8 best Nike running shoes, according to a coach

Nike’s vomero 18 is one of the best shoes I’ve ever run in. They are soft and smooth, and from my first few strides, I noticed the rocker bottom offers a really nice toe-off every time I push away from the ground. The mix of ZoomX and ReactX foam gives it a ride that’s cushy but not mushy (or unstable).

Despite a sky-high 46mm stack of foam, I found this shoe actually encourages more of a midfoot strike, unlike most uber-cushioned sneakers (like the popular Hoka bondi 9s), which tempt you to land on your heel.

The balanced arch support offered just enough structure without feeling stiff. Given all this, I’m not surprised that the vomero 18 snagged the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) seal of acceptance for promoting good foot health. My only quibble is that I find the fit a bit small; I’d suggest buying half a size up.

When a shoe is in its forty-first iteration, you know it’s getting something right. The Nike pegasus 41 is a solid daily trainer that lots of runners swear by, thanks to balanced construction.

The foam is responsive enough to pick up the pace, but not so aggressive that I feel like I’m cheating with a shoe that’s doing the push-off for me. And unlike max-cushioned models like the vomero plus, there’s not so much foam that I feel disconnected from the ground. Still, they are comfortable enough to last for miles.

Stability shoes are often stiff, clunky, and heavy. But Nike’s structure 26 gently corrects any overpronation (where your arches roll inward when you land) without weighing you down. With just a bit more heft than a neutral daily trainer like the pegasus, it’s got bonus support in the midfoot without being overly aggressive about it.

And the cushioning is still plenty soft, with a full serving of Nike’s responsive ReactX foam throughout the length of the sole. Just know that with a thick upper, this shoe runs a bit tight (especially if you’re racking up double-digit miles and your feet swell), so you might want to size up.

With these sneakers, it seems like Nike basically said, “The vomero, but make it (more) cushioned.” With 45mm of foam under the heel, the ride in these chunksters is definitely softer than in the vomero 18. The model is also lighter, thanks to swapping ReactX for ZoomX foam. Personally, I love that, in addition to all that midsole cushioning, there’s plenty of padding around the heel and in the tongue. That makes these kicks feel uber-plush to slip my feet into.

Unlike some pillowy running shoes, however, the vomero plus is versatile enough to support more than just long, slow miles. Although I find they don’t feel quite as springy as the vomero 18s, they do allow me to comfortably boost my speed on harder workouts like tempo runs without feeling like my feet are sinking into a pile of mush.

Look around at any marathon, and you’re likely to see tons of runners sporting Nike’s alphafly sneakers. Nike’s known for revolutionizing what we now think of as race-day shoes by introducing carbon plate technology, and the ultra-light, ultra-bouncy alphafly 3s are one of the best you can buy to boost your pace.

I find that when racing in them, my legs can keep up a speedy tempo for longer before feeling worn out, and I’m not quite as sore the next day. Of course, carbon-plated shoes are generally known for having this effect, but I find it’s even more noticeable in alphafly 3s than in other race-day shoes from brands like New Balance or Adidas. They do squeak a bit and slap the pavement loudly when I land, but some extra noisiness is a sacrifice I’m willing to make for a PR.

With a good stack of cushioning, the alphaflys are best for long distances (half or full marathons). If you’re racing a 5K or 10K, I’d recommend you go with the more streamlined vaporfly 4.

Although it fits just like the standard pegasus, Nike’s pegasus premium feels almost as bouncy as a carbon-plated race-day shoe. That’s due to a triple-decker stack of ReactX foam, ZoomX foam, and a full-length Air Zoom unit.

Although the 45mm of cushioning is plenty squishy for easy miles, when I want to pick up the pace, it’s ready to throw down with an impressive amount of pep. Plus, the super breathable mesh upper keeps my feet relatively cool no matter how hard my workout gets.

The pegasus premium feels heavier on my feet than a real race shoe, like the alphafly 3. But for uptempo training miles when I don’t want the instability of a plate, these kicks let me unleash plenty of speed.

Although Nike classifies the zegama 2s as “max cushioned,” I find these trail shoes have a Goldilocks amount of foam underfoot: just enough to keep my feet feeling protected and comfy for hours, but not so much that I can’t sense the ground below me. Meanwhile, they get major bonus points for not being overly stiff — if I need to run on the road for a bit to get to the trailhead, I don’t feel like I’m fighting against clunky combat boots.

While the outsole (made with Vibram megagrip, which is a rubber compound) sticks to slippery surfaces like wet rocks fairly well, it doesn’t give quite as much traction as grippier trail shoes like Saucony’s peregrine 15. That said, I did find them comfier to wear for long miles. Plus, I absolutely loved the built-in ankle gaiter around the heel, which kept out dirt pretty effectively, without cutting off circulation.

For beginners looking to tackle just a few low-key miles, Nike’s budget-friendly winflo 11 is a solid choice. Sure, it doesn’t have all the latest tech that you’ll see in more expensive Nike shoes. But I find the base of the comfy cushion cradles my foot while the relatively roomy toebox gives my tootsies space to spread out without feeling squished.

Plus, the waffle sole offers great traction on both paved roads and packed dirt. At just $110, it’s a great value. I just wouldn’t recommend these for going long — when I wore them for a couple hours, the bottoms of my feet got tired and achy in a way they never do in my Pegs or Vomeros.