Nike Alphafly 3 Review - Disappointed
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
- In this video, I review the new Nike Alphafly 3 road racing shoes after having done 46 miles in them.
0:00 Introduction - scramble to buy a pair
Other ShoeTuber thoughts:
0:54@BenParkes
1:07@RunLikeHeller
1:14@TheRunTesters
1:24 @BenIsRunning
1:30 @Believeintherun
1:39@OldManRunner
1:45@supwell
1:55@FordyRuns
2:08 Commentary
2:36 Wide Platform
3:15 Weight Comparisons
4:09 Shoe Flex
4:33 How it felt in a marathon pace session
5:47 Outsole
6:25 Arch - any problems?
7:10 I got a toe blood blister in Shyu socks
8:11 Sock upper
9:17 Conclusion - expensive tempo shoe?
10:37 Putting shoe on & general fit for length & width
12:21 Shoe bag
12:45 Run footage
Subscriber count at time of upload: 5728
#alphafly3 - Спорт
Thanks Tim. Helpful, honest review. Appreciate highlighting the weight gain being marginal to AF1, which is more relevant to those of us that stuck with it after the negative reviews of the heavier AF2. Saying that, having always got on well with AF1, I’ve still got the notification set for the March drop!
Yeah in a way it is clever marketing to focus big weight drop over the AF2 when, even in my boat UK 13 size, the AF3 to AF1 "drop" is only about 12g and nearly all that goes away using the "heavier" Shyu socks I got the blood blister using!
Great interview. Do you feel the changes in the v3, the sweet spot is more target at mid foot where as you land more forefoot? I love the alphafly so much I have four pairs of the v1. I am still using one v1 with over 700km.
Can't really say there is any real difference there. The Air Pods are still where they always have been after all. If you like the AF1 I am fairly sure you will like these AF3. Which one you will like the most only you will know once tried both.
Agree with all of that, cheers for the review Tim, insightful as always.
Ah good thanks for watching. Out of interest then do you have narrow long feet like me?
@@TimGroseI do Tim yes and its usually a struggle to get a decent lockdown, tying and untying all too frequently moments after setting off on a run, not to hijack your post but this morning i did the box hill race in the Saucony endorphin edge - awful experience, Salomon next for me, apparently they cater for the narrow foot 😊
@@reigaterobot4965 ah I did wonder if I could find a decent trail fast shoe. Ultrafly was not that! The S/Lab Pulsar I tried is ultra light but maybe a bit too minimal for these days. Also pretty useless in mud for a trail shoe! Anyway I tend to avoid trail racing or even XC or off road parkruns these days so perhaps it is a niche shoe I don’t really need.
Great honest review, cheers Tim
Thanks Cole and good to watch your 2024 goals vid. Reminded me of some work related ones over the years where best just to roll them on to the next year LOL. Still your time based targets are difficult. I wonder then which shoes are you going to deploy for 2024 races? Weren't you in the Rocket X2 last year? I have them and like them but bit too low drop for my liking so yet another "super trainer" for me!
Finally, the shoetubing 🐐
Yeah been a while since have actually done a shoe review vid. Been struggling a bit with motivation with UA-cam but hopefully this was useful.
I love your approach, speaking as you find with the experience of years of running behind you through the club scene and are not obsessed with marathons 😂
Thanks! Yeah I've only ever done 6 marathons in now over 40 years as a runner. Will very likely have another go but personally I always more enjoyed going as fast as I can for somewhat less time! I feel a shoe like the Alphafly 3 needs to be able to "work" for somewhat shorter distances. Let's face the paces the elites go in these shoes I can just about manage for a bit over a minute these days in any shoe.
Was waiting for your review as I value an unbiased view from someone who pays for the shoe and was not sent the shoe . Great video as always .
Thanks! That said Ben Parkes paid for us his too, is only a size down (UK 12 to my UK 13) and yet our conclusions could not be more different. Then again I would need to return to my 2005 PB 2:33 days to bang out 18:00 5K reps with apparent ease. Can't even manage one of late in any shoe :)
As I don’t watch any reviews until I’ve made my own this is the first one I’ve seen…and won’t need to watch anymore! Cheers Tim. I think my fat foot is finding this A3 fits well… and the lower weight than the A2 is a great improvement. Now for The Running Show…if you want anything checked out holler!
Ah good job I removed a comment where I said I am often puzzled by some reviewers saying they do not watch other reviews LOL! I think I watch so much UA-cam that end watching reviews whether I intend or not. That said, I always think more important to do this sort of "peer review" when I am struggling with a shoe to see what I am "missing" as it were. As for Running Show let me know if see any shoes you think I might like to try and see if spot (or more likely hear) any influencers there who claim they are not :)
@@TimGrose It's not that I don't like watching them but the fear of groupthink gets me. I was really interested to hear what you thought of the shoe, so was delighted when the video popped up this morning. I saw Andy from The Running Channel...I like the videos he makes and I saw some people at the Fordy Runs stand who did not look like him. I saw and listened to Steve Cram who I have always admired, but avoided most of the other talks. Might listen to some talks tomorrow. There were a few things I was very interested in, mostly on the smaller stands and am in the middle of editing a video about those. The main shoe brand stands were largely disappointing. I thought Adidas might have the Evo Pro 1 is a glass case, but no. Hoka was okay, Craft shockingly bad fo a big brand. The one I was most interested in was Mizuno. The Rebellion Pro 2 has been delayed in transit, but I tried the Pro on the treadmill and really enjoyed it. I might just be able to get something out of the Pro 2...but it's 100% on the wish list.
@@OldManRunnerlooking forward to that video, Barry 🙏 ... and to your impressions of Mizunos, in due time. I found Pro 1s a fun and aggressive ride!
@@bartekzielinski1645 I was totally shocked by how much I liked them. Think it might be a month or so before I get them and am off travelling for a few weeks….
Good and honest video.. As always 👍🙂
Thanks. Did you manage to get a pair for yourself? Your extensive testing would be interesting if so.
@@TimGrose No. I didn't get them. I actually just bought a pair of version 1. Which is one of my favorite shoes. But a really good video you made👍 (although it would have been a little better if Sue had been there 😊) But I always get a little skeptical when everyone praises something. We are all different and no one can make a shoe that fits everyone. I wonder if it would be praised as much if it didn't have the fastest time in the marathon 🤔 I've started doing a lot of tests again. It's just not going so well with making the videos 😱🥵
@@JS-Treadmill-Running I had thought of getting Sue to comment on my apparent waste of money but she was busy crocheting ! And yes Kiptum is not aged 57, nor runs an hour slower than he actually does and does not have UK 13 sized feet. So should "his" shoe work for all of us? Maybe, maybe not... I have struggled of late to get some vids out. I wanted this one to be "decent" and not just here are my thoughts after my first run blah blah.
@@TimGrose People here on UA-cam have a lot of respect for your videos 👍 We know you're honest and you're not just trying to get likes🙂 But you are also lucky You have Sue who has so much personality😊😁. It helps on likes😉. At least I could use one like that on my channel. My computer voice has no personality at all😱. In this context, we also just have to remember that Nike is the brand in the world that has the most money, which means that they sponsor the best runners together with Adidas. This is the biggest reason they win so many races. You mentioned it yourself. There is not that much difference between the carbon shoes anymore. It is probably a little more individual what works for someone today. but four years ago, Nike clearly had an extra card up its sleeve, with the Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly which were significantly better than the other shoes, for the vast majority of runners. Today, most other brands have a pair of shoes that would probably also have had the fastest Marathon time if the same man had just run in them. And then just before I end this message. You are a great inspiration. 57 years and be able to run those times. huge respect from here💪👍
Appreciate the fair review. I think the WOW factor in all these carbon plated shoes is gone or we have become so used to them that are expectations are huge… I loved the VF1; did so many PR’s in them. At the end of the day it’s the runners training that matters most.
Yeah very good point. We are so used to these sort of shoes now that it is very hard to be wowed by the next one as it were.
Honest and to the point review, well done Tim! I hate my AF2, love my VF2, but REALLY love my Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro, which I believe trumps all else.
Never saw those Mizunos in my size so am "sort of" curious especially as I only really see wear in my outsoles under my toes. So a huge wedge of foam in the heel seems a waste. Do you actually find running in them is "different" ? That is kind of one issue for me in Alphaflys - that feeling I mentioned that I am having to "lift" up the shoe is certainly not natural for me and does not seem over efficient. AF2 I wore rather very sparingly and oddly recall the best session I did in them was doing 1 minute reps. Maybe it was because then I was "sort of" more approaching decent a "elite" level marathon speed? At my actual recent just sub 3 pace they just clumpy and can't the AF3 is overly different for me.
