The Nike Alphafly 3 will officially launch in January 2024, but it’s already been used by Kelvin Kiptum to set the marathon world record in Chicago. Nick’s review sample landed late last night and he went out today to put it to the test with a 10K at marathon pace.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:13 – Design & Key Stats
03:26 – First Run
06:11 – Early Impressions
08:29 – How’s The Fit
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Hello and welcome to the Run testers my Name is Nick and this is our first run Review of the Nike alphafly [Music] 3 so the Nike alphafly 3 obviously a Very exciting new racing shoe from Nike It was officially announced yesterday as Launching on January the 4th next year But it's been around in The Ether Already this year obviously used by Elites like Kelvin kton when he set the Marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon and review samples have gone Out to from Nike to the likes of myself So we can review it ahead of that date It's going to cost £285 or $285 when it Launches which is a price rise on the Alphafly 2 it's not an absolutely Massive one I did fear this would go Over $300 £300 so at least those fears Haven't been realized but but it is Another price rise for the shoe it's the Lightest Alpha flight ever it weighs in At 220 G in my UK size 9 or us10 the Original alphafly 1 was high 220s in my Size and the Ally 2 was pushing towards 250 g so it's a substantial decrease in Weight for sure You' still got an 8mm Drop same as on the Ally 2 and the stack Heite is listed as basically just under 40 mm in a us10 so it hits the Regulations set by World Athletics so Most interesting changes to the shoe are Generally around the midsole which is
Now one continuous piece of foam there You haven't got that huge cutout that Almost broke up the midsole in the first Two versions of the shoe Nike says the Continuous design creates a smoother Heel totoe transition no matter what Your foot strike is so it will suit Runners of all levels they've also sculp To the mid a bit to remove some of the Phone obviously there's big cutouts in The bottom there all of that is to help Reduce weight which is why it's been Able to drop so much weight for the Third generation they've redone the mid On the pods so there's more engagement Of the pods on the ROM which obviously Are the key feature that separates the Alphafly from the vaporfly 3 there those Air Zoom pods that you have under the 4 Foot instead of just using zoomx foam And Nik has always said that those pods Just deliver a little bit more energy Return than having the foam alone got The full length carbon fly plate in the Shoe as always which and it's now been Widened a little bit on the medial side To try and help with stability you've Got an atom knit 3.0 upper which OB very Breathable you can see there it's a nice Open weave you have this booty style fit A fair bit of padding around your kiles Obviously it goes quite high on the back Of the shoe there to try and create a Nice tight fit with this one piece upper
The stays for the laces are now Integrated into the upper to try and Create a little bit less pressure in That area when you're lacing the shoe up Nice and tight for racing and Nike also Say there's a new last here which should Reduce the pressure on the arch uh when You're running this has been a notable Complaint with the alphafly with Previous versions a little bit of in ing Around the arch got a fast shot rubber Outsole which has pretty minimal Coverage you can see there are those two Little sections of foam at the heel There to create some extra durability There then obviously quite a lot of foam On the foref foot including these big Round sections that show where the Air Zoom pods are Nike is quite bullish About durability though says in its Testing it's been over 200 miles for all Of its testers it should be a fairly Durable shoe for a racing shoe like this That might be a little bit of a nod Obviously towards the adios Pro Evo one Which came out with the idea that it's Only going to be at its best for one Marathon that kind of thing as I Mentioned before there's all these Cutouts here to reduce weight but you Haven't got that gaping you know middle Of the midso cutout there which almost Creates a decoupled midso with the Alphafly 2 so I've been a very big fan
Of the Ally with the first two Generations I used the Ally 1 to run my First sub 230 Marathon I ran also run a 229 marathon in the Ally 2 and I Recently brought the Ally one out of Retirement to do some races in it as Well to remind myself of the feel of it Very excited to get out in the three Hopefully it's the best version yet so Let's put it to the [Music] Test so hello and welcome to a wintry London it's very very cold I'm about to Head out and do my first run in the Alply 3 uh it was meant to be a rest day Today but obviously you get a shoe like B you've got to go and run So the plan Is to do a nice long warmup get moving And then run a steady 10K kind of to Feel so I'd hope to get pushing towards My marathon pace around 330 340 a uh Similar actually what I did actually one The first couple of runs I did in the Ally 2 which is just run down to nice Flat area go on feel and just start Going through the gears and see what Kind of pace comes out so yeah very Excited to get going in the shoe Need to stop talking now put my gloves On cuz I'm already starting to [Music] Shiver so I just finished out the 10K uh Ran like 35 30 yards something like that On a nice pissy Road near me which I'm
Still by that felt you know really Really good one day Nike will make a bad Carb plate running shoot but today is Not that day that felt pretty Extraordinary like you got all that Bounce all that flight with it and know The first uh well the first block of it Some bits it were with the wind and you Got that flow bounding feeling when You're running with the wind in the shoe And then turn around into the wind and It's notably lighter the pickup's better Compared to previous versions and you Get a lot more of a Tiffy forward Feeling I think than previous version Which you're very much about that Booming bounce it's a little bit like Nike split the difference between the Ally and the VAP fly to give you that Real feeling of being tipped forward and Then the difference here with the AL is That get a very nocable feeling as you Push onto the airpods which are a bit Firmer noticeable you hit the foot a bit Better and then you get bounded on your Way so yeah yeah it's just one run and All these shoes feel great like I ran a Great 10K in the AL one recently and a Proper race and it felt really good but This certainly feels like n has made Good changes like you're not going to Suddenly get an out of the world Performance like running in the AL 2 a Lot heavier than this when you're with
