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Nike has long led the super shoe race. However, unlike others that are made solely for long runs and marathons, the brand’s latest top-tier running style offers the wearer something different.
The athletic giant has revealed the Zoom Fly 6, a model Nike described as “the ultimate super trainer.” In a statement, Nike further described the shoe as a “best-in-class training and racing hybrid” designed “to help runners excel on their toughest long runs and tempo workouts, then turn around and reap the rewards on race day.”
“This is the shoe runners should choose for their workouts all week long, instead of the super shoes some are using for their long runs and fartleks,” Eliud Kipchoge, long-distance running icon, said in a statement. Kipchoge is one of Nike’s elite athletes who tested the shoe, using it on both asphalt and dirt roads in his hometown in Kenya, “to fine-tune the silhouette’s energy return and its balance of comfort and protection.”
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He continued, “The redesigned Zoom Fly performs at a high level and is very responsive, with wonderful cushioning from impact and great movement from heel to forefoot.”
This Zoom Fly weighs at least 10 percent less than its predecessor, Nike stated, and includes several key updates. For instance, it features a redesigned midsole with a full-length carbon fiber FlyPlate — which offers propulsion, smooth transitions and flexibility — between layers of the energy-returning ZoomX and SR-02 foams. The result is the highest midsole stack height in the Nike Racing lineup.
Also, the Zoom Fly 6 was built with a redesigned upper, which Nike said “aims to replicate the race day experience on any training run. To accomplish this, the brand utilized a two-layer woven mesh system in order to offer comfort “without sacrificing breathability, durability or weight.” Lastly, Nike completed the shoe with a new outsole featuring a thin web of lightweight and grippy rubber.
The Nike Zoom Fly 6 arrives in several colorways via Nike.com and at select retail locations on Nov. 1. Also, Nike will release a special colorway for Kipchoge, inspired by the red clay roads where he has trained for decades, in early December.
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About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.