Super grateful for this review before dropping $250 on it. Right now, my goal races don’t align with what this shoe would provide, but once that changes I will pick these up. Thanks fellas!
Great review, almost certainly saved me some serious cash! (goes back to watch the Tecton X2 review) The irony of Nike finally going with Vibram to appease the internet then putting it on a shoe where the use case doesn't need it is somewhat hysterical. Any news on the Terrex super shoe release date?
Thanks for watching! Some interesting decisions for sure. IMO, Nike should have released (even if in limited quantities) this shoe last year without the Vibram outsole, and then called this v2. No word yet on the Terrex supershoe. I won't sleep until we have our hands on that one though!
Yo Finn and Brett! You guys are by far the best shoe reviewers--thanks for actually beating the shoes up before discussing them! I wanted to get your opinion on racing shoes for 10-30k trail races, as I have been struggling to find a shoe that balances secure lockdown, leg saving/efficiency promoting cushion, and light weight. So far, I've been trialling the Nnormal Kjerag and the Brooks Catmount 2--for me, they both have better lockdown than other shoes (the Cat 2 being the best), but I find that they lack support/propulsion when pounding descents/flats especially at the end of long runs [I hesitate to do workouts in either of these shoes because of how harsh they can feel]. Most of my races/longruns here in San Diego are a mixture of really wide, runnable trails, and super gnarly and rocky so I really need a bit of both. I've done 2 runs in the nb sc trail this week, and underfoot it has been the best balance of forgiveness and trail stability, but the lockdown in the size that fits my foot length is a bit sloppy--thinking of trying a thicker insole, but wondering if you guys might have any suggestions. I come from cycling and snowboarding, so while I have wider feet, I prefer super tight and dialed fit with just enough room to not kill my toenails. Thanks guys!
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're just trying to deliver detailed, high quality reviews to you! So if you're looking for a shoe with solid lockdown, some cushion, but also lightweight, some shoes that might be worth looking into could be the Saucony Endorphin Edge or the Salomon S/lab genesis. The Edge is going to be a pretty direct competitor to that NB sc trail, but seems to be a bit rounder in the forefoot, and the foam on the Saucony is definitely a bit of a different feel. The Genesis, while normally not thought of as a sub ultra shoe, still has some of the best lockdown and cushion to weight ratio (while still providing a lot of protection) on the market. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Thank you! never considered the edge as it sounds like many have had trouble with it in techy/rocky terrain, but maybe its worth a try. Also thinking endorphin rift could be good as well. Would you size down in the Edge? My left is 1.5 size smaller than my right which is a 10.5--so I usually get a 10 in most shoes so I can get some lockdown on my left--thinking of trying 9.5 in the edge. @@ConversationalPace
Thank you for providing a real review and discussing the shoe's strengths and weaknesses, as well as its price's impact on its overall application. Greatly appreciated!
Yes, very much appreciate the honest review. If I had spare cash, I’d prob buy for those 10-20 key runs in a year- race or otherwise….but I kinda am “joe the plumber”, so need more Swiss Army knife approach. With that being said I haven’t found one shoe that does everything very well. It’s hard not to have at least three pairs in the closet to deal with all that CO has to explore in the front range area. Plus I like just testing gear….it’s a fun, dare I say hobby of mine.
I do believe that training in at least one other shoe model is good for the overall health of the feet and ankles. So even if you found one pair that did everything very well, I'd still encourage wearing some other pairs just because they're different.
So I took your advice. I just ran the Georgia jewel 100. 15k elevation. Very technical. Tons of rocks and roots. It’s a lollipop course. I wore the speedgoats to get to the lollipops and switched into the ultra fly for the more rolling runable stuff, what I noticed was I couldn’t feel the roots and rocks under my feet anymore when everyone else was complaining how the rocks were destroying their feet, so I kept them on for the final 64 miles. Saved my feet, slight pain in my ankles from the drop gain elevation but the plate saved me, it also poured, no slippage
Sounded like keeping the Ultrafly on was the right call! Glad that worked out. Also jealous that your ankles are strong enough to handle the stiffer plate on more technical terrain. I need to start doing some resistance band exercises or something. Great to hear about the grip as well!
