The Nike Alphafly 1 was one of the most eagerly anticipated carbon plate shoes when it was released back in 2020 – and still remains at the top of the list for many runners when it comes to race day.
The combination of a carbon plate with a chunky stack of ZoomX foam, as well as two Air Zoom pods in the forefoot, produced an impressively bouncy ride, providing much-needed energy return and comfort for long-distance efforts.
The third version of one of the world’s most popular race shoes, the Alphafly 3, sees several updates. That includes a wider carbon plate to increase stability, a new midsole design that features fully connected ZoomX foam for a smoother ride, and a revamped AtomKnit upper for better lockdown as well as breathability.
Tom and Nick compare the two super shoes to see which they’d pick for race day.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:21 – Stats
00:48 – Design
02:11 – How’s The Fit?
03:44 – The Run Test
11:14 – Verdict
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Nike Alphafly 3:
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video we are going to be doing a versus Of the new Nike Alpha 53 and the quite Old now alphafly one to see how the old Version Compares with the latest version Right let's dive in and see what we both Thought the original Nike alphafly cost 25995 in the UK and $275 in the US you can still find it but It can be hard although when you do you Can often get it at quite a cheap price The Nike alphafly 3 costs 28499 or $285 it weighs 202 G or 7.1 Oz for men In a size8 and the drop is 8 Mm when the original Nike alphafly was Released it cost $259.95 or $275 in the US it weighs 280 it weighs 28 G or 7.3 o for men in a Size8 and the drop is 4 Mm the Nike Alpha fly was one of the Most eagly anticipated carbon plate Shoes when it was released back in 2020 And Still Remains at the top of the list For many Runners when it comes to race Day the combination of a carbon plate With a chunky stack of zoomx foam as Well as two zoom airpods in the for foot Produced an impressively bouncy ride Producing much needed energy return and Comfort for longdistance efforts the Fact that the shoe is still highly Sought after and still retains its Popularity despite the launch of two
Newer versions as well as dozens of Worthy contenders from other brands is An impressive feat for a shoe launched 4 Years ago the third version of one of The world's most popular race shoes sees A number of updates that includes a Wider carbon plate to increase stability A new midsole design that features fully Connected zoomx foam for a smoother ride And a revamped atomknit upper for better Lock down as well as Breathability the alpha 53 still has all The elements Runners have come to expect From the sh shoe including its Hallmark Dual Air Zoom units in the 4 foot and Its impressive Notch laces however this Time it's lighter than the previous Version aiming to provide an even faster Ride right Nick hit me fit in the two Alpha flies fit is the same for both of Them with the uh for me Tom I've got a Uk9 in both shoes it's comfortable size Enough room around you know toe box good Hold and the heel and mid fooot got a Slightly different heel padding design I Don't tend to love the little strip of Padding that we have the alphafly 1 Which can have the potential to irritate My k a bit more than the More Hugging Design on the alply 3 but overall my Experience with the fit is the same in Both shoes I would stick with your Normal size you Tom mhm um so I've now Had three pairs of Ally ones two of the
Pairs have been absolutely perfect very Comfortable uh for a Rao I think it is Well well sized I don't think it's too Small or too tight or anything like that U but one of the pairs that I did get Did get had a major art issue on it and I couldn't get a nice comfortable fit in That one but I haven't had the same Problem with the other two pairs um so I Would stay to my size UK size8 in the Ally one Ally 3 pretty much the same I Don't had any problems with it at all I Think it's actually one of the nicest Super Shoes to put on straight away cuz Some shoes Super Shoes I do find that They take you know a couple of runs to Get comfortable in but these I think the Ales are really comfortable from the off Yeah and the AL one did have a kind of Famous Arch issue that I never really Had with it uh but it's good that you Haven't had it with the three having had It on one version of the one so I've Never been able to say it's been fixed On the alphafly 3 because I didn't have It with the alphafly one or two but it's A less noticeable Arch I'd say on that Shoe okay so the run test Nick we've Done a lot of runs I've I've used the Halfly one for marathons many many races Of those three different versions of it I've had um and then you've actually Done quite a lot of miles in the halfly 3 now I've done a fair bit I did half
