I got excited when I saw the new Alphafly had made a few changes and gone to 8mm drop but I’m not so sure after some reviews. So expensive for these super shoes I’m curious to find out if anyone has feedback and pencil this in as my next IM shoe in December??? I can’t see another thread so point me in the direction if there is one…
https://www.believeintherun.com/nike-alphafly-next-2-review/
I got excited when I saw the new Alphafly had made a few changes and gone to 8mm drop but I’m not so sure after some reviews. So expensive for these super shoes I’m curious to find out if anyone has feedback and pencil this in as my next IM shoe in December??? I can’t see another thread so point me in the direction if there is one…
https://www.believeintherun.com/nike-alphafly-next-2-review/
No feedback, but there seems to be arguably better options out there now compared to a few years ago. I’m running in the Metaspeeds which I much prefer to the Nikes. And 240 gms seems pretty heavy.
Most of the review and limited testing I have seen indicates they went the wrong direction with the Alpha 2. If you respond well to the original Alpha, get more of them before the get discontinued.
I never bought the original Alphafly because they went to 4mm drop and everyone I knew that bought a pair disliked the shoe, sold them and I was hoping they were going in the right direction. My favourite is still the 4% but they’re not nice at IM pace. I find the Next% nicer for IM so was putting it out there for feedback on here regarding the new Alphafly. Everyone I know prefers the pop of the Nikes still so I’m curious.
I like the original Alphafly better. The bounce is real. The alphafly 2 is heavy and at least for me its universal that every tri that I do my feet will get wet making the 2 even heavier.
The Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is a really good option now. It’s way better than the Pro 2. It’s got a lot of bounce is much lighter than the alphafly 2 and it handles slower speeds well. The Nike sucks at slower paces when you get tired.
In order for me:
Most of the review and limited testing I have seen indicates they went the wrong direction with the Alpha 2. If you respond well to the original Alpha, get more of them before the get discontinued.
That’s a bummer. I run better with Alphafly than Endophin Pro or Metaspeed and thought Alphafly 2 can be even better than the original. I see more pro athletes wearing Asics than Nike.
What do you find different between Next 2 vs the original? I don’t do well with the original Nexts but wondering if the 2s will work better.
where do people feel the vaporfly next % fits in?
i have a pair, but considering the endorphin pros–been reading the vaporfly’s can really tax your hamstrings and then poof, pulled my hamstring running. maybe totally unrelated.
I have been running in both for about two months now. Initially I was very unsure which one I preferred. The 2 is a few grams heavier and it doesn’t have the same bounce as the 1, that’s immediately noticeable. Playing around with Garmin’s run data metrics I did runs in both to compare and found I was more efficient and faster for the same relative effort in the 2’s. For me the 8mm drop is very helpful based on my run form. I am very low cadence, longer stride and the 8mm puts me in a stronger position when I land and push off. The 2’s remind me most of the old Zoot TT, which was my absolute favorite for the years it was in production and then when I could still find them in my size online. Instead of the bounce, they sort of slap off the pavement, if that makes sense.
What do you find different between Next 2 vs the original? I don’t do well with the original Nexts but wondering if the 2s will work better.
The 2 is heavier, a tad more stable but not much, feel the same around corners. The waits of the shoe is narrower and can dig into your arch depending on the shape of your foot. It’s a little less noisy, and the rubber seems more durable. The 2 is good at going straight at faster speeds. However when it gets wet you can feel it. Its heavy for a super shoe. It’s a pain to get on like the original but worse. It’s not built for a fast transition hence the pull tabs on the heal and tongue. It “feels” a little clunky underfoot where the 1 looked clunky but felt fast.
where do people feel the vaporfly next % fits in?
i have a pair, but considering the endorphin pros–been reading the vaporfly’s can really tax your hamstrings and then poof, pulled my hamstring running. maybe totally unrelated.
The vaporfly is the OG super shoe. It’s not as bouncy as the Alpha and not as durable. It’s lighter but the Alphafly 1 is more stable and faster overall in my opinion. The Vaporfly compared to the Alphafly 2 for me I would go with the Vaporfly if it was a hotter race where I knew I was going to get wet. I’m sure the Alpha 2 is more efficient but once that thing gets wet my guess is it losses it efficiency pretty fast because of the weight gain especially compared to some lighter bouncy shoes like the Endorphin Pro 3.
As a side note the Endorphin Pro 2 I thought sucked so I wasn’t a fan but the Pro 3 is different shoe all together. It’s the real deal if you want light, bounce, at a cheaper price. I would say the Pro 3 is faster and more stable than the Vaporfly, Not quite as fast (splitting hairs here) as the Alphafly 1 and as fast and lighter than the Alphafly 2. I have not used the Asics yet.
I have had no hamstring problems with any of these shoes. I have had an arch problem with the Alpha 2 that I assumed would resolve with some break in time but I think is because the “waist” of the shoe is so narrow that it doesn’t work for me.
