Much has been made of the Nike Alphafly 3 since Kelvin Kiptum broke the marathon world record in Chicago late last year.
The sneaker, which is a part of Nike’s formidable and already world record-breaking super shoe series, is the brand’s most technologically advanced silhouettes to date thanks to a proprietary combination of Air Zoom units, ZoomX foam, and a carbon fiber Flyplate.
Following months of release speculation in the wake of Eliud Kipchoge wearing the Alphafly 3 during his latest Berlin marathon victory, Nike finally confirmed a release date of January 4.
So, why is the Nike Alphafly 3 such a sought-after shoe?
During an interview with Highsnobiety late last year, Bret Schoolmeester, Nike Running’s senior product designer, described the shoe as “a real have your cake and eat it too moment” thanks to its wealth of performance-enhancing ingredients.
The Alphafly 3’s overall weight has been reduced by 15 percent compared to the Alphafly 2 and, thanks to a new outsole compound and a super light FlyKnit upper, the shoe is much more streamlined than its predecessor too.
When it comes to super shoes, there’s often concerns raised around the longevity of the products. However, unlike other silhouettes on the market (namely adidas’ $500 one-time use marathon sneaker), Nike’s Alphafly 3 is built for the long haul (250 miles and more, according to Schoolmeester.)
The Nike Alphafly 3, which will officially retail for $275, debuts in Nike’s now-iconic “Prototype” colorway, a nod to Nike’s development process of testing with athletes.
The all-white silhouette features pops of color highlighting the dual Air Zoom units in the forefoot, an athlete wear-test number (20820-4) on the lateral midsole, and “V62” on the Atomknit upper signifying the number of upper iterations.
In short, Nike’s Alphafly 3 is the best of both worlds. It looks great, feels great, and, when it comes to super shoes, it doesn’t cost the world. Truth is, Schoolmeester was right: it really is a have your cake and eat it moment. Now give me a slice.