For the middle hot take, yes, I’d be more inclined to consider it at $200 with in-house rubber. But also since Nike set the “super shoe” price at $250, I think they almost needed to hit that price regardless to get people to buy into the superness of this shoe. What I want, regardless of he quality of the current rubber, is Vibram on the Kiger. Which is where I think it makes more sense anyway.
I agree, it would have been weird if this shoe was anything other than $250, unfortunately. Perhaps a 'take down' model that's $200 or less can exist because of this one. Would also love to see Nike lean even more into the aggressive outsole of the Kiger
Catching this a year later...and now it's on sale for $182. So, is it worth it at that price point? I ran in the Mafate Speed 4s at Gorge 50k and kind of assumed they were going to be my ultra shoe moving forward, but this super shoe discussion has peaked my interest. I grabbed a pair of the Wildhorse 8s for the do it all trail runs (love 'em) and just picked up a pair of the Pegasus Trail 5s to go from the door to trail, and they've been really snappy on both terrains. After the Mafate''s got a shoutout here, I think I'm just going to have to push off this decision and keep chugging along in those. Love the show!
Thanks for watching! Honestly, I like the mafate for just about everything over this Ultrafly, maybe short of a pancake flat trail race. But in that scenario, I'd probably just wear a road shoe.
..... one more thing, really enjoy your guys' over views of these different shoes!!!! Can you guys flex the shoes on camera in the fore foot zone, also maybe give them a twist test? Awesome reviews!!!
Lol the katana analogy is spot on. If the ultrafly performs well in terms of sales, that would be the reason. Even if it works well on a small range of terrains, the concept of using a katana on non ideal occasions is definitely badass. It’s like jedis using light sabers instead of blasters.
Did my first run today in these - 24 miles, 2650ft on country roads and non-tech trails. Great for purpose. Only thing that maybe bothered me was the 8.5 mm drop on the downhills; caused me to come down on the full sole, which isn’t great for force distribution. Still, these are keepers. Much better than Tecton X2 IMO.
Big first run! They'll only get better as they work in a bit more. I like mine more now that they have almost 200 miles in them than when they were new
Yeah, agreed on all points of your critique. I'd rather have lower drop, composite plate, and a 2 oz diet. Otherwise... I'm out for v2. Great review, appreciate the candor.
Hearing great things about the New Balance supercomp trail! More flexible plate, lighter, better outsole design and more usable in technical terrain. Might be worth a comparison.
Those just arrived to the studio the other day! Haven't run in them yet, but I agree with all the comparisons. Definitely more flexible. Does seem to run a tad short though, just FYI! Will definitely be doing a full review video with comparisons
Ordered a pair of the NB SC Trail. I really like the Saucony Endorphin Edge (with switching insole for the Inov8 Boomerang one) and used them for 2nd half (from Emosson dam) of Marathon du Mont Blanc 90km (1st part was Inov8 TrailFly 270) and thought they were perfect for that (except the initial descent from Emosson, too tech or maybe it was just because i was coming straight from the Inov8, which i think are amazing for fast, techy descending). However, Edge durability is really bad, ripped lugs off both shoes running them over 40 miles of NE techy/rocky trails (patched and rebuilt with Shoegoo for 90km and no more major damage). I was planning on the Edge for UTMB but perhaps the NB ones will supplant them (and likely switching out insole for Boomerang) going by initial reviews. Was hoping these Nike ones would work but I don't get that feeling from everything I've read and seen. I saw in the Tecton vid you slightly favored those over the Edge but didn't get the feeling there was much in it (and the reasons for that I'm fine/happy with the experience I've had in the Edge (+Boomerang)i.e. only very techy underfoot stuff (steep loose fist size + rocks, sharp/uneven surface rock hopping stuff, etc) would i not wear the Edge). The NB sound like you can do the techy stuff too.
Rewatching all the reviews to try to make a decision on a Leadville shoe. Would a middle packer benefit from a shoe like this or just going for a non plated thicc boy? Originally Considering something like these or Tecton x2s for the first 100k. The thicc chonkers I’m considering are the Zegama 2s (loved the og), Alta Mesa 500s, Caldera 7s, or a lighter max cushion shoe like the Ultra Glide 2.
