Is Nike Air Max or Zoom Air Better For Athletes? Comparison By Real Foot Doctor
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
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Real foot doctor explains whether Nike Air Max or Nike Zoom Air better for athletes? Both midsole shoe technologies were quantum leaps forward in the world of performance sneakers but which is better for you?
Whether you are in basketball shoes, tennis shoes, running shoes or other types of footwear, the type of midsole can mean the difference between peak and lack luster performance.
In this video I also explain the materials used in Nike Air Max and Nike Zoom Air midsole cushions and how those materials and engineering affect the shoes wear, playability, and durability.
This has been an interesting debate as Nike has marketed Air Max and Zoom Air in their flagship shoes as the primary midsole cushion but many professional athletes prefer the performance characteristics of one over the other
So what is the best midsole for athletes?
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Time Stamps:
00:00 Video Intro
00:29 What is Nike Air Max
01:51 What is Nike Zoom Air and Zoom Turbo
02:28 Nike Air Max vs Nike Zoom Air
03:47 Benefits of Nike Air Max
04:02 Benefits of Nike Zoom Air
As a foot doctor I look at tennis shoes , basketball shoes, running shoes and athletic shoe technology a bit differently as I focus more on what foot types benefit from these shoes as well as the shoe's functional attributes
Some of the main areas we cover in this midsole shoe foam and cushion review are
- The weight, durability, fit and playability
- What are the features of Nike Air Max and Nike Zoom Air
Part of the midsole shoe foam series
DISCLOSURE: I often review or link to products I regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links, which means if you click one of the links in this video or description and make a purchase I may receive a small commission or other compensation.
Many of my links to products/gear are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites
Disclaimer : This is not medical advice, nor can I give you medical advice. Everything here including videos and comment responses is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical advice. You should contact your doctor to obtain advice with respect to any health issue or condition. Nothing here should be construed to form a doctor patient relationship. - Спорт
Check out adidas Boost vs Bounce foam here: ua-cam.com/video/QP_FeNCYyp8/v-deo.html
I’ve always considered Air Max to be more form than function. Zoom Air is the workhorse of all the Air Pods. The Zoom Strobel is by far my favorite implementation of Zoom Air..
It’s comfy that’s for sure
Air pods?
KD14s is the best shoe I have played in. That Zoom strobel unit just makes it bouncy but soft.
@@Apo_Ni_Baby_Kupal Yeah and the traction on these is pretty good top
KD14 FTW!
Zoom is love, Zoom is life.
Hahaha- BELIEVE
preach
Adidas is better.
@@AngelValdovinos ultraboost?
Kiss my airs
Just a correction the fibers on Zoom Air does not exert an outward force as you have stated at around 2:20. The fibers are there to keep the Zoom pouch in shape. Due to the high compressed air inside without the fibers it will just pop off. Still good and informative video.
correct the fibers holds it together
I hope that the Zoom Unit does not blow when running on a track. They say that the Pegasus lasts 400-500 miles. I'm curious as to which part fails first. Air Zoom unit?
@carlosvile9832 I found my Pegasus 38's forefoot Air zoom unit popped after several months since I'm more of a forefoot/midfoot runner. I weighed between 140 to 150 lbs (It would pop faster if you weigh between 150 to 200 lbs, though your milage may vary depending where you land your foot), so my best recommendation is to keep switching your shoe rotation so you can get more milage and longevity for any of your Air Zoom shoes.
I'd recommend Zoom for most people under 200 pounds. Air Max units are often highly pressurized and don't compress much unless you happen to be heavy.
I’d say it also matters how much force you produce which can be seen how highly you jump,like if you’re 5’9 dunking your going to want air max id say ,but for more average people zoom works well too,I’d say just try out both and see what you like
ty man
Agreed. Take the AM 97 for example. You can barely feel the Air unit in that if you're below or above 150 lbs unless you're close to 200 lbs. That's where the Air technology will work better. Otherwise, most people with an average weight will prefer the 1, 90s, 95s or Plus for a better alternative if you had to use to use those for running activities besides everyday routines. 97s would be for looks, but you can still run in them, just need to take notice to change your walk cycle to a midfoot/arch strike than forefoot or heel as it will hurt your ankles afterwhile.
Zoom Air is definitely better suited for most people around 150 lbs on an average, but it will blow out after several months like my Pegasus 38s since the fibers are thin.
Found this video while searching for Nike footwear info and found it to be particularly helpful. It appears this channels offers a plethora of informative and relevant content. Thank you
Glad you liked it 👍👍
Great informative video. Knew of the differences already but this is such an easy and simple explanation for those that dont
Glad you got something out of it!
