Nike Alphafly 4 Marathon Review
I just ran the Amsterdam Marathon in the Nike Alphafly 4 and finished in 3:24:30, a new PB, in some of the worst conditions I've ever raced in. Here's my honest take on how the shoe performed for every one of those 26.2 miles. For full transparency, this isn't sponsored. I bought the shoes myself and paid the full £255.
Specs
The Alphafly 4 goes on sale in the UK on 29 October at £255, down from £285 for the previous version. The stack is 39mm at the heel and 31mm at the forefoot, for an 8mm drop.
The forefoot Air Zoom units are 30% lighter than before, and the shoe as a whole is 5% lighter. The base is wider for stability, and the full-length carbon Flyplate has been redesigned.
There's a new dual-foam setup. ZoomX LT, the same foam used in the new Apex, sits on top, and Nike claims it gives 10% better energy return. The bottom layer is the standard ZoomX from the previous model. The AtomKnit upper has been updated too.
My UK 9.5 weighs 213g and fits true to size. Up close you'll find sawtooth laces, the sculpted Flyplate, and a little rubber coverage in a couple of extra spots. The shoe is wider and quieter than before, though it still squeaks.
Where it sits in Nike's range
The Alphafly is no longer Nike's top marathon racer. That title now belongs to the Apex, the hyper shoe with a whole cluster of Air pods up front and full-length ZoomX LT. It's Nike's answer to the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, and it's the shoe Kipchoge wore in Melbourne.
The Alphafly now sits one rung below, which is why the price has dropped to make room for the Apex. We're seeing this trend across lots of brands right now. A few years ago the Alphafly was the premium shoe, but Nike has made this version more user-friendly, starting with the wider fit.
How it performed in Amsterdam
The conditions were brutal, which made it a perfect test. We had wind, rain and huge puddles. The course took in tram lines, block paving and stretches of canal-side tarmac, a long way from the smooth roads of somewhere like Berlin.
The outsole was phenomenal, with outstanding grip throughout. Just as impressive was the stability: even on the tight turns, I never felt unsteady. The upper coped brilliantly with soaking wet feet. Lockdown has improved too, and after struggling with lacing on previous Alphaflys, I got it spot on this time. The heel structure was perfect.
I went out at around 7:15 per mile, aiming to see how long I could hold 3:15 pace, my Boston qualifying time. For the first 20 miles I was on it, and the shoe was phenomenal. It gave me that lovely loping sensation and a confident bounce off the Air pods, which I hit every stride because I land on my forefoot. My splits on Strava show how consistent the rhythm was, even in those conditions.
When my form faded late on and I was shuffling, the heel stayed stable and I still got bounce from the ZoomX. I had no blisters and no arch problems. After everything I put it through, the shoe is still in great shape, with no wear on the exposed foam, just some compression.
The niggles
Around mile 13, I felt some discomfort on the side of one foot and wondered whether trouble was coming. It faded soon after and left no rubbing or blisters, so it may just have been the cold. That's honestly the only complaint I can make.
The shoe does still squeak, which is annoying. Still, it's far quieter than version 3. In Amsterdam I ran alongside someone in the old model, and the noise drove me nuts. As an autistic runner, I'm very sound-sensitive, so that matters to me. You can barely hear the new one while running, which is a massive improvement.
Verdict
I can't give the Alphafly 4 a more glowing review. I spent £255 of my own money on it, and if it were rubbish I'd tell you so. I just can't find a real fault. It won't suit everyone, and that's fine. Oddly, it suits me, even though I couldn't get on with version 3 because of its high arch. This one fits me perfectly. I wasn't hanging about in Amsterdam, and the shoe performed brilliantly from start to finish. For the first 16 miles or so I locked into a rhythm, enjoying that loping stride and bounce. It's a funny thing to say about a shoe, but I genuinely enjoyed racing in it, and it carried me to my fastest marathon yet.