That answer is going to vary so much depending on what is most comfortable for you. On paper, this Ultrafly would be awesome for a course like Leadville, since there is so much running. Hiking Hope pass in this wouldn't be great though due to the stiffness. I think it's a bit of a wash with the propulsion and rebound of the Ultrafly vs the comfort of something like the Zegama or Altamesa 500.
More likely to buy for $200 with Nike outsole More likely to buy the Kiger 9 for $104 - Its current price on Nike I'm also not $250 trail shoe fast Great review 👊 Thank you
Thanks for watching! I think for a select few this Ultrafly might be $250 trail shoe fast, but not for most. That new Kiger is mega fun for different reasons than the Ultrafly, but for the type of trail running I do, I would actually put the Kiger on for more days
Just grabbed mine. I’ve watched the reviews. The criticisms. Always been a Salomon fan boy for trails. Adidas for roads even but this one just really caught my eye. For travels, just a do-all versatility perhaps? Durability? Wrapped super foam, Vibram sole. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
It definitely does fit into that category of shoe that can do most things pretty well! Plus why not have some super foam with you when traveling? 😅 Thanks for watching!
Such a useful conversation! Would have impulse-bought it but am persuaded, thanks to you two, that I likely won’t do it Justice at age 59. Thanks for the reality check. I do reserve the right to second-guess myself if they go on steep discount.
For Javelina last year I wore the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, and I thought it was perfect. Still super foam, but not as rigid as a vaporfly. I didn't go vaporfly because the plate is directly under the outsole, and it didn't absorb rock hits well. I think a lot of shoes in that 'super trainer' category would work really well for Javelina
Love it, thanks for the video on them! I'd love to see you guys check out and give North Face some love, with their summit series! They have two carbon plated contenders that may rival some of the best! Cheers gents!
TNF Vectiv Summit Pro should be the benchmark for this shoe! I've been really surprised at how good the Summit Pro is, the midsole and rocker geometry is amazing plus only 6mm offset...way better than 8.5mm.
We still gotta get our hands on that Vectiv Summit Pro! You must be in the group that doesn't get bugged by the carbon wings on the sides of the shoe. From what I heard, that has been one of the biggest deal breakers in that shoe.
@@ConversationalPace Initially the carbon wings bothered me but as I put more miles in them they broke in I and dialed in the fit they so no longer bother me. I don't have a ton of miles in them (120mi) but I've done multiple 20mi runs without issues from the carbon wings. My biggest complaint is the upper material is very porous and between that and the foam on the ankle collar ending early around the ankle I get significant debris in my shoes on loose terrain. They run amazing thought!
@@ConversationalPace this is a guess on my part, but with like 5 years of shoe selling experience. I think the wings on the summit pro only bug people whose feet are too wide for the shoe anyway. and they do help with stability, I definitely had a few moments on yesterday's 100km where I could feel the wings stabilising the shoe (in a good way). overall I'd say the summit pro is a lot less poppy/springy than it's predecessor (flight vectiv) but settles into a very nice cruising pace as well, and it's cushioning lasts longer. with the flight vectiv I usually found myself wanting to switch shoes after 50K or max 50 miles, the summit pro felt good for the whole 100k yesterday. and the carbon wings for sure make it more stable than the plate that's in the flight vectiv.
Great to know! It sure seems like the new midsole foam was a massive upgrade. The next generation of that shoe has the potential to be one of the best! Hopefully TNF doesn't screw it up 🤞
Hey guys! Great video, for trail workouts that include speed I have been using the Kiegers. Would this shoe be a upgrade for those specific training sessions or not really?
I think that's going to come down to the type of trail workout. For me, if it's a harder workout on more technical trail or if there's any chance of turning my ankle, I'll wear the Kiger. If it's more buffed out, the Ultrafly would make that workout quite a bit more fun!
Thanks for the review guys, love the long form detail. What's your opinion on carbon plates in everyday trainers? Something I know that's been debated in the road community, but seems less talked about in trail. My concern would be that I don't get as much foot strength and proprioception training with the reduced ground feel and stiffness. I suppose the counter to that argument would be that if I race in the shoe I train in, that loss shouldn't matter.
