THESE SHOES WILL MAKE YOU FASTER

We run the rule over two new shoes that feature carbon plates for extra bounce

Nike Zoomx Vaporfly Next%

£260 ( TBC), nike.com

How they tested Eliud Kipchoge wore these shoes when he set a course record at the London Marathon in April. The Next% is seen as the update to the Vaporfly 4% that Nike launched to such acclaim last year. The shoe is so named because the brand claims it improves your running economy even more, by five per cent.

It’s an unusual-looking shoe, with asymmetric lacing to reduce pressure on the top of the foot and improve fit, and it has a large, extremely cushioned heel section that tapers to a point. Nike has added 15 per cent more of its premium Zoomx midsole foam, which is durable and light. This, along with the carbon plate that runs the length of the shoe, gave a ride of such bounce and energy return that at first we struggled to control it, rather like a Formula One car being driven by a learner.

With every step we could feel our feet being pushed back off the ground a bit quicker, which meant an increase in cadence on long runs from 156 steps per minute to 172. Average heart rate was consistently down, up to 10 beats per minute, depending on the type of run. Both outcomes suggest an increase in performance with less effort.

Despite the chunky look, those who prefer a lower heel drop will be pleased to hear that it’s been reduced from 11mm in the Vaporfly 4% to 8mm here, something we found added to the ability of the shoe to perform well across every type of run. The feel of the carbon plate is so pronounced that even at walking pace the feeling is akin to bouncing along on tiny pogo sticks – cornering at tight angles can be a little tricky, so we quickly got used to taking a wider curve. Despite the addition of more midsole foam, the weight has remained the same thanks to the addition of a fantastic new upper design. It’s so thin and light that you can see daylight shining through it when you hold the shoe up. Because it’s made from a blend of TPU and TPE (rubber and plastic polymers), it’s tough, and it dries and drains in no time; this means that while it offers little-to-no splash protection, any moisture will be removed quickly. Nike claims 75 per cent less moisture retention than a standard mesh upper, and while we can’t confirm this figure, we would agree it performs noticeably better in this area.

RW verdict There isn’t a part of this shoe that Nike hasn’t engineered down to the nth degree but, crucially, everything the company has done has improved the ride. It’s unheard of in our experience for a shoe to be equally adept at track work and marathons (plus everything in between), yet the Next% pulls it off with aplomb. The only thing we were unable to test was the durability over a normal lifespan of 500-ish miles, but in every other way this is a shoe that is genuinely worth the hype and – dare we say it – the price. •••••••••

Lightly curved outsole shape Carbon fibre plate in midsole Single-layer mesh upper Injected rubberised foam outsole 5mm heel-to-toe drop