@@TimGrose I'm a midfood/forefoot striker, the slower the pace the more midfoot. I find Mizuno excellent in this regard, they have just the right amount of roll technology that makes the transition to next step almost effortless for me. They can be a bit weird at first, but given a bit of patience, they can be awesome. For the wear and tear, they look almost pristine after 500 km, apart from a bit of wear in the outsoles in the front. Also, they have the most amazing grip, especially in the wet. I just ran today with them 30 km in wet snow and it was brilliant.
AF2 causes me problems at the arch of the right foot. And they're really heavy.
@@TimGrose I hope you get to find Wave Rebellion Pro 2 in your size. I think it is a real contender. I ran a few miles in demo shoes last December and they felt bouncy and easy to run. TBF it was a short 3 mile run outdoors but still as a far slower runner they felt great. I am sure a faster runner will take more advantage of the shoe. Too bad Mizuno does not have the elites like Nike and Adidas to promote the brand. Athlete talent is often sold us as shoe performance.
@@TolunayOrkun I think I saw that a US 14 was available in the v1 in the US but we never saw it here in UK. So likes of FOD Runner not tried it either. Suspect that won't change in v2 but will of course keep an eye out. Not sure have ever had a Mizuno shoe. Certainly not in the "modern" era of shoes.
Sometimes the new show feeling + hype puts a bit of a rozetinted experience on the first miles . Lets see when they run marathons wich shoe they will pick
Exactly 👍🏻
Yeah having seen one "race" test where it wasn't too apparent how much actual racing was being done I thought would at least get some miles into them and report back. Sue in a Shorts vid did the unboxing after all :)
@@TimGrose I think she should have an occasional crocheting episode ranting about your shoes 🤣
Good video Tim. I tried AF1 and hated it so ebayed it and never bought another AF. I may be tempted by this as generally speaking reviews seem good but I certainly won't pay anywhere near 285 for it and I'd want to try it out first before even considering spending 150-200 on it which is what I'm sure it'll be available for in the sales later this year.
I finally got my sub-16 5k in Valencia last weekend and I wore VF1! There's a lot of life in that old dog for me!
On another note, where can I find a calendar for these indoor races at Lea/Lee (sic?!) Valley? I see Mark uploading a load of vids from there yesterday and I want to give a short indoor race a go. Cheers Tim!
Oh and good to see this video doing good numbers for you but I think any video with AF or VF in the title tends to for all UA-camrs!
I saw that sub 16 - great run. That must have been very pleasing. It was 2005 when I was 38 when I did my last sub 16. Seems a while ago LOL so don't get injured like I did at the time. Try data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2024/GBR/ for some upcoming Lee Valley races. BMAF champs Feb 17-18 I have entered both 800 and 1500, Ayo Falola mile 7th Feb and also probably one last indoor race - 800 on 10th March. First a 10K for me at Goodwood in the BMAF champs on 4th Feb. Don't think will try the AF3 there :)
Great analysis, Tim. In your opinion, for the Half Marathon would you choose the Endorphin Elite over the Alpha 3? I am still amazed by the performance of the Elite in my last 10 km race.
Well, as it stands, I won't choose the Alphafly 3 for any race as it does not seem to suit me but you may well like it. That said if the Elite works well for you over 10K then it would be the obvious choice for you for a half marathon. Besides I kind of assume you don't yet have the Alphafly 3 so obivously you need to race in a shoe you own.
I loved the v1, hated v2 and love v3. Not sure yet if v3 is better than v1 but it’s definitely more comfortable than v1. I just haven’t raced in it yet.
One thing I would say is that I feel V3 is a great improvement over V2 but also a better shoe than the Vaporfly V3
@@RoORou thanks a lot for your words. @TimGrose is an awesome reviewer😃
Absolutely blown away by the AF V3. I ran marathons last year in both the AF V1 and V2, and the V3 is the perfect blend of V1/2 with none of the bad for me. I definitely don't feel as much pop in the forefoot as V1 or even V2, but the smooth and stable ride at pace with the huge weight reduction just makes it feel effortless to run in. HR data has been confirming this. Been doing similar workout runs on my treadmill with AF V1, V2, V3 and Tempo Next%. The HR on the V3 is 2-5BPM lower, still testing this to make sure it's not a mistake. Never felt I could get the most out of the AF V1. V2 felt great, but near the end of the marathon were starting to feel a bit clunky and heavy (post tropical storm probably didn't help).
And comfort level...WOW, I prefer the feel of the AF V3 than almost ALL my shoes....which is CRAZY.
It's too bad the AF doesn't work for you. But atleast the VaporFly work well for you....which I've never even tried.
Good that it is working for you. As you hopefully saw, a big part of the theme of this video was to try and fathom why mostly other reviewers are drolling over it but I am nowhere near so positive. When you say "huge weight reduction" what size are you and how much is "huge"? Even in my UK 13 the AF3 is only just 10g less than the AF1. Right way for sure but as I mentioned still a lot more shoe than the Vaporflys.
@@TimGrose US 9.5
AF V1 7.9oz / 225g
AF V2 8.65oz / 246g
AF V3 7.55oz / 215g
You can checkout my Strava to see some nerdy data, or I can show a few Stryd powercenter runs with integrated HR data. Tonight's 15min tempo will be another test for the AF V3 HR.
I’d recommend racing in them Tim, trust in Kipchoge! I felt the same until I raced in them (AF1)
Might not be the shoe , may just be your fitter and better runner than when you wore the previous shoe(s)
@@apollocreed3263 yeah fitness helps an awful lot :) Ultimately these days I feel runners should race in whatever they like most to run in and that choice will clearly differ between us.
My AF1 and AF2 still have a lot of miles left in them ... I'll buy an AF3 next black friday with a big discount.
AF3 has a very familiar Alphafly feeling to me so yeah if you like those 2 previous versions may as well keep going with them.
Nice review to challenge the hype Tim! Never tried the Alphafly myself but have the Vaporfly 2 which is a bit narrow for me so the width of the Alphafly might be a good thing for me
Yeah just been replying to a few comments where increasingly apparent that some runners love the AF and indeed this one and others, like me, have always struggled to find too much love for the AF. Wasn't your 10K PB in the VF2 but for longer a shoe I feel is potentially wider might be worth considering.
@@TimGrose Yes I did my PB in VF2 but I think for any longer they may be too narrow when feet start to swell a bit more for half and full marathon. It sounds like the AF is a bit softer too which sounds appealing over the VF
@@timeonfeet Yes important for the longer races to have a bit of wiggle room. Initially I had some VF a size down and could just get away with them up to 10K but I did all my 3 marathons in VF in my "TTS". Actually in my shoeoff video, I found the VF3 had a slightly softer feel than the AF3 but you feel you "bounce" more in the AF3 perhaps because of the Air Pods and the fact they are "more shoe".
Great review. I ran London in the AF 3’s and really felt they worked against me. 3:18 and my worst time for along time. Tried to swap to my Alpha 1’s (love them) at 1/2 way, but missed my support. Also really sore right hamstring and shin, but that might be coincidental (although never had an issue before). Selling them and switching to Adidas.
Ah bad luck. Seemed to be a lot on AF3 on feet in London. Presume must have worked better for some runners but don’t recall any glowing references.
Good review.
Thanks!
Excellent honest commentary. Thanks Tim. It's good to get a good analysis of what works and what could pose issues for different runners. Appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful! I seem to be "forever" searching for a perfect shoe for me so it is the sort of things am always thinking about. Vaporfly v1 came close but although got lots of pairs they obviously are now some years old.
Had to send the AF1 back because it was just too narrow for me. Didn’t try the 2. Sounds like 3 might be the sweet-spot for me. Just goes to show, good shoes aren’t for everyone. Hearing good things about the new Takumi Sen, maybe you’ll get on better with that one, Tim?
Yeah we all different. Once I got them on, the AF1 I would probably the widest of all the "super" shoes have tried. I could press my thumb down flat on both sides of my foot. AF3 certainly easier to get on which may help. Not see the Takumi Sen 10 yet offered in the UK 13.5/US 14 I would need. I enjoyed the 9 and indeed ideal for narrow feet but was struggling to see any significant changes in the 10 and the 9 was virtually identical to the 8. "Problem" I find with shoes like Takumi Sen that even for short races or interval sessions I find the Vaporflys "better". Think would take the Takumi Sen over these AF3 however :)
Nice, honest review, mate. I guess it's like marmite. You love it or hate it. Like one of the best male all round runner Kenenisa Bekele could not get on with the alphafly at all and got injured. I have a pair of the original version, as I got them in the sale. I have not worn them yet. Might wear them for Cardiff 20 Miler.