Most of the review and limited testing I have seen indicates they went the wrong direction with the Alpha 2. If you respond well to the original Alpha, get more of them before the get discontinued.
That’s a bummer. I run better with Alphafly than Endophin Pro or Metaspeed and thought Alphafly 2 can be even better than the original. I see more pro athletes wearing Asics than Nike.
Yes, but Nike doesn’t sponsore triathletes. Look at ITU European athletes on how many are wearing New Balance RC Elite 2 which is a great shoe, but definitely not the fastest.
So I would not look at what pros are doing as any indication - its very personal what shoe works for you
LINK to Eastbay Deal- $146, $126 for women. Limited sizes.
Code: ALLOUT40
I agree. AF2 were not better for some.
Alphafly anything are terrible in transition, they’re really hard to put on and definitely not easy to do in a hurry. And (for me at least) I have to concentrate to get them on which is also not something I want to do in transition.The comment above about alphafly being great for going straight is a very good description.I do speed workouts in Afly 2 (last year used AflyOG) and like them a lot, better than the OG, but some of that are the new upper materials that create a better fit for me. They encourage fast turnover and, for me at least, provide enough bounce where I feel less fatigue. Weight difference has not been noticeable at all to me. But I do think they’re a shoe you either like or you don’t. All super shoes are probably pretty polarizing and personal.Vaporfly are my favorite racing shoe and manage transition well.I’ll race with Afly in some fall 5ks and maybe 10ks - I think that’s they’re ideal use case for me.Neither Afly or Vfly are not very good at going slow. And for a guy with $275 clown shoes on I sure seem to go slow a lot.
If you could do something through roadrunner or another retailer that has a flexible “try them and send them back if they’re not for you”, go for it.
Alphafly anything are terrible in transition, they’re really hard to put on and definitely not easy to do in a hurry. And (for me at least) I have to concentrate to get them on which is also not something I want to do in transition.The comment above about alphafly being great for going straight is a very good description.I do speed workouts in Afly 2 (last year used AflyOG) and like them a lot, better than the OG, but some of that are the new upper materials that create a better fit for me. They encourage fast turnover and, for me at least, provide enough bounce where I feel less fatigue. Weight difference has not been noticeable at all to me. But I do think they’re a shoe you either like or you don’t. All super shoes are probably pretty polarizing and personal.Vaporfly are my favorite racing shoe and manage transition well.I’ll race with Afly in some fall 5ks and maybe 10ks - I think that’s they’re ideal use case for me.Neither Afly or Vfly are not very good at going slow. And for a guy with $275 clown shoes on I sure seem to go slow a lot.
If you could do something through roadrunner or another retailer that has a flexible “try them and send them back if they’re not for you”, go for it.
All my friends that ran on the original Alphafly said they didn’t promote a fast turnover and why hey sold them as you said and my curiosity in the 2 as I like a shoe with more drop. Personally I find the Next% a bit of a meh shoe but after running an IM in both the 4% and the Next% I certainly enjoyed the Next at the slower pace as it is just a soft responsive shoe and the legs feel nicer on the back end of the run. The 4% fires for me at 4’/km or faster pace so is my go to shoe for every other triathlon besides IM basically. I recently purchased a set of the Next% 2 on special to race the IM in and was going to train in the original Next% for specific to get the feel. Transitions in IM I’ll be sitting on a chair so getting the shoe on is not generally an issue and I’ll probably have more trouble with my socks so I’m not too stressed about that. I’m a solid build so I don’t think weight would be too much of a factor???
Alas the curiosity rages when you see shiny new things and was curious as to what the Slowtwitch community thought of them as they seem to be gearing more towards less Kenyan like pace runners it seems. Thanks everyone for their input.
LINK to Eastbay Deal- $146, $126 for women. Limited sizes.
Code: ALLOUT40
I agree. AF2 were not better for some.
thanks. I swore off any more AF purchases as I have these, the green, Eikden stored away for the future. $168 too good to pass up
Counter to it seems most people here, I actually really like the AF2. The first one felt fast but the heel tab caused terrible rubbing. These feel just as fast, slightly more stable, and fit far better. All around upgrade in my experience (so far).
Anyone interested I found a comparison to the shoes I am considering at this stage and I’m still intrigued in the new AF…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEEU0kOdq_M
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LINK to Eastbay Deal- $146, $126 for women. Limited sizes.
Code: ALLOUT40
I agree. AF2 were not better for some.
Thanks for sharing, this is amazing deal.
I personally love the AF, I get the biggest efficiency boost from them, they do require running more “on your toes” to get the full benefit of the air cushion. At this price I’ll get another pair as daily trainer (I already have one spare I got at smaller discount when V2 came out)
Would it kill Asics &Saucony to add heel pull tabs? I’m starting to think yes.