Thinking of signing up for a 5K or 10K this year? You might want to upgrade your kicks: The new Nike ZoomX Streakfly is designed for exactly those kinds of events. Utilizing proven Nike innovations like ZoomX foam, the new shoe is optimized for shorter-distance races on the pavement.
“We learned there was a bit of a gap in our racing line between what we offered for the full and half marathon, and what we offered for competition on the track,” Elliott Heath, footwear product manager at Nike Running, said in a statement. “To better serve athletes who race and train on the roads for the 10K and 5K, we set out to develop a shoe that would still offer them a comfortable, lightweight, propulsive ride with more connection to the ground.”
Compared to racing models like the Alphafly, with its thick sole and Zoom Air unit, the ZoomX Streakfly has a decidedly streamlined silhouette. It features a ZoomX midsole (Nike’s lightest and most responsive foam) that runs the entire length of the shoe. While other Nike racing shoes utilize a carbon fiber plate in the midsole for a snappy feel underfoot, the Streakfly has a Pebax plate embedded in the midsole at midfoot. This provides added stiffness and response, but the shorter plate helps keep the stack height down, which gives the shoe a close-to-the-ground feel. Translation: This shoe is built to feel springy and fast on the pavement.
The upper is made from an engineered mesh that’s tailored to the different areas of the foot. Toward the front of the shoe, the mesh is designed for added structure and support around your foot, but has a more open pattern at the rear for improved breathability and lower weight. Nike also added a contoured heel pod to the upper for a comfier fit. Overall, the upper offers support where you need it without weighing down your feet.
Nike also paid attention to grip. The ZoomX Streakfly features a unique ridged pattern on the outsole, the product of extensive data collection on runners’ footstrike patterns. Based on that data, Nike fine-tuned the outsole design for optimal traction on the road.
The end result? A fast, versatile shoe for shorter distances.
“In addition to being an approved road racing shoe, we expect athletes to use it as part of their training both on the road and the track,” says Heath. “For runners perhaps not wanting to make the jump into spikes, or those running on a surface that doesn’t allow them to be in spikes during their training, the Streakfly is a perfect solution.”
At first, the shoe will be offered in “Prototype” white, but Nike promises more colors are on the way. It’s not super splashy, but it does feature some interesting details, including a “5K/10K” label—a nod to the shoe’s intended purpose—and a wear test number on the medial side of the outsole, a reference to the wear testing process that Nike uses to develop its models.
The shoe will retail for $160 and go on sale next month.
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