Interesting about Bekele. Very good point. There does seem to be an impression Alphaflys were made for Kipchoge. If you do wear the AF1 for a long race, make sure you do a few miles at target pace in training to see if you like and indeed if you don't have the arch issues many runners did. Was OK for me but was aware of it.
@@TimGrose they were made for Kipchoge. Think Bekele tried AF2. I will do 10 miles to a half in them before racing the 20 Miler. And see how they feel.
three things...
1). "Over engineered".. I've always felt the Alphafly is the over engineered solution to a problem. It's a fascinating technical achievement but is it really any better than the Vaporfly?
2). Socks matter and ror Nike's race shoes, the Vaporfly and Alphafly socks matter ALOT. The Nike Spark Lightweight is the one you see all the Nike elites using in their VF or AF and they significantly improve the fit of both shoes. Both in the arch (support and removal of friction) as well as for lockdown (the texture of the Nike Spark LW and the ribbing they have woven into them "grip" the flyknit/atomknit uppers well. As someone very blister prone I've tried almost everything in Nike race shoes and the Spark LW is a game changer.
3). The flex in the VF is a HUGE advantage for the shoe that no one ever talks about. I have a theory on why, I'm working on a video but am stuggling to visualize the mechanics of the plate... but if you compare the flex in a brand new VF to any other carbon plated/rodded race shoe on the market you will notice a big difference. On foot the "feel" of a VF is even more significant. The AF has always had some of this flex in it but the Airpods get in the way, which can make it feel disjointed for some runners.
love those socks
Sorry took a while to reply. Thought you might be asleep :) Anyway on 1 - yeah I was thinking Nike might think we have had this Air Zoom tech now for a good while. Like Boost for adidas we need to keep it in somehow as seems to be good for sales. Fundamentally it is the one thing that is "obviously" different between the AF and VF although no doubt you could tell a whole load of other stuff.
On 2 I often see comments like try thicker socks as a proxy for a poor fit. Personally I like to use the same socks in all my shoes for all types of run and then I can better "compare" the actual shoe. Besides for my boat feet, last thing I want to usually do is "strap on" before weight to my feet. I am forever "complaining" about the weight of my shoes in a UK 13/US 14. Also not sure if concidence that socks with "reinforced" toe uppers have several times given me terrible blood blisters. I never wore a NB1080 v10 again after one but in hindsight it was probably a pair of socks like that I was trying that was the culprit. I have got Spark ones and they do "work" but I still prefer the previous and now obsolete Elite Lightweight ones. They are very prone to developing holes though so I now have 4 white left ones and I seem to get holes in the right much more. incylence I tried a couple of pairs of as also thin and not a bad alternative. Not sure if I will try the Shyu ones any more despite having just bought 3 pairs. That said they did OK for a few runs in Vaporflys but I now know how to get a better lockdown in those - even the VF2.
3 and the much greater flex of the VF1 over the AF3 I honestly had not picked up on until I did a "practice" bend before filming. I was thinking I spent years in spikes and flats that largely bent with my foot and the rare pic/vid of me in my younger days definitely shows me toeing off with almost a vertical foot alignment. As such are the AFs with their seemingly much stiffer plate sort of preventing my natural toe off tendency more than how I have "learnt" to use the VFs even now at age 57 obviously going a lot slower. That said I did some hard 200s in Portugal in VF1 and they feel nice essentially close to what is now for me almost a sprint or at least my 800m race effort.
@@TimGrose Mechanically the Airpods DO have advantages. It is why Nike has been going the route. However it’s such a fine balance to get it right and I don’t think some of us respond to it well. It’s like the non-responder to carbon plates thing x100.
It’s another reason why the VF just works… it’s simple. Keep it simple really shines on the VF.
I’m glad they have both design solutions available on the market.
Superb in depth testing as always Mr Grose. Shame they're not as spectacular as they claim to be for you. Maybe you could sell them on out of the boot of your car mate 🤣👍
Great idea. I think we discussed before that I could offer to cut mine in half and sell two pairs :) Did find it odd that seeming "randoms" could secure 2 pairs when top notch influencers had to slum it and get in line with the bots and all and fail even with their own money. I guess if you want the best shoes best to align yourself with brands that actually carry them. You could then even get Peg 40s on discount :)
Thanks for the review Tim. My memory of the Alphafly 2 was that there was very much an emperors clothes effect, initial reviews were positive and then a few months later everyone agreed they were rubbish. I therefore didn't rush to pick up these prototypes. I enjoy using the alphafly 1's for tempo running but agree with you that there is just too much shoe to be my first choice for racing. I bought 3 pairs of these but paid as low as £130 so at that price at least you don't quite feel like the outsole is made of £50 notes!
Yeah and I had considered doing a video where seemingly whenever a new version comes out the outgoing one had so many faults that did not seem to be so apparent when it came out :) I bought a 2nd pair of AF1 for similar "half price" to you there but it is still to come out of its box and probably won't as my original AF1 is still under 100 miles. So rather a false economy for me. Have you managed to get decent use of your three?
My first pair had a deflated pod after 100 miles, second pair have 300 miles but are nearing the end (outsole badly worn, hole in upper), the final pair are still looking good after 90 miles. I've found the outsole durability pretty poor on all of my Nike racing shoes given I'm not particularly heavy footed (I took a pair of novablasts to 1200 miles).
The deflated pod was a mixed experience, there was no obvious cause, Nike have quite a good warranty so I got a full refund, but it was an extra reason never to use for a goal race again, you don't want it to happen pre/mid race!
Given that you are a bit of a data guy do you have a theory why the weight savings never seem to feed through in your size? I am 10.5 in Nike and the claimed weight always seems to map across broadly as I would expect. Given that volume of the shoe is in three dimensions, I would expect any weight saving would feed through dis-proportionally to larger sizes, but apparently not???
@@neilwalker2826 I did wonder about the pods. I got a stone stuck in the outsole cut out on one run and straight away I could feel my arch then realised it was the stone so had to stop and pluck it out. Not what you need in a race either. Years ago I got a thorn in a Nike Air shoe and it was like a bike puncture and rendered the shoes almost useless in a flash. As for size yeah the 3D nature of high stack means my sizes can seem to get proportionally much heavier. That was most noticeable in the OG Prime X which I got in a UK 12.5 then my correct TTS 13.5. The bigger one was about 50g heavier when normally you might expect less than 20g. I also think if you have shoes in your size that are under 200g and mine are nearer 300g well I don't I am really 50% "heavier". On the other hand I was always really an 800/1500 runner and being tall does "sort of" help in those events so we are what we are. I just think however they must a model of what is a typical width for a certain size and I always thought I have the width of about a size 8 but obviously lot longer. As such I always feel I carry around a lot of excess foam laterally.
previously the arch was uncomfortable just standing in them, so never got one, will see if this is resolved and also fits the rest of my large volume foot. But only when they are widely available, difficult enough to find my size anyways.
What size are you? UK 13/US 14 for me is never "easy" for availability although they are loads of pairs on StockX right now! As I mentioned I felt the arch in the AF1 just standing up in them but much less so actually running and that never really bothered me although, for similar reasons to the AF3, I never used the AF1 much anyway. I don't really feel the arch at all in the AF3 except when I got a stone stuck in the cutout groove on outsole and had to stop to pull it out!
@TimGrose I'm a US 13, so little chance to find stuff to try in on local running stores, even the Nike flagship stores don't carry them. But I'm not claiming it would be any easier for your size ;-).
Thanks for the additional insights, but I'm not in a hurry, I ran a marathon PB in Vaporfly 1 in Autumn, and they got only 130k or so on them, they will last a few more races. And I chose them over Adios Pro 3 und Prime X strung (blisters in the heel) and Endorphin Pro 3 (long distance comfort for metatarsal pain on longer distances), so I'm not desperate yet. I will try the Vaporfly 3 if I get a chance (v2 was too tight for me), Endorphin Elite if I find a really good deal, but just as with the Alphafly I don't see why I would pay full sticker, rather wait a year and get more discounted shoes for the same money.
I appreciate the review, but curiousity will get the better of me. I know I'll acquire a pair at some point because i need to know for myself. I own vaporfly 2 and 3 and love them both, but hated the alphafly 1 and 2, due to the arch crippling my feet. As a flat footed runner, the arch support was an issue for me.
