) in the winter.

Congrats on the Kona slot, very well deserved and long overdo.

---

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

They work well for Kamworor. These are what he wore to break the Half Marathon world record this past weekend.

A little off topic but has anyone raced or ran with the Vaporfly 3's and how is the supposed efficiency gain different from the Next%?

I am a freak of nature and have size 14 swimmers feet so they don't make the 4% or Next% in my size unfortunately

The good news is that I did a short training run in the Vaporfly 3's yesterday and they felt awesome, and at half the price. Just wondering if I am seeing any gain above and beyond a "normal" shoe.

---

Strava

They are a bit more roomy in the forefoot than the 4%, and I got the same size - an 11. They were fine in the one race I wore them in (70.3 Maine), although I wasn't able to get a secure fit with elastic laces, which I tried prior to the race. As a result, I just left the tongue open wide, and then laced them up as quick as possible in T2. I'm not sure what others are doing in terms of lacing - the 4% seemed a lot easier, as there wasn't a tongue to deal with, at least in the flyknit version.

Thanks on the KQ - hoping to have a respectful showing in my first attempt.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Steve J informed me about heal lock laces the other day, till this point had no clue about them...... I hope your first attempt goes better then my first 2 attempts.

---

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Do you have a link for them?

---

Let food be thy medicine...

A few of you suggested the Zoom Fly 3 as a good training shoe and do I got a pair. I love them, I may like them more then the Next. I feel like I spend less time going verticals and more time moving forward.

---

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

A placebo? No, I never said that. I said any shoe is going to have an addressable user base where the design will compliment their biomechanics. And for others it won’t. Trying to ascribe any change in performance is very hard from person to person. I like them but don’t know if they are “faster” then other shoes I have used. They certainly are different and the high degree of spring makes my RPE feel lower and legs a bit fresher but jury is out if they are ultimately faster.

---

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Well mine ARE faster lol

---

http://www.TriScottsdale.org