Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Nike’s vaporfly 3 trainer is said to be the brand’s fastest running shoe yet

The sports company has introduced a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return

Daisy Lester
Tuesday 14 February 2023 12:16 GMT
The new running trainers will be released on 6 March
The new running trainers will be released on 6 March (The Independent)

Sneaker-heads, listen up. Nike is officially relaunching its coveted vaporfly 4% marathon shoe, which shook up the running-trainer world more than half a decade ago. Arguably the most talked-about shoes in the world, the vaporfly range focuses on speed and comfort for long-distance runners – and its newest iteration is called the vaporfly 3.

Tweaking the design of Nike’s vaporfly 2 (released in 2021), the company has introduced improvements – from a smoother transition and better stability to more energy return – to benefit long-distance runners.

The trainers remain as pleasingly lightweight as their predecessors, while the initial colourway pays tribute to the Nike running team’s development journey.

Combining a reductive zoomX midsole geometry and flyknit yarn upper, Nike announced that, thanks to continued refinement and improvement, it has made the market-leading shoe even faster.

If you’re looking to reach a new personal best, here’s everything you need to know about Nike’s new vaporfly 3 – including how much the trainers will cost and when they’ll be released.

Nike vaporfly 3: £235, Nike.com – available from 6 March

(Nike)

Levelling up the cult vaporfly 2, Nike’s designers focused on refining the running shoe, introducing a smoother transition, improved stability and more energy return.

Though the core propulsive design of the vaporfly remains the same (runners laud the pairing of a full-length carbon fiber flyplate and zoomX midsole), the vaporfly 3’s reductive midsole features a convex shape around the forefoot, which provides a comfortable and stable ride throughout transition.

The first colourway of the new vaporfly 3 will pay tribute to the development journey, with graphic text on the midsole nodding to the number of flyknit upper iterations the team tested (57) and a dedicated weartester’s identification number at the top.

Complete with the recognisable drop swoosh against an all-white silhouette, it pays homage to the first-ever vaporfly worn at a test event in 2017.

The prototype finish of the new Nike vaporfly 3 will be available from 6 March, with more colourways to follow.

Available from 6 March

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on leggings and other sportswear, try the links below:

Looking for more sports inspiration? From running leggings to jackets, we’ve reviewed all the best kit here

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in