Yes that was largely the same reason I bought a pair myself. Similarly I also much prefer the various Vaporfly versions over the Alphafly ones. That said I didn't have any real arch problems myself in the AF1 or AF2 although definitely was aware of it in AF1, less so in AF2 and not really at in AF3. However as I showed likes of Fordy still had arch issues in the AF3 and have seen a few other comments saying similar. General consensus though it is not now an issue for the majority. As you say you won't know until you try them.
I can't wait to get a pair, just waiting for some decent colourways to drop
The next colourway to drop is certainly "different" shall we say. I usually like bright yellow running kit but wasn't so sure about those. I very much doubt if I will buy another AF3 however unless somehow I can warm to them much more than I related here.
This is a trend in all the shoes unfortunately, even the Adios Pro 3 in comparison to the 2 is bigger and heavier. Thanks for the honest review Tim!
It's lighter than v1 and v2. Seems the faster runners are loving it!
Bit lighter TBF than AF1/AF2 but still at 290g very "heavy" (in a UK 13) for a race shoe. I certainly do not like the trend of every wider outsoles though. As for "faster runners" well I did a sub 3 marathon 11 months ago and at 57 now can still "hopefully" turn in at least turn in an 18:xx 5K but maybe I am not fast enough. For sure though runners well behind me in most races will be looking to see if this is a shoe that might for them and Nike will want to sell a boatload to them.
@@TimGrose oh! I just meant the guys that seem to like them most are rapid! Parkes and Felton and and nick is the fastest run tester too also rapid! The v1 alphafly worked for me and I run faster in that than vaporfly 2s so it's horses for courses but I will be getting a pair ASAP. You are much quicker than me btw hahaha
Wait for the Adios Pro 4 will be lighter
@@bh4560 Yeah I believe I featured 3 sub 2:30 marathoners, one more I think is (or should be) comfortably sub 3 but also three that are more mid to high 3 something. So a decent range and largely all liked them.
Good video.
Thanks!
Interesting.
I'm still waiting for my AF3's in the mail, but as the owner of a pair of wide/high-volume feet I have higher hopes.
Best case scenario the AF3 feels like a slightly higher drop, less slappy, more forward-propulsive AF1. If not; I will sell these on. Too much money to spend on a less than "best" running shoe.
I certainly think if you liked the AF1 then you will also like the AF3. Not convinced the other way which is basically my position. For me the AF1 was harder to get on but once I did I could press my thumb down flat on both sides of toes. So I think the AF3 fit is a bit better in general but hopefully you won't feel too constricted. And yeah for the price and you aren't a shoe geek like that sort of does these vids to help pay for them, they are very expensive if not the "best" for what you want them more but for me would be fast sessions and races. I will try some more sessions but can't see me ever racing in them and short of a 5K on Zwift (treadmill) I never did with the AF1 or AF2 either.
Bad news for you a good one for me. My flat feet scream for some width. I've neglected that part of the fit to the point I need to take care of bad blisters and swelling.
Yet, an important note - V1 was really perfect in size. Big arch didn't bother me either.
Note 2 - i wonder why there are no insoles for narrow feet ? Maybe because it wouldn't work, though it would be the only way to accommodate different feet.
Once I got my AF1 on (which wasn't easy initially out of the box!), I found I could lay my thumb down flat on either side of the my foot so I always thought that one fitted rather wide. I really had to pull the laces very tight to try and stop my foot moving too much. I think the effective fit of the AF2 and now AF3 is narrower so yeah I could see problems for those with wide feet in the sock like upper of the AF3. I think Nike have tried to reduce as much weight as possible with this type of upper. The drawback is that there may less scope for those either side of the bellcurve of foot widths to feel truly comfortable. Yeah you could reduce the volume of a shoe by inserting an insole and/or wear thicker socks but then I am already "complaining" about the relative weight of a shoe designed for racing that is already clumpy for me so adding more "layers" would just make it heavier and more clumpy I feel.
How does it compare to the AFV1? I didn't love the original. It felt too clunky.
Have to admit I did not wear the AF1 in the last few days to fully remind me but the AF3 has a very familar "clunky" feeling just as I recalled feeling in the AF1 and AF2.
I suspect that some people just do not get on with air pods. I will be interested to see if you get on better with them with more use.
TBF the blister I got doing the 3x10 mins intervals on Wednesday did not help! I did feel was getting a bit more used to the shoe by the end of the week and my 9 miles yesterday was decent enough but for a state of the art race shoe even going abit "up tempo" did not give me that relative excitement and ease of use as say a Vaporfly.
The Vaporfly does feel great while the immediately while the Alfafly is not very intuitive and takes getting use to. The AF may be better for longer distances. We are lucky to have two great shoes to choose from.
I never tried AF1, but have been through a few pairs of AF2. Last week I wanted to order AF2 for the upcoming race (full M, happened today), but got a hold of AF3. Didn't train in them, just went straight to the race. I can tell that AF3 felt much stiffer to me and translated more impact to the legs/body. They also loaded quads more compared to AF2, at least it felt that way.
For those who prefer a softer shoe, AF2 might be better it seems.
I certainly found the AF3 made me run slightly differently so something think you need to get used to. Not many runners seemed to like the AF2!
I was expecting you to say this after those Strava comments. It’s a shame, I had hoped this shoe would be more Vaporfly-like.
I’m still tempted by it but not now, not a the full price. I’ll wait and then possibly give it a go when they’re half price in the spring. Our shoe tastes are similar, so I don’t expect I’ll be racing in it but they might serve as a decent long run shoe.
Yeah if you follow me on Strava should not have been too many surprises here. Have you ever raced (or even owned) an Alphafly? I did note that the weight differential between the AF3 and VF3 seemed to get ever close the smaller the shoe size you have. As such the AF3 might work better for you. As you say though, even if can buy an AF3, it would be a very expensive try out.
@@TimGrose I still have the very first AF1s in black and (guava?) green with 230 miles on the clock. I occasionally whip them out for the odd long run. No, I’ve never raced in them having always preferred the vaporfly. Like you, I’ve always found them to cumbersome and clunky. I skipped the AF2 as a result. Was hoping this AF3 would feel less so but it doesn’t sound like it. That said, I’m only a size 8 so indeed it might work differently for me. I’ll find out later!
Tim try feetures socks the elite ultra light ones 👌
Are they nice and thin ?
I have Alphafly V1 and had to add heel insert of 6mm to run forward and not backwards 😂. This made them the same weight of the Alphafly V2 so I guess it OK. I have the Vaporfly V2 and they are amazing but the matrix becomes like a normal shoe at around 100 miles. Still feel amazing on long runs but the pop is missing. This is why I did not get the Vaporfly V3.. The Alphafly V1 seems to hold extremely well. It's a mechanical design and feel strange but NOTHING else gives me the feeling of Superman 🎉🎉🎉. If the Alphafly V3 will feel like the drop in the Vaporfly V2 but stay fresh like the Alphafly V1 it's a winner.
I have found the supposed drops in all the Alphafly versions not to be overly comparable to other shoes. Indeed I would never had said the AF1 was 4mm when say the Rocket X2 at 5mm sort of feels lower. I can't say, for me at least, that any Alphafly has felt like any Vaporfly which is probably why I am still struggling with the AF3.
Since AF has pods which are less compressible than the foam while standing up or just walking, it gives that negative drop impression. But for me at least when I start running, I don't feel that effect. At marathon cruising speeds my calves were not overly sore vs some other low drop or zero drop shoes.
I do wonder how much height and weight affect these type of shoes. Most long distance runners tend to be shorter and lighter. Of course taller runners like yourself are defo not overweight, but i do wonder if these shoes are designed for shorter mechanics.
I could be on a wild goose chase Tim, I'm guess I'm just wondering how a top of the line shoe might not perform for everyone.
Good question and often something I ponder myself. I think my basic "problem" is that I have the foot width of probably an average UK 8 runner but obviously lot longer feet. Shoe companies obviously expect longer feet to equate to wider feet and with now only a few "plodders" offered in different widths they obviously try and find a happy medium. So whilst I complain about shoes being too wide probably get more complaints shoes are too narrow! Obviously the 3D nature of shoes means ones that with high stacks with wide bases get rather heavy relatively. Back in my track days I never once though my spikes were literally weighing me down. That all said Ben Parkes is only a size down from me and he seems to think the AF3 are like the best shoes ever. This AM I was 74 kg and I have been down to 69 kg when I did my marathon PB in 2005. At least being tall and thin I felt offered some advantage in track 800/1500s and looking back I am proud of the times I did achieve. These days no shoes are going to "help" turn back the clock and for sure the foams these days allow me to keep going day to day a lot better than say the shoes of even 5 years ago.