The wind fell the performance are just As good it's actually really the Difference was more into the wind the Second half of the run where you get That extra turnover the lightness of the Shoe and the slightly more Tippy forward Feeling from that mid sole so I'm a hill Striker especially on my left foot and Yeah you just feel like a little bit More of smooth flow through there so Yeah it's a really great first ride out There I absolutely loved it like just Even just starting down the road from my Warm up just big smile on my face you Know it's really cold it's not a nice Day to go out and doing a hard run and But hit the flat there and it just Opened up and it just felt so so good so Yeah big tick first R in the AL 3 one more quick note before I get home AIT over think about it uh it's still Loud you might even hear it now it's Squeaking a bit squeaking still makes That big loud Landing noise you get from The AL I'll try and uh put it in the Video Now maybe you heard it maybe you didn't I don't know if I've worked out how to Do that uh anyway yeah loud Sho still Squeak squeak that doesn't bother me I Know a lot of people do get very annoyed By it [Music] Though so very early thoughts to kind of
Summarize how that went today I think Nike has made changes that are going to Be crowd pleasing changes to the Alphafly 3 it's like they have Identified some things that people did Complain about with the shoe have gone Out and remed them especially the big Drop in weight being probably the Biggest one of all of those like that Was a nice 10K my marathon pace felt Very cruy felt very fresh at the end Really enjoyed it just a really Enjoyable run like I say smile on my Face during the run finished it wanting Just to get it back in the shoe and do Some more running and that's obviously a Great feeling on a first run in a shoe Do think it's interesting to me it feels Like the VAP fly and the Ally are coming A bit closer together with the third Generation of the shoe with whereas with The second Generations I think they Moved quite a bit apart yet had that More aggressive feeling of the vly 2 a Lot lighter too as the Ally 2 was a big Caral pretty stable bounding super shoe And now with the VAP 3 you've got a Little bit more foam in there it is Still a lot lighter than the Ally and That helps with the quick turnover and It feels a bit more Nimble and Aggressive on short events but the Ally Is now that be fair bit lighter it's got A more of a bouncy bounding feel but you
Have now got that easier turnover in it The slightly more Tippy forward feeling There's certainly lots more similarities Between the shoes and there are Differences compared to the other shoes On the market just because the main Thing is the zoomx foam and the Fly Plate which obviously similar across Both of them and that gives you the main Feeling you get from these shoes which Is that you know exceptional bouncy Propulsive feel so yeah I think the Changes will be pleasing to people I Probably will end up being more popular Than the alphafly 2 like I really like The alphafly 2 I think it's a shoe That's easy to dismiss and criticize You're not using it but when I was Running it it just felt so good and like If I'd left it alone for a while i' go Off it a bit it is really heavy it looks A bit weird and then I'd pull it on and I'd use it and it's just so good just Delivered so well in that Marathon I Think my five M PB is in that shoe as Well but you know it is heavy and that's A big offputting thing for lots of Runners I understand that and bringing That weight down while retaining the Bouncy feeling is about as good an Update as you could hope for from the Ally 3 and from that first run that Feels pretty much what you're getting Here so I do think it'll be a lot more
Popular with Runners especially those Who came to really love the alphafly one With the three now you've got a shoot That feels a bit more like it gives you That slightly bouncy feeling the one had And the more Nimble feeling and you're Now getting it in an even lighter shoe Which I do think has that more Tippy Forward feeling because of the way the Midsole is now set up but yeah loads More testing to do obviously like this Is very much very initial thoughts here Going to race in it next week hopefully Get another race in it in December Hopefully some of the other people on The channel will get it as well so we Can do a multi test on it in due course But very strong first impression for the Alphafly [Music] 3 So a quick word on fit first say it's Easier to get the alpha 3 on than the Alpha 2 which will please some people I Think it's a really good fit in my Normal running shoe size the same size I've had across every generation of the Alply same in having in the VAP fly Other Nike shoes and good amount of room In the toe box and the hold around the Midfoot and he is really good it was Really easy just to pull it on pull all Those laces a little bit through the new Stays I was a bit worried about the new
Stays like I don't know maybe they feel More fragile than normal ones just cuz I'm not used to them but yeah tug nice And hard in the laces to get that racing Fit but no lace bite at all good secure Hold around the heel and the midfoot When running hard rounding Corners that Kind of thing and it was pretty easy to Get that fit like with you know other Racing shoes but fit a bit more of the Laces maybe heel lock them with this Pulled it on pulled them tight did them Up and off I went and the fit was great Yeah good amount of room in the toe box Fine around the heel and midfoot so no Cons all I didn't have the arch problems With the alphafly 1 and two like I Noticed a little bit of arch pressure Very occasionally and I didn't notice That today but I didn't always notice it On previous generations so can't really Comment too much on whether that's been Fixed in this generation but it did feel Fine to me on the run in terms of that But I couldn't really say for sure if There's a big difference there cuz I Didn't have those problems with the Older [Music] Shoes that's our first look at the Alphafly 3 please let us know what you Want to know about the shoe in the Comments below I'll try and get to them As quick as I can and obviously we'll
Come back with full reviews race test All that down the line but for now Please do like and subscribe ring the Little bell so you get notified when we Drop another video and yeah we'll see You next Time
