Nike Streakfly 2

The Nike Streakfly 2 is the shoe that version 1 should have been: a short-distance racer with a carbon plate, ZoomX foam and only 128 g in US 9 / EU 42.5. At that weight it practically disappears from the foot, closer to a track spike than to a road shoe. It is not cheap, but if what you want is to go as fast as possible over 5K or 10K, this is the most radical high-performance shoe on the market. Compared with more cushioned options such as the ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3 or the Adizero Adios Pro 4, the Streakfly 2 puts direct feel and pure speed ahead of long-distance comfort.

Compared with its predecessor, the ZoomX Streakfly, the changes are drastic. Nike cuts 43 g (from 171 g to 128 g), lowers the midsole (from 32/26 mm to 27/23 mm) and, at last, adds a full-length Flyplate carbon plate with a large central cut-out that saves weight and adds flexibility. The low-drop geometry (about 4 mm, slightly less in the lab, but let us not be picky) mimics a track spike, rewarding forefoot and midfoot strikers; it is not a shoe for heel strikers. The engineered mesh upper is ultra-thin (yes, the kind that looks as if it will tear just by looking at it) and breathes like no other, but the fit is quite narrow, in the style of a track spike.

What defines the Streakfly 2 is its character: a track shoe, but for the road. The supercritical PEBA ZoomX foam offers impressive energy return, almost like a racer, but with minimal cushioning that makes you feel every metre of asphalt. The rubber outsole grips well even in the wet, but coverage is minimal: two pads at the heel and a thin strip at the forefoot, with much of the midsole and plate exposed. Durability is not its strong point, as you would expect from a 128 g shoe, so you will have to keep it for special occasions, which leads more than one runner to wonder whether it is worth the price. Ideal for races up to 10K, track intervals and, at most, a half marathon for light runners. If you can only buy one super shoe, better go for the Vaporfly; but if you want the fastest and lightest one to smash your 5K personal best, this is it.