@@TimGrose It's an interesting question! Kiptum at 1.8m switches between the AF and VF ... see what he picks for Rotterdam and Paris!! Tall Andy the FOD Runner likes both but I think does prefer the VF. As you say Tim, foot shape may be the biggest determiner but maybe also drop preference ... I love very low drop shoes and the AF1 certainly "feels" much lower drop than it's stats... I wonder if the AF3 "feels" flatter than 8mm drop, 'cause for me personally usually 8mm is too much!!
@@bev9708 AF1 feels lower drop than stats because of compression difference of the pods and foam when standing up. My AF1 felt like negative drop when I first put my feet on but on a steady marathon pace with pods compressing more, it felt like a normal drop shoe.
@@TolunayOrkun THAT is very interesting Tolunay, I figured it probably would not feel like an 8mm drop … the stats for the drop on many shoes are very different to the feel of the shoe!! That makes me far more open to trying them one day, but still got heaps of life in my two AF1s. Yes totally agree for the AF1… my first marathon in them especially it felt like a negative drop, and they pulled my calves so much I was lucky not to cramp up! I spend so much time on the trails , I have to make sure to do more long longruns in them leading up to my next road marathon !! I’ve got a 24k trail race next weekend, and a 28k trail in March leading up to a 50k trail in April! What have you got on the horizon???
@@bev9708 I had to edit my comment above. I didn't try AF3 yet. Both comments AF references were referring to AF1 but I think AF3 even with its increased drop vs AF1 still subject to the same. Pods don't compress as much as foam while standing up but there is less negative drop feeling because of additional few mm at the heel.
As for racing, I had a PB in half in Houston (Half) Marathon. I have a 5K race on February 18 (as part of Austin Marathon races) and I will be running The Woodlands Marathon on March 2nd which is my A race. Then April 7 I have Statesman 10K in Austin. I have not planned anything after that.
Great review I got them at launch and I just don’t enjoy them. I really wanna like them but I prefer my adios pro 3 I’m glad I’m not the only one that’s not impressed with this shoe
Definitely a marmite shoe and I think so far has been picked up more by people trying to make a fast profit on the reseller market than by actual runners. I haven't worn my AF3 since did this video. I may well get it out again to see if it now feels any better but certainly I am not hugely motivated to do so especially with plenty of Vaporflys that I much prefer that have got good life in.
Yes I will try them a few more times because they were expensive I really want to like them just not sure I will
Yeah, similar thoughts now. I always really liked the Alphafly but never would have raced in it. It' s just too soft and bulky. I always run well in it but it just doesn' t 'feel' like I' m actually running fast. It' s always been more of a premium training shoe for me: Nice for Longruns, Tempos and stuff like that... This new version is probably the best one yet in my opinion but fundamentally still very much an Alphafly. It hasn' t changed enough for me to prefer it over the Vaporfly(or Endorphin Elite/Evo 1). So I feel like I sort of wasted my money on a shoe I already know very well instead of trying something new. Thinking of reselling it, and setting the money aside for other shoes to come that I' m interested in.
YES. Alphafly for long runs and Tempo etc but for a race never. Vaporfly V2 much better.
I didn't really comment on the "softness" of the AF3. I think by modern day standards I could not now describe them as soft and I think the Air Pods "firm" them out. VF3 I would say now has a softer feel. Would you agree? Was intending to do an AF3 vs VF3 shoeoff to really see. Furthest ever been in any AF was I think a HM at just under sub 3 pace when I first got the AF1 in 2020 but was coming off a 2:56 few months earlier and now 4 years younger. So yeah they "sort of work" but equally I always felt it was "harder work" for me in Alphaflys and in my 46 miles this week in the AF3 my fastest mile was a "stellar" 7:05 in the 3x10 mins session I mentioned. Maybe everyday runners throw in some faster goal pace into their weeks in everyday trainers bought using a discount code...
Actually Vaporfly v2 has often been by long run in the last year or so. Tempo NEXT% I got further in than FOD Runner but only by a few miles. I kind of thought got to like AF feel to like Tempo NEXT% and I struggle there.
@@TimGrose @TimGrose A Shoeoff would be good, yes!
With softness I don' t think there' s much in it but always find the area around the Airpods is really squishy.
I've done plenty of long runs and also fast intervals in Alphaflys but anything really short like 200s I struggle a bit in them. Vaporflys on the other hand will do absolutely everything for me. Well maybe not easy runs but they're hardly designed for that.
I've put mine up for sale now to be honest... I won' t get full retail price of course because it is used but should be enough to reinvest in future shoes that interest me: Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 maybe? That crazy Hoka Shoe Cielo X1? Not sure yet, but would rather use it for something I haven' t used before.
What I think Ben P meant was "this is the easiest I've ran marathon pace" but haven't done any Strava stalking to compare power between runs
Yeah TBF that is also what I thought he really meant but could have sworn he has said was doing 2:45 km pace for a bit. Anyway be interesting to see how he gets on Seville which isn't too long now. I did it last year and in 2020 and it's a very good race and certainly offers every chance of doing a fast time.
Tim would you say running shoes may have gone as far as they can? I'm starting to see no real way they can go now!
Actually my experience with the AF3 illustrates the one thing that will surely happen in time that would help me massively - you could get a pair made to fit you (like say a dress suit). In my case they could chop off a cm of the outsole either side of my foot, choose an upper that actually fits me well without having to pull in laces so much the upper always bunches. And then they may have the AirPods or not. And then the weight of the adidas Evo 1 suggests that foams do already exist that could substantially reduce the weight of shoes whilst still keeping the stack or having better foams that reverse the need for high stack shoes. Like 40mm stack for me in a shoe weighing under 200g as opposed to almost 300g here. I think the "problem" is that a lot of these ideas are not yet commercially viable but when you think about it the Evo 1 was created for elite athlets without any seeming thought to try and appease the mass market.
@@TimGrose Weight is definitely the next battle ground across all brands and shoes, start from the AF3 and Evo 1.
I think we are a ways off from bespoke shoes...but more last options for more feet will likely come first. Not just normal and wide...but more options from there. I think we are seeing the beginning of this with some of the development Nike did on the male/female lasts for the AF3. I'd expect it to be something talked about much more that will result in more last options for the same shoe over the next 3-5 years.
@@SagasuRunning now you mention male/female AF3 versions I was not clear whether they are actually different? Sounds like they are then. That often puzzles me in most shoes. Obviously no women's shoes comes in UK 13 so can never really test this short of buying Sue shoes. I got Sue a women's Peg 40 but she tried a men's one I got for my godson which was slightly longer to help guage what size to get her.
@@TimGrose I believe there are different lasts (widths) for the male and female shoes. This is why alot of the female reviews of the AF3 have been focused on fit. They have been used to the unisex fit but its a bit different in the AF3. I do know the Nike women's lasts are shorter than the comparable mens sizes.
Does Nike Alphafly 3 Wide foot friendly?
You might want to see the comment from @yalokim5264 and my reply. I don't think the AF3 is a wide shoe per se. Probably best suited for those with average width feet. That said I thought the likes of Ben Johnson who loves the AF3 has relatively wide feet (they always look that way when see pics of him in shoes) and he clearly has no issues as has now done 500 miles in a pair of AF3.
Good, honest video. Sounds the same for some people as Alpha2 and Vapor2. My anecdotal evidence is heavier people like the alphas, lighter people prefer the Vapors.
Ah interesting theory. I like to think I am at least light relative to my height. Likes of Kipchoge or Kiptum hardly heavy though.
@@TimGrose yep, just among regular runners!
First! I never dissapoint tho!
One day I will catch you out again :)
What you were describing about feeling like you have to pull your foot back up with each step was how I felt about the Vaporfly 1. I really didn’t like that shoe, so I skipped the 2. With all of the positive reviews about the 3, I’m on the fence with whether I should try it or not. You saying that the AirPods still have that same feeling makes me think twice. Still not sure if I’ll give these a try. I’ve done well with the Endorphin Elite and Adios Pro 3 and prefer both of those over the Alphafly 1.
The Endorphin Elite feels quite "normal" to me when compared to any of the Alphafly versions. I just am just very used to Vaporflys now having done about 1500 miles in them across multiple pairs. With Alphaflys more like 200 miles in total. It was kind of interesting today that I wore Speeds after a week in the AF3 and the Speeds initially felt "odd" so there has to be an element of just getting used to how a particular shoe wants you to run. The big theme of my vid is my puzzlement why most other reviewers are loving the shoe but I am lukewarm at best. Don't hate them but equally I want to know which race shoe works best for me and it does not appear these will be the ones to takeover from Vaporflys. I think the general feel of the AF3 is similar to the previous versions. I haven't run in the AF1 or AF2 of late (might do for another vid) so can't say for sure are the "same" but think can safely say are "similar". My hunch is that since you did not like the AF2 you may well not like the AF3 either. Ultimately though only you wearing them will tell you for sure.