Marathon in the week weekend um how's The run test been for you how would you Compare these two shoes so slightly Different one for us obviously that We're comparing a shoe that's two Generations away from the newest one we Skipped out the alply 2 that's cuz Tom Hasn't used it and it's not as beloved By Runners as the alphafly one which has Achieved you know cult-like status now It's fair to say like I remember Actually when I really liked it Originally came out a lot of people Telling me it's not as good as the VAP Fly well look at you now you all love The Ally one and you don't like any Shoes since but I think they're both Amazing shoes they my first sub 230 Marathon in the alphafly 1 I've got up To 20 mi in the alphafly 3 as training For my current block towards the London Marathon and I think they're both Amazing from now on in as we talk about All differences and our preferences I Think it's fair to say we probably both Agree these are very very good carbon Shoes you're not going to be you're not Going to do yourself an injustice by Using either of them but they are a Little bit different and I do prefer the Ride of the alphal 3 because of the way Nike is Now setting up this midsole with The continuous midsole and the way that Engages the airom pods I think you
Basically get a faster more aggressive Transition onto the pods with the newer Shoe and and as someone who is a high Cadence Runner and a hill Striker I find That it pushes me forward onto those air In pods and I get a more aggressive you Know you know ride for ride for racing So I think it turns over a bit faster And I get a slightly more explosive toll Whereas the alha one which again I did Love a lot I think is a More Bounce Based carbon shoe so say that's one I Think in general the difference between Carbon shoes that's why I'm grouping These days is the bounce based ones and The more Tippy forward aggressive ones I The Ally 3 is kind of in the middle but It's much more towards the tippy forward Feeling of things like the vapor than Previous versions of the shoe Al one is Really really bouncy Al 2 was also Absurdly bouncy but it added a bit of Weight which some Runners didn't like But the AL yeah is more of a Bounce by Shoe still very aggressive but I think Uh I prefer the more Tippy forward you Know style of the alphafly 3 which you Know I think also makes it a better shoe It's a lighter shoe for the short Distances as well compared to the Alphafly 1 which I did really like for Marathons but have raced 10K in it even Just last year we both did a 10K in it And it's good for that as well but again
I just like the way the the way Basically geometry is set up on the new Shoe I think is that little bit more Tippy forward as opposed to bouncy Tom What do you feel about bounce and tip Forward well I think you hit the nail on The head there because I love soft Bouncy shoes and I like to feel that Bounce as I'm running in it and I think That the alply first time I tried the Alphafly one you just notice it straight Away don't you it's just you can feel That massive chunk of squishy foam zoomx Foam you can feel those airpods it just Does feel like you're bouncing along and I love that and um I like it for every Distance so I've done I've raced every Distance in the AL one and I like it for All of it really there was a point where I preferred The Vapor fly to the alpha Fly for short distance but over time I've actually just using the Ally for All of those things um I uh went with The outly 3 it's a bit of a tricky one Because I think you're right I think it Is a different ride um and I think it's Largely due to that full fully connected Um out soole um and it's definitely fast It feels to me a little bit more like It's veering towards the vaporfly than The outfly want to me I get a very Similar feeling from the VAP fly and the Alpha fly 3 um and that's fine it's Definitely a FAS you um but it's not a
Noticeably boun issue which uh and when I'm out I did half marathon in it um uh On Sunday it I could just by the end of The race I just felt like I wasn't Getting any I don't know it's definitely B But help the final stages of it uh for My style of running um and I also do Think that and they're pretty similar in Terms of how rigid they are because of The the plate and everything but I do Feel that the foam in the AL 3 is a Little bit squishier and I do feel like I'm I'm I'm sort of compressing into the Ground a little bit more which I don't Like as much whereas this just the Val One feels like you really get the energy Back from when you you hit the ground it Feels a lot more compressive um And yeah I just much prefer the Ally one For uh pretty much what every run that I've done it I've done quite a lot I've Done about 8K in the outfly 3 now um and Yeah I like it but at the start of Testing it I just wasn't sure I couldn't Quite put my finger on it but I'm Definitely veing towards the f one at The moment just for um anything yeah so I think we'll talk about running style Quite a lot I think it's probably where The differences will come into this a Little bit it's almost difference Between the way ASX sets up its shoes And the star you know the Cadence and