Very informative. I love wearing my PG4 with the full air strobel and then wearing the KD12 with the full zoom strobel. You can tell the difference immensely.
Just found out about your channel and watched the zoom freak and the next level vid. Keep it up, sir! Making great content with a lot of education and information! I appreciate your vid!
Welcome aboard! thanks for the kind works
This was awesome man thanks for the info. I was born in 81 and just the look of the visible air unit does it for me. Tbh air max has never been the most comfortable shoes but I LOVE the look and idea of them.
Very cool!
I agree.I was born in 82 and the look of Air Max is unparalleled in coolness for me.
As a 224lbs D1 Point Guard zoom air is the best... When working out I typically hoop in Jordan Retros that have Zoom air such as Jordan 12, 13, 14. The only nike air is use is air sole found in Jordan 10 and Jordan 11 which i also like to hoop in
Yeah for a point guard I’d much rather be in zoom - just fits the movement better- who do you play for?
this is a reason why i picked up a pair of the air penny 1s recently on sale. it has a max air unit in the heel and zoom in the forefoot. best of both worlds.
I never realized the advantages of zoom air, i was going on a run with my dogs and i tested out which one of my shoes was easier to run in. My shoes were kyrie flytrap 3 and vans. The kyries felt so much easier to run in and they didnt make my feet hurt, compared to the vans. The vans felt more raw and less efficient to run in.
Great videos Doc Zach, very informative, liked and subscribed 👍😊
Thanks! Glad you liked them
This is so good and interesting! I think I made the good choice with GP Turbo for playing tennis. I will test them today! 👏😉👍
Hope they work well for you
@@FootDoctorZach Yes, I like them so far. I will test them during a match soon. :)
Great video 👏🏼
You showed us, Some of the best sneaker videos😉👍
I'm 26, and I would slowly gain weight after training for a year and a half from 147 to 152 lbs and go back and forth sometimes. All I can say is that the Air units won't be too noticeable like the 97s or Air Max Plus' (I would prefer the AM Plus over the 97s for a running shoe standpoint) if you're on an average weight of 150 pounds. However, I find the 1s, 90s, and 95s to be more suitable since I can feel them better as opposed to the 97s midsole construction of the air unit for my running routines like 5k run.
97s can still work, but you'll need to re-adjust your walking/run motion to land on your arch/mid-foot section rather than your forefoot or heel of your feet.
Edit: Apparently, I've learned it was Nike switching the way polyurethane material is constructed (there's different ways to create PU) on the midsole that gives the 97 the "wooden plank" feeling.
Zoom Air is definitely the way to go, as I loved the feel and energy return from them whenever I run in my Pegasus 38s, but they will pop after 7 months to a year like the forefoot unit as the fibers are thin in supporting the air cushioning in those bags, so I would recommend Zoom over Air Maxs for athletic purposes unless you weigh more close to 200 and then you'll feel the Air unit work. Standing all day will hurt regardless of both technologies, but I will take the Air Max units over Zoom since the Zoom units will compress too quickly, and your feet will cramp up faster.
I have been searching the internet to find what the air Max and zoom air units on their own....great video!
Glad you got something out of it!
Love full length air zoom from my PG4s is like walking on clouds. Great video!
Thanks! Yep full length zoom is a favorite of mine
Pg4 is full length air strobel but feels great
I just subscribed and I love what you do.
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Nike Lebron 15 lows has airmax at heel and zoom air at forefoot. The 16 lows has airmax/zoom air hybrid at full length cushioning.
Zach could you possibly break down the zoom turbo and also the new dual chambered air system in the Lebron 19, I think it would be very interesting and educational thank you so much for these videos.
Glad you like them- I break down the zoom turbo in my kyrie 7 video and the lebron 19 will definitely be out once I get a pair
Dope video keep them coming 🔥
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Where can I buy replacement zoom air units? I have Jordan Eclipse with the gravestone shaped air unit.
Hello, i’m a french guy. I Watch your vidéos because no One in France make the same thing. You make great job and i like that. Thank you. Please don’t stop, it’s perfect 👍
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Question, is the air sole in aj6 basically the same as air max?
Thanks Doc for another cool vid
Glad you got something out of it!
Great video doc! 💯
Thanks! Glad you liked it
I have a sugestion: a comparisson between the newer PEBA midsoles like zoomx, pwrrunpb or FF blast turbo against the traditional EVA ones like enerzy, FF blast and lightstike pro or the supercritical EVA ones, like hyper burst and DNA flash
Can you make a review of what basketball shoes are good for heel pain
Hi 👋🏼 great video! What do you think is better for casual shoes - boost foam or air max/zoom units?