1:26 Ben's got "courage" to be running in those shorts.
Ha ha - I've got some similar ones but perhaps best not to film from that angle :)
I don t have the AF3 yet but for me the AF1 is the best shoe i ve ran in and by far the fastest.
In that case you may well like the AF3. Impossible to say which you will like best until try them though.
I got a pair from Nike but have been hesitant to try them given their returns policy changed. I am worried I will try them and they won't work at all for me then I will be down £285. I'm so torn 😂. The Vaporfly 2 is my favourite shoe ever (I never tried vaporfly 1). Alphafly 1 and Alphafly 2 I just found heavy and clunky which is why I'm hesitant about the 3.
What's the change in Nike's return policy and when did this occur please?
@@dan-zo4eb I'm not sure when it occurred but it now says they have to be returned within 30 days unworn and with tags. Before it used to be that it had to be returned within 30 days but you could try them outside. It said "return for any reason" but now it specifically states they have to be unworn. I questioned it via their customer services twice and was was basically just sent a link to the return policy and asked if I wanted to return the shoes I'd ordered. No one would give a straight up answer to my question of when the policy changed and if you can still try them and send them back if they don't work. I try not to send shoes back after trying them as I know it's bad practice but I have had to do it with a pair of Pegasus shield before as they gave me horrible blisters. I was able to return them for a refund no questions asked. I am afraid to have a similar situation happen with the Alphafly 3 and be stuck with them due to the change in returns policy. If I'd known the returns policy had changed I would have ordered the Alphafly 3 from SportsShoes instead as I get 15% off discount with them so I would have got £43 off but instead I paid full price on Nike thinking I'd have peace of mind to know I could try them and if they didn't work I could still get a full refund.
Yeah the effective "free trial" from Nike has finished everywhere apart from USA when I last looked about a week ago. With news of their finance problems hardly a surprise. I actually made an effort to clean mine up for this video but even then the white outsole has a well and truly used look and indeed did after my first in them. I should have said that one of my takeaways is that if you did not like the AF1 and AF2 and preferred Vaporflys (as I do) then the AF3 is unlikely to change you over to an Alphafly fan. So if you need that £285 to "work" for sure I would probably reluctantly say to send them back. I say reluctantly as I one for "needed" to try these but sort of knew they were unlikely to become "the one" and they haven't. Have you tried walking about your house in them? I often find if I wear a shoe for a few hours I get a good feeeling on how the fit is which in turn usually tells me if I will like running in them or not.
@@TimGrose thanks that's useful to know. I will try walking around my house in them for a bit. I was already hesitant because of preferring vaporfly to Alphafly 1/2. I actually am probably in the minority who prefers the look of the volt pack colourway due to come out in March over the proto colourway 😂. I could also buy that colour from SportsShoes for £242 instead of the £285 I paid directly from Nike...still a lot of money but at least a £42.75 saving.
Hmmm interesting!!! Well Barry's conclusion (OldManRunner) was that AF1 fans will probably love it and VF fans will probably still prefer the VF!!🤷🏻♀ I guess you should sell it on then Tim, you'll almost certainly get what you paid for it... after a good clean😁!!!
Yes I should have added that conclusion as it is exactly what I found for myself. Need to "plan" my vids bit better LOL but filmed this at 1am as it was then edited it although had done the ShoeTuber montage the previous evening. Lie in this morning LOL then great to see possibly more comments on this than any of my other vids so sorry only just replying! Aren't you an AF fan? If so are these AF3 tempting you?
@@TimGrose Yes me I’m a big big AF fangirl but I only buy older models on sale for ALL my shoes, and still heaps of life in my 2 pairs anyway ‘cause I mostly run trails nowadays
@@bev9708 The way it is going you might even be able to pick up a "bargain" AF3 on StockX :) But joking aside yeah if you have got AF1 going well keep them going.
@@bev9708you'll be able to pick AF 3s on discount by the time your AF 1s are ready for retirement 💪
Is the bag too heavy for you too ?
Ha ha no that is OK !
Tim Grose vs Ben Parkes?
Ha ha I would need to take off at least 20 years but I would have fancied my chances under 5K as I was basically an 800/1500 runner back in the day, be close at 5K and 10K (our PBs very similar) and he would probably have had me any further. Sure his AF3 vid will get more views and watch hours than me but hope this is some use!
Not for me . The saucony sinister is a gr8 racer for 5-10 k .an old fashioned racer for me . Not gone on these big plated high heel shoes
I was keeping an eye out for a Sinster in a UK 13 but none ever showed up here in the UK. I wore some Speeds today after a week in these AF3 and it felt "weird" to be in a more "normal" shoe again.
Y would you compare Ben s run where he talks about the shoe with his faster times when he specifically mentions during the video he wasn t doing all out and HE WAS TONING HYMSELF DOWN during. Like, what the hell.
TBF he did say it wasn’t a full review of the AF3 but he clearly likes them (as I showed). He is not fully fit right now so I suppose he can’t be all out in that sense. He seemed pleased with his 10K race in them in Valencia though.
I have always been highly skeptical of the alfafly air pod design. It seems like a huge gimmick at a massive weight penalty. I have no doubt that just the right person responds and that’s why it works well for Kipchoge (in a tiny size).
But also it is so distinctive that I can’t help think it is very subject to placebo and marketing hype bias in reviewers.
At a certain point the foam and plate is doing the most energy return that physically can happen and then weight will become a significant efficiency component. I think the right playbook now is focusing on the weight with advanced light uppers like matryx aramid and ultralight rubber outsole materials as the next order of improvement rather than adding more widgets. Saucony has seemed to have got the memo and adidas also if their semi-prototype shoe is an example of their future direction.
Yeah agree. For us with long feet it has to be heavier than just ZoomX there and I was never clear it “helps” me. I very much doubt any thought goes into shoe design in this model for those my UK 13 feet. As you say likes of Kipchoge will largely dictate the design path and got to imagine just scale it up. That said still don’t understand why Ben Parkes only a size less than me seems to be getting on so well in them. That said he has only seemingly done one session not an actual race so will wait for further feedback. I wore my VF3 today. Night and day difference for me.
It could be that the efficiencies are great for just the right sort of biomechanic responder.
But also I think we should not underestimate marketing excitement and the placebo effect. Very few people test shoes with a metabolic cart.
@@brianreiter5572 I think you are right about placebo. Likes of Ben Parkes is getting fitter again so there is always a factor that any session will seem better than the last time you did it if fitness is increasing. Spoiler alert I did a VF3 vs AF3 shoeoff session today for my next vid. No prizes for guessing which one worked better for me.
Yeah the blanket crowning of them as the best is a bit off for me. I do think they're probably the best Alphafly yet for me and combine things I like from v1 and v2, but they still feel like an Alphafly and I'm not convinced they will convert people who aren't already Alphafly people. And some people who prefer Alphafly v1 I think may still prefer those.
The Alphafly has always been way more of a lock in to marathon pace type shoe. It hasn't been my favorite but if it excels at one thing, it's that. It wasn't versatile at shorter distances for me like the Vaporfly 3, Endorphin Elite, or even Endorphin Pro 3. But even then, the lower drop, geometry, and feel that you had to be having long powerful forefoot strikes to activate the airpods (in v1) would wear out my quads and change my form too much. I still would have opted for one of the other three for marathon (and no question for all the shorter distances).
V2 was heavy and firmer and less bouncy, but I did prefer the lockdown, higher drop, and geometry. I feel like V3 takes some of that and mixes in the lighter weight of v1 and some softness/bounce back. The airpods do still feel a little firm and in the way as a first impression though. It does still feel like they need a lot of force going into them.
I still definitely wouldn't take them for anything shorter than a marathon and it is yet to be seen for me if they can take the spot at marathon pace. But the Vaporfly 3, Endorphin Elite, and Endorphin Pro 3 are all more versatile racers for me (5k-half especially VF3 and Elite) and also probably seem like more preferable marathon picks for me so far. If a want a little more of a comfortable ride for the marathon, the Pro 3 is great. If I want a bit more midsole volume and stability over the Vaporfly 3 but still the touch more aggressive feel, the Elite would be great. And for the lightest and most nimble feel, the Vaporfly 3. But the Vaporfly 3 and Endorphin Elite are still top tier picks for half and down and give similar but slightly different option for the marathon.
