I got my seeded pair of the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% this week, which meant I just had to take them out for a short run. I wanted to know if the hype was real, because even if these aren’t the Alphafly NEXT%, the Tempo NEXT% are built on the same platform and are supposed to be the trainer shoe version of the shoe that propelled Eliud Kipchoge towards a sub-two hour marathon.
Friends, I was not disappointed. The Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% definitely gave me a speed boost (that I somehow felt I didn’t deserve due to how crap my training has been all year). I felt it most on long straight flat sections of my 500-meter home loop, where I felt like I could run forever and really keep building speed. Due to the stack (sole height) on these shoes I didn’t feel quite stable enough to lean and bank on the turns, but otherwise I was running faster and with less effort than usual.
Anyway, I asked my followers and readers to submit any questions they had about the shoe, and I answered them in the following vlog. Scroll down if you want a written version of the Q&A.
- Are these similar to the Alphafly? Does it give bounciness as well as speed? Yes, read here about the relationship between the Alphafly and the Tempo.
- Are those soles with air? Yes, the Tempo NEXT% has two Zoom Air units in the forefoot.
- Is it more bouncy than the React sole? Having run in the Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit, the TEmpo NEXT% is bouncier due to its composite plate, ZoomX midsole, and Zoom Air units.
- Is it soft/good cushion? Yes, due to the amount of material in the midsole, it felt very cushioned through the heel and midfoot.
- How responsive was it? It definitely picked up speed when I wanted it to, and I never felt like it didn’t push out the energy I put in.
- Wasn’t it stiff on the heel? No, the heel was quite soft to land on but given how the shoe was constructed, I was encouraged to land more forward, on the midfoot.
- Is it really as loud as everybody says? Short answer: yes. Long answer: if you want to maximise the propulsion, you do need to load up the shoe with energy. One way to do that is through increased pushdown/impact.
- Can you use it without socks? I didn’t try, but you definitely can accustom your foot and skin to it. Main problem/blister areas would be around the Achilles.
- How much? The shoe retails on Nike.com for P10,195.
- Is the price tag worth it? You can use this shoe as a racer if you’re not super elite. Depending on how long this shoe will last, the price might be worth it to someone really pushing to get a new personal record or qualifying time.
- Rate from 1-10. For me, it’s an 8.