I don’t think there is a best but for casual wear I’d personally be reaching for air max or boost - for performance I’d be going for zoom
Hello
Which shoes would you recommend me for buying this summer for playing basketball outside
Jordan Zion 1 that have air zoom
Or Lebron witness 6 that have air max
I had before lebron witnes 4,5 for outside and the were so good. For witnes 6 I read some reviews that the are no so good as witness 5. For Zion 1 I read some good reviews. So which do you think is better for outdoor air zoom or air max
The forefoot zoom in my Kobe 5 protros feel so nice
Can you look at Under Armour HOVR and UA Flow cushions? This video and the adidas video are really cool. Love the break downs.
Thanks👍 Yeah HOVR really interests me- I have a pretty deep dive on flow in the Futr x and curry 9’videos but that’s a great head to head idea 💡
Can you do a video on PU vs phylon midsoles?
Love the video. Can you give me advice as to how to extract the Air Max airbag from the midsole? I’ve desperately wanted to do so for so long as I’m deeply fascinated with the tech.
I cant, would violate terms of service, sorry about that
Heat gun or steam to soften glue. Some are encapsulated right into the foam so you likely won't get it out. Just don't pop it.
Full length zoom from the mid to late 90s was the best
Can we get these in ensouls?
I would like to know when you will upload the CB 4.3 review? I saw the short video a few weeks ago and would like to see what you think about them and hopefully create pressure for a reissue (Won't be Happening). Thanks
Not sure I’ll do a dedicated ballistic review as I don’t know if anyone would watch it - I may do a head to head with it in the future though - new vs old type deal
@@FootDoctorZach Great!! Even is a discontinued shoe is the best I remember. Kind regards
@@sebastiancastellanos6165 totally agree with you. believe it or not, I still wear them for practices!
I typically play with vapor x/pro outsoles. Few weeks ago I forgot I was still wearing my air max 95 when I arrived at the courts. sure enough on the third point of the day *pop* rolled my ankle…-.- air max are great for walking. But terrible for lateral movements.
If the zoom air gets a hole in it, it is like a flat tire or will it still give cushion even if the plastic wrap got a hole in it?
Hi
Can you do a video about best trainers for nurses please ?
They need to be waterproof because of body fluids & very bouncy
GREAT VID
Appreciate it
I guess zoom units don't have to be flat-shaped it's depends on what shoe they're in, for example in nike gt jump there's a huge air zoom unit in the heel that's actually the same size as air max unit in lebron 19s
I owned 4 air max shoes - all popped, either by walking, running or jumping. then I switched to zoom, cause I was sick of it. being a volleyball player, I especially looked for front food suspensions. I started with the nike zoom live but it was not enough. so I switched to the KD 9s. they popped after a few weeks while playing around 12 hours volleyball per week. I assume that this was due to their uncaged nature. so I switched to the nike hyperdunk 2016 and this was it. I will never need a new shoe. caged front and back heel zoom is the shit! and this is coming from someone that would rate adidas bounce equally but has tried diverse puma, adidas, asics and mizuno shoes. with my 9 US shoe size and 34 inch vert, not everything fits my needs
just jump softer bro
I have foot arch pain when I’m playing tennis, even though I wear gel resolution 8 with OTC insoles. Do you have any recommendations for me in terms of shoes selection?
I couldn’t really tell you without an exam
@@FootDoctorZach where can I find you?
I work at academy of podiatry in Pittsburgh pa
Hello Doc, could you make a video (if not already) comparing fake vs OG's AJ's?
It could be interesting to compare both shoes internally...
Thanks.
Godspeed
Yep I’m planning on it
@@FootDoctorZach thanks Doc
Is air max 2017 good?
and there is the hybrid air max zoom (air max with zoom pillar) like they use it on lebron XI
Hello Zach, I try to ask you something hoping you can understand my bad english. I’m having some issues finding the tennis shoe that I like. As of now I tried adidas defiant generation, adidas ubersonic 4 and asics gel resolution 8 but I didn’t find a pair of shoes that fit my feet. I didn’t like adidas shoes because they are too tight in the heel area, the asics shoe seems to be good on my right foot but I feel some pain on the dorsum of my left foot. According to you do I need to buy something else or is it common to have problems with tennis shoes at the beginning? Maybe I only need to play a couple of hours on the court with them, idk. Let me know, love from Italy!