So yeah, probably the best Alphafly yet for me, but still not converted yet and I don't know that the Alphafly v1 loyalists or non-Alphafly people will necessarily be either.
Furthest have been in any Alphafly was back in lockdown (so 2020) and a HM solo run on a rolling course where just got under 1:30 few months after a 2:56 in VF1 in Seville. So they "sort of" worked but I always found the AF clumpy and not as nice to run in as Vaporflys and in my UK 13 noticeably heavier. The AF3 feel very similar in that regard. I am training more for 800 at the moment but like the 3x10 mins I mentioned I see do a fair bit of MP work so maybe will try them again for more of a longer steady state run like I did with the AF1 in 2020. I think these days it does largely come down with what you like running in as usually that translates to faster times anyway. I do so few actual marathon races (still only 6 ever) that to have a shoe just for a marathon race is kind of pointless for me so I "want" all my race shoes to be ones I feel I can use in training sessions. I agree with the general sentiment than AF1/AF2 fans (well at least one of them) will like the AF3. Much less clear that if you did not really like the AF1 or AF2 (me included) that the AF3 will suddenly become "the one". Will be interesting to see for how many runners that actually happens.
so what I get from your comment is that v1 is still the king for me and probably other v1 lovers
as you say v3 has "some softness/bounce back" and "airpods do still feel a little firm"
to me v1 is everything about being so soft and "gentle"
"would wear out my quads and change my form too much"
another thing I love about v1 is that I get little to no calves soreness after a run/race in the AFv1, it's the only shoe I have that does this, and I can't explain beside the "smooth/gentle" forefoot and ride (I would've said soft but it's not soft as "compressive" but soft in the run)
Fordy runs always keep it real for me😅
True - he showed us his blisters! I decided not to include that footage however :)
What purpose is served by that silly ledge round the back?
Good question - am not entirely sure. I imagine a combination of stability, looks and aerodynamics. I don't think you are meant to step on it when taking them off :)
I prefer rhe Adios Pro 3 for me works perfect and wating for the pro 4 some people says that is going to be lighter a same geometry and looks of the evo 1 but with regular lightstrike pro is weights 20/30 grms less and have the same upper of the evo will be the rscing shoe of the year!!!
Ah we were discussing this on a different thread. Adios Pro 3 is probably going to end up these AF3 for me - a decent but expensive "super trainer".
You had me a “wide clown shoe” … interesting review Tim. Just looks too much like something George Jetson would ware …
Ha ha! George's shoes look as long as his legs. Now shoes like that for me would be "interesting" :)
Waiting for MetaSpeed 3.
With ASICS I am waiting to see if they are ever going to make their best shoes in my size UK 13. As such I tend to steer clear of that brand bar the Novablast. Which reminds me need to do a vid of the Novablast 4.
To say that in advance. I'm on your side of the force. The Alphafly has been nothing for me so far, but the Vaporfly has been all the more so. For me, this is still misplaced criticism with straw man arguments. It's an Alphafly, like version 1 & 2, the same type of shoe in a lighter, more comfortable and even faster version. You were disappointed with the predecessors, why should the V3 be any different? A video with the message that everything remains the same for you would have been enough, instead of the constant complaints about why this darn AF doesn't feel like a VF.
Thanks for the comment. I don't really feel I am wishing the AF3 is like a VF but more using the VF to illustrate the sort of "super" shoe I do like and why - lighter, narrower, feels more lively etc etc. You are right though as I did not much like the AF1 or AF2 I was not overly surprised the AF3 was not really any different for me. My thinking is that if you see the sort of things I like/dislike in a shoe and maybe are of similar build and running ability it may serve for some markers for you as to whether you may or may not like the AF3. Anyway the most common shoe question I see is Alphafly or Vaporfly - which is best. It certainly divides opinion and I think there is largely a 50-50 response rate.
To much drop imo, I'm a natural forefoot runner so the heel is to high. Sold them and bought some more V1's.
That's a good point. I always see most wear in my shoes under my toes and maybe the AF are just a bit too stiff for me so can't flex my toes as much as say in a Vaporfly. All relative of course but I "grew up" in spikes & flats where they followed foot shape more than shoes do now. I never really like low drop in "normal" shoes however but the Alphafly drops kind of feel "different" anyway.
There won't be any Broom pounds going on this. Ljke yourself i cant get on to Alphaflys. Dawn loves them but they dont seem to offer so much more than the V1s to justify £285. She also has a hunch that the main drop might lack something that the initial launch models - the ones the reviewers hype up - have in them.
Edd Bud was another sceptic on these
I thought Dawn was more into Adios Pro these days? That said I am kind of envious of those that can wear these sort of shoes in sizes that are under 200g. I never thought I was at any disadvantage weight wise in spikes or flats as there was never any "excess" I think I might not need. I did think the original lime green Vaporfly 1 always seemed slightly softer than the ones I got later but don't think it really translated into any actual performance difference - well none that I could somehow measure.
@@TimGrose Adizero Pro is the safe bet. She wears Alphafly up to HM due to rubbing and blisters but would marathon in them if she felt safe.
I'm going for Vaporfly for Manchester if I can find a pair of 1s without much wear on them. Or are the 3s as good as the 1s?
@@tworunningbrooms All in all I would say VF3 is more or less as good as but probably still slight preference for VF1. Slightly softer feel but not by much. Upper fit is sloppy for me out of the box but sorted it. Did my 18:33 5K best last year in them and a road mile but not actually raced further in them as yet.
‘Clown shoes’ that’s all you needed to say 😂
Ha ha, even despite the slight weight reduction over the AF1 it still had a very familar "clown shoe" feeling or perhaps more precisely "clumpy" for me.
@@TimGrose yeah. The alphafly continues to divide opinion. I briefly owned pair of A1 and they remain for me the worst shoe I’ve ever run in.
There's a lot of Nike brand lovers out there who won't admit that the shoe is anything other than the best out there.
A lot of UA-camrs want to get on that nike promo train of free shoes to test as well as special invites to events around the world. The arch issue has been there since day one in both the vaporfly and alphafly, and nike hasn't done a thing about it, which tells me everything about the company.
Asics, saucony, adidas and Hoka shoe line ups are all better than what nike offer these days.
Even their clothes arnt what they used to be. The shorts especially are poor now.
I can see where you are coming from but I am certainly not on the look out for free shoes. Generally some of my favourite shoes are Nike ones and equally some of the ones I like the least have also been Nike. I tend to go for them as firstly they do my size (and in a UK 13 often not the case) and generally suit my very relatively very narrow feet but not always - Ultrafly case in point. The Alphafly 3 certainly is not one of my favourites after now about 50 miles in them. I never personally have had an arch issue with any Vaporfly or Alphafly. I could feel the arch a bit in the Alphafly 1 but more so walking about. I cannot feel it at all in the 3 so I think they have certainly done something about it but any shoe will always have some fit issues for some people. That's largely why there is so much choice. And yeah if a shoe from one brand works well for you whatever brand it is then great. I tend to almost exclusively wear Nike, Saucony or adidas with occassionally Hoka or New Balance or ASICS but only a select few models I like.
@TimGrose I had the original AF1, and it actually injured my feet in a half marathon, which took weeks to recover from. I actually just tried the VF3 last week, and I'd say the arch is actually worse, but the foam is softer, so maybe not quite as bad as the AF1. If you speak to people around the running scene it affects quite a lot of people. But you'd never know from UA-cam reviews that there was an issue.
You must be like the Cinderella of the Nike world . 😆
I'm on lookout for a marathon shoe and even contemplating the Cielo x1 but will keep an open mind.
I disagree. I've used all three Alphalfly 3 and this one is Nike's best yet.
It may well be the best Alphafly - certainly the lightest. My main point though is that I just prefer the lighter and more snappy Vaporflys from Nike and the AF3 did nothing to make me change my view. Good it is working for you. I think I said that generally runners prefer either the Alphafly or Vaporfly.
kudos for not joining the Hype Train - tell it as you see it.
That's all I can do and perhaps more fool me for spending a lot on a shoe I sort of knew would be unlikely to win me over. However FOMO takes over :) And I have run 46 miles in them already in just 6 days so, in that sense, they are doing a turn and will certain need to some shoeoff vids to test my "feelings".
I did get a pair, to use,but as I’m not racing until April made £110 profit by selling them (I don’t care what anyone thinks about that btw) will be gettin some in 2nd drop loved the 1 hated the 2, the increased width worries me a bit tbh
Honest of you to say. I probably should try and sell on (even used) more shoes than I do as I have a fair number "lightly used". I never really found the AF2 that different to the AF1. Fundamentally did not really like either! I do recall a few decent sessions in the AF2 and oddly I remember one session where they felt "better" for me doing short reps like 1 minute hard efforts than longer more cruisy intervals they ought have been better at.