The thing but I don't put you know I put A lot of force into shoeses cuz I'm Pretty fast runner but my running style Is quite shuffly very high Cadence style And I think actually with the Ally one I Had to lock in quite a lot and stay in a You know really focus on getting the Best out of the shoe so when I did my uh Sub3 Marathon it was a PB at the time And R dawy Lake I remember the last few Miles shoot felt bouncy but I really had To position myself almost to maximize The bounce in the right direction bit Too pogoy whereas actually with the alha 3 I find it unbelievably easy to engage The plate in this like latting races Just feels like yeah rolling straight Onto those airing PS I feel the firmness Of those more probably than on the alfl One which maybe what you're talking About there but compressing a bit more Into those air in pods and I really feel Them punch the energy along which is the Big difference between the Bly 3 and the Alphafly 3 for me is those pods on the Font you really feel them the extra Punch you get so when I did a 10K in These shoes and you know the final few K I probably G out a bit quick I was Struggling but the pace was just being Maintained I really found it easy just To keep turning over keep turning over And I think maybe I'd have struggled a Little bit more in the alow one just cuz
I' had to been running quite well and Actually quite interesting because Actually I did 10K within a couple of Months in both of these shoes they Bought loads of caveats one was the Brighton 10K with UT we did in the AL FL One where I uh it was really windy but Actually the first half of the race There was a massive tailwind and I ran a Really fast 5k then struggled through 3K In a good group though and then had a Really fast final K whereas the ALF 3 Was in baty park which obviously flat as A pancake but it was a night run by Myself a solo run basically I wasn't any In any kind of group so both had their Advantages and disadvantages and I run Like within a second of the time so That's what we're talking about here There very fine margins I think I could Run pretty much equally good times in Both these shoes although that in itself Is interesting that since the alpha fly One I don't think there there's been a Clearcut shoe that I would say would Take loads more time off your PBS Compared to it and that's in general What we talked about with carbon shoes The other day actually how it's hard to Keep improving on them when youve got Those limits but like I say I do for That more flowing feeling of the ride of The outfly 3 I think it's a bit easier For me to get the punch from the pods in
It uh with the way it's set up now and It's a little bit lighter which is never A Bad Thing mine is pretty disgusting Now sorry about that it's got quite Muddy on that 20 mile I did the other Day yeah well I think I think you're Right it probably comes down to uh I Think over 5K 10K I don't think it would Make a difference for me I think I get Exactly the same sorts of times in these Both issues I think marathan I would Notice a difference I think I'd be Looking at minutes in a marathon just Because of those final um miles where um I just need that I just want that Balance I just want the feeling of of The Ally one um but yeah also I'm Probably hitting almost directly on them Pods every time I'm running so that's That's why I'm getting that that that Tip off um that bit of Bounce probably That you're not getting in the same way Um but yeah I mean I like them both but You know well better do the verdict then Yeah we should probably get to the Verdict okay uh this is going to be an Interesting one actually I think because It's pretty obvious what we're going to Go for but um probably doesn't make it Necessarily easier for people to pick Which Sho to get apart from the price Well yeah there the price and maybe if You already have one so I do prefer the AL three if you have the outfly one at
Home in a fresh box and you you know You've got it there don't I don't don't Say go I wouldn't say go and rush out And buy the three you've still got a Great shoe especially if you already Like it and you love it it feel like it Works for you there's no need to go and Rush out and buy the new shoe I think It's almost kind of dividing there People who love the latest version and There's people who are very loyal to Previous shoes and will you know i' I Know Runners for example who will tell Me 100% the VAP fly 4% is the best sh Sho the one you know the original one The lower stack and the Nimble one and You know that hadn't improved proved on It since and that's because they've run Loads of great times in that shoe and it Really works for them and there was a Lot of loyalty with shoes like that so I Think the alow one you've got it at home Stick with it until you run it into the Ground hard to find new versions of it These days although we did manage to Find it the other day didn't we Tom for A discount um really shoe I think the Alpha 3 works better for me I think the Way the Sho is set up now I think makes It a more versatile all distance racer I Think it also just will help lots of Runners in the final FKS and Tom says it Doesn't work from the final FKS I think It will help lots of runners in the
