Which should you buy?
Choose the Streakfly 2 if you race the mile to 10K and want the lightest, most direct shoe.
Choose the Vaporfly 4 if you want one racer that works from 10K up to the marathon.
The Streakfly 2 is 38 g lighter than the Vaporfly 4. It has 9 mm less foam under the heel. Its drop is 4 mm against 6 mm. It costs £75 less at full price.
Side by side
| Spec | Streakfly 2Nike | Vaporfly 4Nike |
|---|---|---|
| Review score | 88/100 (2 reviews) | 95/100 (2 reviews) |
| Type | Race day | Race day |
| Weight (men's UK 8.5) | 128 g | 166 g |
| Heel stack | 26 mm | 35 mm |
| Drop | 4 mm | 6 mm |
| Cushioning | Firm-ish | Balanced |
| Bounce | Bouncy | Springy |
| Plate | Carbon plate | Carbon plate |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Fit | True to size | True to size |
| Widths | standard | standard |
| Waterproof version | No | No |
| UK RRP | £165 | £240 |
Weights are for a men's US 9 / UK 8.5. Prices are UK RRPs; shops often sell for less.
What the critics say
The reviews comparedReviewers find both quick and narrow but suited to different distances. Doctors of Running's Andrea Myers and Matt Klein loved the Nike Streakfly 2 for mile to 5K racing, while Road Trail Run found it harsh when slower. Road Trail Run's testers saw the Nike Vaporfly 4 as best from 5K to half marathon, and Solereview and RunRepeat's Carlos Sánchez found its narrow heel unstable.
Streakfly 2
- Very light and snappy at mile to 10K race paces
- Stiffer plate gives a more responsive toe-off than the original
- Secure, locked-in upper and good grip on dry roads
- The low drop feels near zero or even negative to some testers, which can load the calves
- Harsh and inefficient at easy paces, so very limited versatility
- Exposed foam and outsole raise durability worries
Scores from Road Trail Run, RunRepeat.
Vaporfly 4
- Soft, springy, speed-friendly cushioning
- Locked-in upper that helps you push
- Snappy plate at toe-off
- Unstable at the heel
- Heel hold could be better
Scores from RunRepeat, Road Trail Run.
Paraphrased from published reviews.
What's new in each
Nike Streakfly 2: Adds a full-length carbon Flyplate, which testers found gives a stiffer, more responsive toe-off than the first Streakfly.
Nike Vaporfly 4: About 10% lighter than the Vaporfly 3, with a lower 6 mm drop, a reworked carbon plate, a snugger upper and more outsole rubber up front. Same ZoomX foam.
About each shoe
About the Streakfly 2
At the short end of Nike's racing range, the Streakfly 2 is built for 5K and 10K road races, intervals and track-style sessions. Next to the Vaporfly 4 it is lower and lighter, and it is aimed at shorter distances.
The biggest change from the first Streakfly is a full-length carbon plate, the Flyplate, which the original lacked; it sits behind a large central cutout in the midsole. The ZoomX foam is the same supercritical PEBA formulation RunRepeat identified in the Vaporfly 4, and the heel is lower than before. Rubber is limited to two small heel pods and a forefoot section, leaving the midfoot exposed, while the engineered mesh upper uses wire lacing, a very thin ungusseted tongue and a fixed insole. It weighs 128 g in a men's UK 8.5 and has a 4 mm drop, suiting it to 5K and 10K racing.
Specs and features from runrepeat.com and our own spec data. A factual overview, not a review.
About the Vaporfly 4
Nike calls the Vaporfly the original super shoe, and the fourth version keeps a full ZoomX midsole over a heel-to-toe carbon Flyplate. It is a road racer listed for 5K through to the marathon, sitting between the short-distance Streakfly 2 and the Alphafly 4, Nike's marathon racer, in the brand's range of racing shoes.
Compared with the Vaporfly 3, the carbon plate is reshaped to sit closer to the heel with more curve through the midfoot and forefoot, the stack is lower, and the centre of the midsole is hollowed out to save weight. The drop falls to 6 mm, and the shoe weighs 166 g in a men's UK 8.5. Outsole rubber now runs continuously across the forefoot, the heel borrows a pared-back layout from the Alphafly 3, and a new mesh upper and a removable perforated insole replace the previous design.
Specs and features from runrepeat.com and our own spec data. A factual overview, not a review.
Streakfly 2 vs Vaporfly 4
In short
Two Nike carbon racers for different distances. The Streakfly 2 is very light at 128 g with a low 26 mm heel and 4 mm drop, and reviewers rate it for mile to 10K racing but found it harsh at easy paces. The Vaporfly 4 is taller and softer at 35 mm and 166 g, and reviewers rate it from 10K to the marathon; it costs £75 more.
- Better reviewedVaporfly 4
- LighterStreakfly 2
- CheaperStreakfly 2
- More foamVaporfly 4
- BouncierVaporfly 4
Get the full story
NikeEverything on the Streakfly 2Scores from 2 published reviews, what critics loved and didn't, fit and sizing advice, full specs and today's prices.Explore the Streakfly 2
NikeEverything on the Vaporfly 43 video reviews, scores from 2 published reviews, what critics loved and didn't, fit and sizing advice, full specs and today's prices.Explore the Vaporfly 4More comparisons
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