From what I've gathered (and it definitely varies from runner to runner), it's not recommended to run with a stiff carbon shoe every single day, because of how precisely it sets your foot. It immobilizes the big toe joint and while that equates to more power through the foot, achilles, and calf, it has also lead to tendon overuse injuries. Even when I trained for my last road marathon, I was probably still 60-70% of my volume in non-plated shoes, and then the rest in carbon. All my workouts and hard long runs were in my race shoes
@@ConversationalPace thanks for the response! Workouts and Long Runs seems like a straightforward way to track my gear use to make sure I’m getting a good mix of race specificity and general training.
Thank god it is not great on any other terrain haha. I will keep using Tempo Next % on the gravel and dirt roads which leads me to your question about the rubber: Definetely more likely to buy it at 200$ with no name rubber but still not likely because there are just too many good road shoes that fill that niche and I dont think it will be over a 100$ better than Speed 3, Puma Deviate Nitro 2, and Deviate elite 2, Tempo Next %, Takumi Sen 8/9 and Boston 12 could be another great one. Ruth Croft ran the last half of Western in the Adios Pros and it seemed to work fine. All of these shoes go for a 100$ to 150$ less on deals. Thanks for the great review as always - love it! Oh and have you heard about Vibram on the Zegama 2? Blink twice if its true :D
Thanks for watching! I agree, there's a ton of overlap with some pretty speedy road shoes and this Ultrafly. The Ultrafly has a little wider base than most of those road shoes, but even that is a stretch to make it worthwhile over the others. I cannot confirm nor deny anything about the Zegama 2...
Watching this makes me think I should just go all in on the GS Tam. I think the GS Tam is worth the additional money, especially if this Nike is indicative of where "super shoes" are headed.
I'm under the impression carbon plates in trail shoes are just fancy rock plates. I'll probably just be sticking to the plastic plates for the time being.
That's for the most part where I'm at as well. I understand the market value there surrounding the carbon buzzword, but I think a slightly more flexible material could still be better
15:40 I definitely would buy it at $200 without vibram outsole. The new wildhorse model proved to me that nike has cracked the code on the outsole. I definitely agree. These carbon plated shoes feel like they have very narrow application, are not designed for many mid/back pack running 100 miles and the plate material used could be an alternative to carbon such as nylon. Definitely feel gs:tam is a better offer for longer time on feet where it has same narrow range of terrain as the ultrafly, but excels at being way more comfortable. I would also remove the plate from it for anything longer than 12-14h. I would still recommend the tecton x2 as a better option for the middle distance (50 mile / 100k) race shoe if you are front of midpack / back of front pack runner 10-14h. However, anywhere I feel longer than 20+ hours, I would steer clear of carbon plated shoes and stick towards something traditional like a mafate speed 4, wildhorse 8, gs:tam without plate, etc..
^^^This dude shoes! If Nike comes out with a 180-200 dollar almost ultrafly in the next 1-2 years, it is comments like this that will deserve all the credit. haha.
I just ran UTMB CCC in this shoe. It was a bold choice, I got in in the mail a few days before, and my plan was "Hoka Mafate Speed 4, or maaaybe ultrafly if it feels magic". I took it on just one 7mi run before the race on some smooth singletrack, it felt magic, and I decided to go for it.... and it broke my quads on the steep descents, especially the second one ~25mi in, down from Grand Col Ferret. I wish I had seen this review sooner! I'm left to wonder, what should I have worn for that race? The Speedgoats, Mafates, and Tectons all felt not-quite-right.
Dang, sorry to hear about the quads! I would have also struggled with a shoe this responsive on steep descents like this. What about the Hokas don't feel quite right? Out of the shoes you mentioned, I personally would have gone with either the Mafate Speed 4 or the Tecton X 2 and weather/course conditions would have further determined the ultimate one.
@@ConversationalPace the hokas have stopped feeling fast to me. They're getting impressively light, but the bounce in the foam isn't meeting expectations anymore -- either because it's gotten worse, or because my expectations have risen. I guess all this is to say I'm on the lookout for a shoe with generous/bouncy foam but just a little less rocker, better suited to more technical/vertical trails.