I’m asking because where I live tennis is not so popular so there are no tennis shops where I can try some shoes, so I need to order them on internet
Unfortunately those 3 shoes are all pretty similar and I’m not surprised if one didn’t fit you well, neither did the others- if it were me I’d be looking for something with a different cut- luckily for you in Italy there’s diadora and lotto made there so those should be easy to find
@@FootDoctorZach okk thank youu!! I saw yesterday your Diadora Blushield 5 review and I think I’m gonna try to find it. Thank you as always, have a great day!!
Love you doc! ♥
Love you too
What about for people like me who jumps around 48-50 inches off the ground and moves around like crazy fast? What specific shoe tech should we use?
No one piece of tech is good for every foot- depends on foot type, surface, multiple other factors - just depends what feels good under foot- comfort / confidence plays a huge role
Can wait for a pg 4 or 5 video
As someone who been rocking Air max, since the 90s it’s always been a gimmick to me. Doesn’t really add much comfort and in my opinion doesn’t add anything in regards to sports in my opinion, I get theoretically it’s meant to, but in practice I’ve never noticed a major benefit to air max.
The content is gold
Thanks! Glad you liked it
What are your general thoughts on the CB 4.3? Are they as good as people seem to remember?
Is the best shoe nike made for tennis, comfortable, breathes well, durable and much more shoe than any ZC or VC even the barricade 5 that was the one to beat was coming short to the CB 4.3 the only problem was the lacing sistem and maybe some people complain from the bubble popping on them
To me they are one of the best all around shoes Nike has made- it was a comfortable shoe with great traction and decent pop - if I were Nike that’s where I’d be starting blueprints from
Hey Dr, what's the best shoes for someone who had Achille tendon surgery and who's always on their feet?
Depends on foot type that’s something your surgeon or someone examining you would have to recommend
What about those thick Zoom Air units like in Nike Next% running shoes? Would they be the best of both worlds?
In some instances- really only for straight line running not cutting
I like airmax in the heel and zoom air around the toes and mid foot. That's the best combination.
Love it
Do u have video about cutting half air max volley?
Nope I never tore them down just reviewed them
I LOVE that it gave that squeak when you put the pad back in. that's one of the biggest design flaws of these visible pad shoes. creak creak creak. no one wants that and there's no amount of talc, grease, whatever that's gonna fix it. just a simple design flaw. it sucks !
If you are not heavy enough, the air max unit is useless because the foam is too dense. The zoom air unit is better for all around use especially for casual users, but if you are too heavy the zoom air unit can feel unstable as it will bottom out.
Hello!
Anyone here who have had their zoom air bloated/bulge out of shape?
I have the zoom all out and lebron 15.
Theyre my favs during workouts and for walking around.
And theyve bulged out of shape worse then me.
😅
Any advice for fixing these?
Many thanks!
:)
I'm 6'2 225. Zoom is great for me. KD 13s and LeBron 20s have been my favorite pairs
Can you do a zoom strobel vs boost video?
👍👍👍
Personally I like boost. On an unrelated note this vid was posted on my birthday.
🎂
I’m curious who has had success running in Air Max models, especially stuff which was fully marketed as a running shoe, i.e. the Air Max 95. They’re dinosaurs compared to what Nike is doing now in running, but some of these models are incredibly durable and I’d like to experiment with running some of them. I appreciate Air Max for lifestyle because it’s just right in terms of comfort - it’s not too stiff nor too squishy.
Do you know what show jannik sinner wears?
I believe he’s still in the zoom zeros
How about the benifits of Air Jordan Flight Plate Doc?
Basically just gives the zoom something to bounce off of
In 27 years of wearing Air Maxes, the air units have outlasted the midsole foam in all but one pair in terms of resiliency.
Does the inside of a Kyrie flytrap 4 have zoom units?
Not sure - the vapor flytrap does so I’d assume but don’t know 100%
Would been interested if you addressed that the air nike used to make these shoes back in 1990s something, they were toxic to inhale 🥸
Yeah that’s right
Can you do adidas lightstrike?
Already got you - ua-cam.com/video/Cflk_21guEE/v-deo.html
If you are really light in terms of weight, don’t even try the airmax tech) it requires min of 80kg to start working properly
Bro I have simple Q.
Which is best for Basketball 🏀 🤔?
(Look I'm overweight or Tall)
I’m doing cardio more,, is it good if I go with air max
No idea , never examined your foot
Nike react vs adidas boost??
Air max is not super comfortable and it's heavy. I always feel like it looks cool but doesn't add anything to most designs. Zoom feels much better from a cushioning standpoint and weight as well.
Zach: Zoom Air performs sub-optimally on grass surfaces.