I have high regards for your analysis but for this comparison, I am quite baffled that you are comparing an Alphafly with a vaporfly, even more baffling is comparing a vaporfly 2 with an Alphafly 3!!!. They have totally different performance feedback and running in both is like driving cars with different engine designs. To me it’s like driving an Indy car and driving a F1 car and then making comparison. Very sorry, but I can’t find the line of similarity for comparison.
I was basically using the Vaporfly 1 (not 2 BTW) as an example of a Nike "super shoe" that I really like with one (the Alphafly 3 here) that seemingly I do not get on with anywhere as well. Ultimately both shoes have been heavily used by thousands of runners in the same races for the last few years so I felt I needed to find out if the Alphafly 3 offered me anything different to my more favoured Vaporflys. I was sort of "thinking aloud" as to possible reasons why the Alphafly 3 was not working as well for me as it seemingly is for other reviewers. I felt there was not point holding up the Alphafly 1 or 2 in a similar way as I did not really like those much either. I sort of seeing what you are saying about the differences both have ZoomX and a carbon plate and both are essentially designed for runner of varying abilities to run their best race. The most common question I see is Vaporfly or Alphafly and it is often a 50-50 split on preference. You could then argue it is a coin toss as to which is "best" short of doing what I do and trying them and so seeing which works best for me.
Absolutely agree… Not a fan of the AF3. Tried them for a 10k and a 20k run, before passing them on to a friend who thinks it’s the dogs ⚽️⚽️.
It seems like everyone is up in arms, probably because it’s better than the AF2… which doesn’t say much, because the AF2 was kinda rubbish.
I much prefer the Endorphin Pro 3 and the Hoka Rocket X2
Ah interesting and perhaps just shows different runners like different shoes so good that quite a lot of different "super" ones are offered these days. Cynically it has been good marketing hype for influencers to say the AF3 is better than the AF2. I can't help thinking did they also say the AF2 was better than the AF1 when the AF2 launched. Or was the AF2 designed largely for Kipchoge and we just got what he seemed to like at the time. Think shoes are relative too. If I never had tried say the ones you mentioned and certainly no Vaporflys, sure I would also have thought the same about the AF3 as your friend.
streakfly is the king!
I certainly don't complain about the weight of them but got to say still prefer a Vaporfly over a Streakfly for anything.
@@TimGrose vaporfly is definitely more protective for the leg muscles, but i find the forefoot rockers Kinda strange and make me not able to utilize my hamstring and Achilles, and cause me shinsplint
This calls for a vf af shoe-off
Yeah got that in mind...
Nothing like a pedantic analyst to shatter the placebo effect. In all honesty there are enough people out there who purchase these themselves and have provided positive reviews (Oldmanrunner for one is a objective as possible ) that it is likely this is a good shoe for most and an improvement over the 2. It will be interesting how this plays out over the next 12 months and if the glowing reports today, translates into ‘Best of’ by the end of the year. But it really is an individual choice. I thought the Rebellion Pro and the Topo Cyclone 02 were the outstanding shoes of 2023 (Hyperion max having an honourable mention for a work horse non assisted race pace trainer) however amongst the You tube fraternity on the whole they did not get a mention.On a side note your running outfit when showing off the bag looked like a modern enterpretation of a 70's russian paratroop's uniform .. I know left field 🙂
Buying your own shoes isn't a great marker for a more objective review as it leaves you very very susceptible to sunk cost fallacious reasoning, the higher the cost the more that's going to effect your assessment.
@@fergusdenoon1255 Interesting and not without merit , however your theory does leave us amature runners in a pretty vunerable position when purchasing race day shoes.
@@JohnBirtchetSharpe yep, that's exactly where we all are.
Maybe shoe tubers should form an alliance where each buys other shoe tubers shoes to review. Having not paid for the shoe, and no sense of obligation to a company gifting them shoes, we'd probably see much more..."this shoe is crap"
To be strictly honest I buy shoes to wear for my training first and foremost and do vids like this as a personal challenge - I still find this stuff does not come naturally. I would also have to admit that as long as I don't go "mad" I can afford these shoes not least because my UA-cam revenue (although low) does at help part fund them. Indeed I was thinking of doing a cost model vid where I offset say the "writedown" cost of running 2500 miles a year as a keen amateur runnner with some UA-cam revenue and see "in real terms" how much my "Shoetubing" really costs me. And also got to remember I am just relating my personal experiences of a shoe with only a little bit of possible insight to how others may find them. One thing is for sure I am not "holding back" on an "honest" review because am worried a brand won't send me their next one because I trashed their last one. Indeed often when I dislike a shoe I think more fool me as I ought to know better what I like after over 40 years of buying running shoes to train/race in but mostly "FOMO" takes over with ones like this. I can't say this position will always be the case but, to date, I have never asked any shoe brand if they will send me a shoe "for review" largely as I view UA-cam as an irregular hobby. Indeed short of a few "obscure" approaches I have never received an offer to do so and did not reply to those "obscure" ones anyway. One was a company specialising in wide shoes and here is me with probably the relativelty narrowest feet doing the odd shoe review vid! Essentially with Power of 10/runbritainrankings I already have a 2nd job and don't feel I need a 3rd as it were!
@@JohnBirtchetSharpe re outfit the blue and white stripped t-shirt? Think my Mum got it in a charity shop but like it as it has a pocket on the front which is sometimes handy :)
Kiptum holds the world record with AF3, making them the fastest shoes for the marathon. The purpose of the shoe is running the quickest way possible
He doesn't have size UK 13 feet and nor he is 57 running about an hour slower these days :) As such I feel it is finding the racing shoe that works best for you. Of course it is great to think I can wear the same shoes as the likes of Kiptum. I can do similar in golf too but I am equally as behind (actually more so) the very best there despite the occasional birdie and string of pars.
They ban swim speed suits because world records were falling left and right. They approve carbon plated super shoes so they can break world records left and right. Next up pro cycling will allow e-bikes for time trials 😂. As a triathlete, I’m not opposed to these. I got the AF 3 but I am returning them because the top of shoe overlaps when I tighten them down. I’m concerned about rubbing on the top of my foot
Ah but with the Alphafly 3 I felt I was being "weighed down" as it were! They are not going to be my choice for racing for even making up the numbers these days for me. With narrow feet nearly all my shoes have some degree of "overlap" or "bunching". Get a bit of that with the AF3 but I have found this to be an actual problem. The reality is that I have got to wear something so if you have an "unusual" foot shape like me got to face the reality and mostly there will be compromises. As for banning, well there are rules of course which defines a legal shoe and certainly the bikes I used in say the 1980s would now not be "worthy" again modern carbon fibre aero bikes.
They look like big ugly Frankenstein boots. Still the GOAT OF RACING SHOES IS THE NIKE VAPORFLY NEXT %2’s.
Certainly in my UK 13 you could describe them that way! Did you prefer the VF2 to the VF1 ? The VF1 has always been my favourite or at least the version have used the most. That said I did use the VF2 for easily my best 10K race in recent years so perhaps for me there isn't much to choose between the VF versions. That said give me any VF over any AF every time.
VF1 is superior
Yes I certainly much prefer the VF1.
All this british running shoe testers... I dont understand a word they say😅
Ah sorry! I do understand your comment however. In Spanish and using Google translate the theme of my video is "Estoy decepcionada con la Alphafly 3."
@@TimGrose thank you bro
Idk, just by the looks it feels bulky (and ugly) compared to Vaporfly 3.
Yeah the tricky question for me is what does this extra bulk (a good 35g in my size) do for me over the Vaporfly 3 or indeed the multiple pairs of the 1 and 2 that still have life in them. I did not find the answer sadly.
And when you bring in the cost of the shoe it makes it even worse.@@TimGrose
Sounds like you expect the shoe to run for you. Supershoes/carbon shoes have spoiled you all. lol
Admit it may come over like that. But I showed the now 5 year old Vaporfly 1 as a shoe I still feel that works better for me. And I did my marathon 2:33 PB in a pair of Nike Streak racing flats back in 2005 so these days at now aged 57 I feel I need to be "spoiled" as I am not going to run anywhere near as fast as that in anything these days.
Only try them in store, nothing special
Yeah was hoping to feel wowed but maybe the Alphafly especially in my large UK 13 just isn't a shoe that suits my running style.
maybe same problem
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