Vaporfly 4% Flyknit

I have the same opinion but that’s mostly because I own to many shoes(about 70)and half of them are super shoes. Many marathon shoes like the AP 3 or 4 last very long and can be used for a lot of different workouts like long runs tempo intervals etc. My AP 3 ( which I bought discounted at 125€)have 400 km and they look as good as new. My first pair of Nike’s 4% flyknit lasted for 400 miles(640 km). The Alpha fly( I have the 1 and 3)or the Vaporfly 3 are not so durable. The last one showed signs of decay even after the first 12 miles. I think the main reason people buy super trainers instead of super shoes is price and durability. Many people can’t afford or don’t want to spend money on many different pairs of shoes and just want a do it all shoe for training and racing. That’s fine but not recommended. For someone who runs marathons it’s better to alternate between 2-3 pairs for injury prevention.

I just ran in mine this morning, and the shoe doesn’t make any sense. The upper is probably my favorite of all time, right up there with the Nike Vaporfly 4% Flyknit. Then Adidas gives it the most garbage laces of all time. But at least they’re really long! 50 mm of Lightstike Pro, 6.5 mm drop, two carbon fiber plates. Aaaand it’s heavy AF, gaining 2 ounces from the first version, and lord help your ankles if you step on uneven ground. But there is some sort of ridiculous magic in the shoe where it makes faster paces feel like nothing. I’ve taken it up to 20 miles, and I’m tempted to use it in a marathon, but that seems crazy.

Nike Infinity Run might not be the most trendy shoe in the world but they last forever. I'm about to hit 1000km in my 1st gen pair (which I bought when they were first released in 2020? 2021?) and they feel as fresh as a brand new in box pair I bought last year. The FK4 have also been doing me really well this year and are currently sitting at about 400km and still feeling great, though I don't like the upper as much as the FK1.

Yep - VF4 is basically just a lighter, faster, more aggressive ZF6.

Nope. I'm a relatively experienced runner, and just yesterday in my HM my VF4 destroyed my calves. And I've raced in them before. If you are not used to carbon plated shoes, you are just going to hurt yourself.

You run exactly the same as me. Got suckered into buying some stability shoes. Threw them out. Now riding novablasts and vaporfly on race day. Do some stability weight exercises and buy the shoes that feel comfortable.

Pick up a discounted Vaporfly 4 for tempo/CV type work. I have seen them for like 150 bucks these days and my experience is they last a decent chunk of miles. Heck pick up 2 and have 1 fresh for races. I am sure most brands also have a racer (might be last years model) that is the same boat.

Even better though is to run in a super trainer which has the same cushioning as the plated shoe but doesn't let you run quite as fast (i.e. less load). When the super foams first came out they were a revelation and really helped save the legs. But these days there are so many more options.. Personally I use them all. Things like Vaporfly are pretty cheap (they were like 160 on blackfriday) so using them for intervals isn't some crazy thing. That isn't that much more than a standard trainer. If you are using 300 racers I might understand the arguement for keeping the miles off a bit more but in the end I always sort of feel like in 12 months I am going to want the latest and greatest for a race I have trained 6 months for:)

I didn't plan on a race shoe, but scored some Vaporfly 4's for cheap. I would 100% wear them over my EVO SL's for a race. But I also wouldn't pay $250+ for another shoe over them. There are deals to be had if you are patient and are ready to act when one comes up and aren't 100% set on a specific color and may be flexible on different shoes.