Nike Football: Quick release the Zoom Air Mercurials!
next...nike shox please
Nadal uses a custom shoe from Nike as you explained. But if the air system is inherently unstable is there a link to his shoes and his feet problems or is pure his genetic defect causing his problems even even if even if it's like 95 percent genetics and 4 % his lifestyle and stresses and on feet if one percent is shoe related is his shoe stable enough to support his injury now
Yeah I would say the shoes are probably nothing to do with it since they’re custom to him and with the max air in the heel he used to have there’s no real instability there plus with him that’s been brewing since he was 3 - now if he were wearing some minimalist really poor fitting shoe maybe that would bring it on quicker which is why so many rec players get hurt
Hey doc's whats the best basketball shoes for me
My height is 6'2 feet and growing more hopefully ended up growing to 6'7 feet or even 7'0 feet
Age is 13
Couldn’t say without an exam
@@FootDoctorZach ohh 👌
Maybe cause I’m just 5’6” 130lbs but at this point I feel like Air Max is just gimmick. Do any athletes actually feel the cushioning or is it just a placebo affect?
Yeah you have to put weight into them to see the benfits- I love it in the heel but im also more dense than you are
Lebron 9 &10, Kd 5 & 6 are the best combination of airmax and zoom air. Air max on the heel part and zoom air on the forefoot
Doesnt the air leak out?
In defective units yep
I'm 5"11 and weigh about 220 pounds and i have to say air max does not feel stable at all. It sits too high above the foot and i feel like I'll roll my ankles. Zoom is definitely better because it provides a more stable and gripped feel to the ground almost like a car with traction control
1:46 what shoe is that
Air tech challenge
When I clicked on this I already knew who would win
I still dispute whether either of these technologies perform better for high level athletics than a foam compound designed for the purpose. Very cool-aidish video, I have to say, Zach. There are plenty of sneakerhead videos about this topic, and they say the same stuff you just did. I look to you for scientific rigor.
Not sure there’s much more to say about them as there a pretty simple design and it’s impossible to do my normal tests because the shoes the units in are so different as a rule to accommodate the different volume of air- plus this wasn’t meant to be an air vs foam video - that’s something I’m working on as part of this midsole series -but despite that this video took me just as much effort to produce and I’m still very proud of it
@@FootDoctorZach but you seem comfortable talking about their respective benefits, where I think it's very disputable whether they have any compared to simply foam. They both absorb impact in differing curves, true, but that's about it. And yet in a previous video, you credited zoom air for increasing you jump height. In that case, it's not impact protection helping, it's simply transfer of energy into the ground, so, essentially firmness. So zoom air might b better for serv jump height, but only to the extent that it's firmer. I think your educated viewership are ready for more objectivity and less marketing influenced narrative.
@@davelee6002 No Actually Zack is on point. He didn't say one was better than the other. Gimmick or not, I know Zoom Air is better for me in basketball and Tennis. I like Gel or Boost for running. I've come to this conclusion from actually going out and playing sports. If I want some Shoe Tech I come to Zack. Outside of that I know what works for me..
@@davelee6002 And as far as Foam setups, outside of alpha bounce from Adidas I've found them to not be durable with the cushioning setups I need. I used to question the validity of shoe tech as a kid. I would get in trouble for cutting shoes open.. Hence why I appreciate this channel.
Is there a shoe with both max and zoom?
Im not sure- I dont think but i could be wrong
yeah... basketball shoes, usually front: zoom, heel: air max
@@b.lukito6063 nice, can you tell me which model? I'm curious and google search not giving me the shoe models
@@aesbinz9894
lebron 18
then there's: max zoom, i.e: lebron 16
combining air max & zoom, u won't see it in tennis shoes
👆👆
Best shoes for return energy?
in which sport
@@FootDoctorZach yes, thanks for replying. It’s for soccer but also running.
No idea about soccer- hoka Clifton and Nike alphaflys for running
I'm a zoom fanboy. I've worn lots of air max from the og to TN air to the vapes. Zoom is shi##ing on it. I do enjoy the lebron 18 combo though.
Your content is getting better and better Zach. Retire your medical practice and commit to content creation fulltime. You could build a media empire.
Haha I wish but thank you
Air max is way better
I think this because zoom is only taking about Bounce while the air max is a little less bounce better surface and more durable
Yeah I got fat and my kd8s bottom out haha the full length zoom is comfy though
If they were made bigger and more utilize me they would be. They only have a small pocket of it in the pegs on the front. Too small.
I notice zoom much more some air max you could be wearing anything 90 I'm specifically talking about. No clue the air is there just looks good
Air max 95 the only (everyday shoe) I can wear all day and be comfortable. No wonder these are the most criminal shoe in the UK comfy AF
We need Zoom air max