Nike Vaporfly 4 vs Nike Alphafly 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.

Designed for half-marathons, marathons and other long road races, the Alphafly 4 is Nike's long-distance racing shoe and replaces the Alphafly 3. It differs from the lower Vaporfly 4 by adding forefoot Air Zoom units to its ZoomX and carbon plate construction.

The headline change is a new ZoomX LT layer, which Nike calls the lightest version of its most responsive cushioning and says is up to 17 per cent lighter than standard ZoomX. It sits over standard ZoomX foam, with added cushioning beneath the curved forefoot. The Air Zoom units are updated for the first time in the Alphafly's history, and Nike describes them as softer and quieter. A wide carbon-fibre Flyplate is intended to keep the shoe stable over the full distance. The Atomknit upper gains open-hole mesh zones and midfoot cables, Fast Shot rubber covers the outsole, and the drop is 8 mm.

Specs and features from nike.com, fleetfeet.com and our own spec data. A factual overview, not a review.