I'm just not convinced that a shoe that feels super fast is the right answer for a race as long as CCC. I tend to look for comfort and something I can spend all day in, as comfortable = smooth = fast for me. I prefer the slightly more dead feeling foams for steep climbs and especially descents, because the bouncy foams feel like they're working against me for descending. With that being said, some other trail shoes that are being made out of pretty bouncy would be the New Balance Supercomp Trail, Saucony Endorphin Edge, Puma Voyage Nitro 3, Brooks Catamount 2 (sort of), and Craft Nordlite Ultra (sort of). Hope this helps!
@@ConversationalPace Thanks again -- can I ask you to throw out what shoe you would probably wear? Fwiw, on the course the most popular shoes I saw were the speedgoats, NNormal Tomirs, and Salomon SLab Ultras.
There's a good chance I would have started in the S/lab Ultra 3 v2, and would have had something higher cushion like the Mafate as a backup if my feet started to get beat up
@ConversationalPace : Is there any chance you guys will review the Norda 002 shoe in the near future? I'm in the process of choosing my next trail shoe, been using the Cascadia 16 and not too happy about them. Would love to get your input on the Norda.
Definitely hoping the Norda 002 in the future, but haven't managed to get that one into the studio quite yet. Definitely intrigued with them! I imagine they'll slot somewhere in that Nnormal Kjerag to Salomon S/lab Ultra 3 range, but am curious which shoe they will run closer to.
That’s awesome, from all the “shoe reviewers “ you guys are far the best honest and real genuine about what you really think and that you guys actually run in them for 100 miles. Thanks for that.
I'd like to see a runners' stress test on a gradually inclining treadmill - plated trail shoe and non plated shoe, the non plated shoe having a relatively flexible fore foot. Does one shoe require more energy expenditure than the other? My guess is that any type of plated shoes require more energy from the runner to get up inclines varying in length and grade percent. For trails, - flats, false flats, gentle rollers = probably ok for plated shoes. For increasingly technical terrain and lots of incline, I think plates greatly decrease a runners' efficiency. Were the top runners at Hardrock using plates?
That would be a super fascinating test! Would be interesting to see running vs hiking as well. Interestingly, at Hardrock, there wasn't a single carbon plate on either the Men's or Women's podiums!
Only the second or third review of this shoe I've tuned into, and you already have it past 100 miles...? that's what's up. I just wish more reviews would value the 200 and 400 mile marks. I would much rather see the right shoes taken to those marks than a bunch of shits taken to 50 miles. keep up your great work. Probably won't ever forgive Nike for being a general POS though, like ethically, in the ways that matter.
I like to consider myself a high mileage shoe reviewer 😂Thanks for watching! I had plans of taking some shoes to 300+ miles, but it's been super hard to pick the ones to then put back on when there always seems to be something else to get to 100+ miles. Maybe I just got to start building up to 200 mile weeks.
200 mile weeks sound like a really good solution, and I highly encourage and support you in that progression. In all seriousness, I certainly do appreciate you getting to those other shoes, and not pushing too hard for 200 mile weeks. Unless that's just what you want to do... I mean... I think it would impress the viewers.
Have you tried out the Wildhorse 8 yet? The outsole rubber on this current generation is greatly improved. Same with the newest Kiger. Vibram though, does remove all concern though
Curious if you will get your hands on the Asics Fuji Speed 2, which was silently released and is carbon plated. Similar design and fit to the Speedgoat with a plate and softer foam (FF Blast +). The game changer is that it's $160. Probably a bit narrow in the toe box and stiff for me to use for a hundo, but to me it feels more super shoe than the Tecton.
We don't have that one yet, but I have just become aware of it's existence and I am so intrigued! that FF blast + foam is fantastic. Could be a total sleeper of a shoe, just like the Trabuco Max 2 was!
That makes more sense to me to have a plate that stiff in the Vaporfly. Would have loved to see just a little bit more flex in this Ultrafly. Thanks for watching!
Agreed, the Continental rubber on Adidas trail shoes is also fantastic. Still trying to get the Norda in for review, but I have pretty high expectations for the outsole performance due to it's lug layout and rubber compound.