Final FKS who slight to drop off they You know they start shuffling a bit more Like I do you get a more kind of easy Engagement of the plate in the new shoe And I think you get a bit more pop from The pods all find margins but I prefer The AL 3 but you know if you seen the AL One for 100 quid which is what I bought It for you know before Berlin a couple Years ago it's never going to be a bad Deal how about you Time I'm definitely going to go for the AL one um I mean for the I think I got These about 110 or something like that Um which is absolutely you know Incredible for for this shoe to get it For that for for that price um I think I Think it largely comes down to obviously The style of the runner you are I I Think for me if you watching this video And you're the sort of Runner that Really likes a noticeable bouncy feeling From the shoes I'd go Al fly one and I Know there's loads of you out there Because you sometimes comment on how you Like bounce um but I think that's that's Really the big difference in these two Shoes I'm not I don't think necessarily It's a performance difference I think It's a feel difference that it's Designed for like your style of room and How what you want to get out of a shoe Um but I mean the price is the ultimate Thing here is isn't it um if even if the
Ally 3 was very very marginally better For me than the AL one for the price I Don't think it's worth the extra cost That you're putting into it it's it's Not like shoes five years ago where um The difference between Generations was Enormous now it's a it's a difference in Feel more than anything I don't think It's a massive performance difference For most people um so I definitely get The fly one I'm definitely going to Raceing the AL fly one more more than I'm going to use the the Ally 3 still so I really need to buy some more of these Actually if I can get get keep hunting For them to be honest I think I'm going To like the AL 2 when I finally get a Hold of them well it is it's interesting One because I think they really maxed Out the bounce there but it is a fair Bit heavier and it is you know kind of a Bit wider and more grounded and it it's That really for this is debate I'm also Also having a couple of shoes at the Moment like the H yell like they're Heavier but they just seem to work so Well and like when I ran the marathon in The AL 2 I ran a 229 there and you know It's not my PB but that might be the Best Marathon I've ever run just because I did Berlin had a couple of months off Light training CU I had I fractured a Rib and I got covid and I came back into It with no expectations and just ran
I've never felt like so strong as I did In that shoe just because it is so Bouncy but I don't know I think if you Love The Al one that I think I think You' got enough bounce in the AL one I Don't think you need to and then you you Know you save a little bit of weight It's a bit more Nimble all around and It's it's really interesting what They've done with the line and I do Think like the VAP move close to the Alphafly and the Ally move close to the Vaporfly and maybe they should push back The differentiation with the next Generations just so people have a bit More of a difference and a bit more of a Choice um you know the way ax sets up Its shoes with the different drops and Everything like that but ultimately it's A I think with all carbon shoes these Days apart from a couple that are a bit Worse they're all really really good and Might maybe just go for the one that's Got the nicest color cuz that I mean This blue is outrageously nice on the AL One I will say that it's better than This color yeah the orange one you have Is nice though um every time I go to the Start line of part run now there's about 15 people with these on cuz it was the Only colorway in is the one that's left Across all sales it's that purple color Way the new yellow one of these is Coming out soon and that looks uh pretty
Nice I have to say anyway yeah great Shoes enjoy Them yep and sorry we couldn't be more Useful in well I think we' we've nailed Down differences I think it's important To say like because a lot of people go Like oh no the AL one is for really fast People and that kind of thing I I don't Think it is a speed thing so much I Think you know I've I'm slightly faster than you but People who I know who are faster than me Prefer different shoes to me and prefer Different shoes to you and it's I think It is a bit more about gate and you know The kind of way you put Force into a Shoe sometimes as opposed to just your Speed that's it from us on this versus Thanks a lot for watching don't forget To like subscribe click little bell all Those things that put a smile on our Faces and if you go into the catch blow You can find a link to the podcast which Comes out at the end of each month but We're also doing extra ones at the Moment because we're trying to get Around to answer of your questions so if You've sent us a question in we may Answer it on our points of shoe podcast Right catch you next Time