They do seem like pretty different shoes in terms of what they are built for. I've heard the Norda can sometimes have an extremely long break in period
I plan on wearing this for a race coming up, technical trail, 15K elevation, but a lot of runnable sections w single track, no moss or anything like that, can you expand on why the plated shoe would be a problem over the 100M distance?
I would have problems on a technical route in a stiff, carbon plated shoe, because I need the shoe to move with my foot over the technical terrain, which would mean moving with the rocks and undulations of the trail. The carbon in this Ultrafly is stiff to the point where I had a hard time getting the shoe to wrap around rocks, roots, etc. This stiffness, combined with the very responsive foam had the shoe bouncing me all over the trail, which then forced me to use a lot more effort to keep my feet/ankles/knees all going where I wanted them to be going. This definitely isn't the way it will be for everyone, as Tyler green, Drew Holmen and Rachel Drake just wore this shoe at UTMB, CCC, and OCC, so it's very much going to be a personal preference.
Thank you! I see exactly where you are coming from. I live in SE Georgia, Low country, we have poor mans altitude here so I have yet to take these on anything technical, I am thinking I start in the speedgoat and switch to the ultrafly when it flattens out for the middle section and then switch back into the speedgoats. I appreciate your video and response, it makes sense how stiff this shoe is. The extra ankle work could be an issue, I think the flat section should be fine for this shoe. Great videos and in depth reviews! Thanks for responding.
The only bit of advice I have is that if when you get to the flatter middle section and you've been running well in the Speedgoat and everything is vibing well, I'd consider just not touching anything and continuing on. Sometimes you get the shoes just right from the start, and switching can throw things off with the feel, rhythm, fit, etc. Just something to consider. Good luck in the race!
@tro9490 0 seconds ago $340 CDN is pushing it, just don’t think I see the performance/durability to justify that. And since I already bought Tecton X2(paired with Inov8 Boomerang) Norda 001 and Golden Gate Kima RT(sky race) this year, my shoe budget is blown. I am interested to know if this agreement with Vibram is for all shoes going forward? Used to be a big Kiger guy(#4) but lost interest on the grip. That NB SC Trail has my eye and probably my $ next year.
Yeah that $340 CDN is getting wildly high. Will have the SC Trail review out in the coming weeks, so hopefully will have some good comparison feedback for you then. Thanks for watching!
It seems like lately, the front of the JFK Fields have gone for a shoe swap as soon as they hit the Canal. If one didn't change out shoes, this Ultrafly would be one of the few shoes that would survive the trail and then run really well on the fast section of the course. Can't believe we didn't bring up that race! Thanks for watching!
I mean, that's not really what the shoe was designed for, but it is very comfortable, and a comfortable shoe is what matters most for travel. My personal preference for an all day walking shoe would be something a little bit less stiff.
It wouldn't be my first choice for something that long, just due to how responsive the shoe is. Unless this 225mi adventure is spread out across a longer window of time, and the pace each day is on the quicker side. With that being said, the answer (for me at least) for shoe choice on a 225mi rail trail is whatever is the most comfortable on my feet
For the price, it's got to have the Vibram name. For a bit less though, to still get the foam and the plate, I'd definitely still consider this shoe if it had Nike's in house rubber. But at this point, such a shoe is just a dream 😮💨
@@ConversationalPace Agreed, for a lower price point without vibram I would consider. How about they put this outsole on the next peg trail or kiger? That would be interesting.
I feel like they held out as long as they could, but it has always been surprising that it took so long to crack the code, because on their current Kiger and Wildhorse, their new, in house rubber is rather great! Interesting timing though
Nevím,některé recenze mi přijdou takové,vždyť ty boty nejsou nesmrtelné!Spousty lidí od nich očekávají neuveritelne!Vždycky to bude jen bota!Záleží na mnoha faktorech,na váze běžce,myslím v kg.Na terénu,počasí aj.!Navíc tyhle boty vypadaji,jak když v nich někdo prošel po poli či v prasecim chvilku!Ani ta " nejlepsi"bota není nesmrtelná!
My bold prediction is that as we see more competition in this 'trail super shoe' market, that will ultimately push the prices of these shoes down, or at least force more trickle down tech to hit the cheaper models.