What’s New and Familiar About the Nike Vaporfly NEXT% 2

The ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% brought the latest in ZoomX cushioning technology to both elite and recreational runners, incorporating a full-length carbon plate for outstanding energy return. The shoe’s second version releases first in a minimalist colorway for Nike members that taps into the workshop lore of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, followed by a wider release of the above Aqua colorway. It adds features through the upper to make the shoe more comfortable and durable, while still keeping the underfoot details that cement its trusted, near-magical reputation among runners who are breaking their own barriers on race day.

Here’s what’s new (and familiar) about the ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2:

What’s New 

• Engineered mesh material in the upper is softer and more breathable than Vaporweave. The mesh better conforms to the foot and helps keep feet cool throughout a race.
• Pockets of padding at the top of the tongue help provide a more comfortable fit and reduce lace pressure.
• Forefoot reinforcement was added for improved containment and durability in high-wear striking areas.

What’s Familiar

• A full-length, articulated carbon plate delivers a propulsive feel and helps promote a smooth transition from stride to stride.
• A wide forefoot midsole helps maximize propulsive feel and ZoomX responsiveness through a stable platform.
• The full-length ZoomX foam provides a lightweight and responsive ride.
• Deep, longitudinal grooves in the rubber outsole help improve traction on different surfaces and in varying racing conditions.
• The 8mm offset helps with stability and energy return

The white colorway of the ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 releases in limited quantities for Nike max members beginning February 28. The Aqua colorway releases on nike.com beginning March 25 in select markets.

Nike Air Max Impact 3 Performance Review

Just because a shoe is released as a “budget model”, doesn’t mean that they are a bad on court performer. There are plenty of “second tier” models that outperform a brand’s signature model, and if you are a hooper, you’ve got to love finding those hidden performance gems.

The Nike Air Max Impact 3 is one of those shoes. The Nike Air Max Impact 3 might not get a lot of attention because there’s no signature athlete attached to them , but I dare say that these outperform most signature shoes. If you’re going to pass on these simply because of the cheaper price and lack of notoriety, then you’re missing out on a great performer.

Traction

Herringbone all day. The traction on the Nike Air Max 2021 was excellent. On indoor courts, they bit the floor really well and even produced a screech every once in a while. I didn’t play on a very clean court either. Outdoors, they offered a ton of grip  as well and were very durable. I have used these extensively outside and there’s little sign of wear. I would highly recommend these for blacktops and concrete. Though there are white and black sections, they performed just the same, though the black section is slightly firmer.

Cushion

One of the first things I do when I get a shoe in is to get a feel for  the cushion, especially if it’s foam. I pressed the Phylon on these and I was blown away by how soft they were. I had to do it repeatedly over the next few minutes all over the shoe because I couldn’t believe what I was feeling. And they just get better and better every time I put them on. In fact, I’m always surprised by how comfortable these feel under foot, especially considering that it’s a budget model. If I had to compare it to anything it would be to a plush slab of Cushlon. It’s definitely more on the soft side of things, but there’s still a bit of bounce that you can feel.

As far as the Air Max unit goes, I couldn’t really feel it at all, but my legs weren’t dead after games so that let me know it was doing its job. Compression lines are also abundant on the shoe, which is always a plus for me. The cushion is by far the most surprising aspect of this shoe.

Materials

It’s exactly what you’d expect from shoes nowadays: a lot of mesh and synthetic felt overlays. There are a few plastic reinforcements on some eyestays but that’s about it. The tongue is thin and not heavily padded. But, for the price point, there’s nothing really surprising here. If anything the build is very similar to the Nike LeBron Witness 6, even sporting the same linear mesh pattern. Fuse is also used on higher wear areas as well as for branding.

Fit

The fit is close to the Nike Giannis Immortality. Narrow footers can go down half a size. But be wary of the rubber pieces that come up on both sides as they can damage the pinky toe. These are definitely wide-footer friendly, though. Wide footers can go true to size. There’s some space for the toes to move and the mesh gets looser with wear. So, true to size for normal to wide-footers and possibly a half size down for narrow-footers.

Support

Support was amazing. I almost tripped and rolled my ankle a couple of times and they caught me just fine. The rubber that comes up on both sides really helps the foot stay on the foot bed, plus you sit within the midsole. If that wasn’t enough, there are heel wings to avoid excessive heel movement. The Air Max unit didn’t cause any instability issues, most likely due to its size. There’s also a really beefy outrigger in the forefoot and a smaller one in the heel. There’s absolutely everything you need and then some. You can play at peace with these.

Overall

The Nike Air Max Impact 3 is one of the best Nike basketball shoes you can get, especially if you’re looking to spend less than $100. The traction worked in all conditions. The cushion was just flat out surprising and can hold up for hours of play. The materials do their job while fit and support work together to leave you with no worries while you play. Even without considering the price, these are certified bad boys.

The Genealogy of Air Jordan Goes Freestyle

Last year paused the annual Doernbecher Freestyle program, but not its sense of possibility, as seen in the uniquely inspired “What The” Doernbecher edition of the classic Air Jordan I Retro High OG model. The AJ I “What The” celebrates the 14 patient-designers from across the genealogy of Air Jordan Doernbecher editions, incorporating elements from each of their original Air Jordan Doernbecher designs.

The Nike and Doernbecher Freestyle event has raised more than $30 million for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital since 2004 to protect the health of children in Oregon, southwest Washington and beyond. For its 17th year, Doernbecher Freestyle releases an unforgettable tribute to former patient-designers, seen through the vault of Air Jordan: an Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher, featuring elements from each of the program’s 14 Air Jordan designs.

“This year, we weren’t able to have patient-designers, but that didn’t stop us from celebrating, because it’s an annual moment that the kids, the sneaker community and Doernbecher circles on their calendars — as well as all of us at the company,” says Eric Sandy, Color Design Director for Jordan Brand. “We took it as an opportunity to celebrate prior patient-designers and their inspiring stories, culminating those details into a ‘What The’ design.”

See How the 14 Designs Appear in the Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher

Sheridan, Air Jordan II Doernbecher (2007) A fan of paisley patterns, Sheridan came together with his Nike team to design and create a custom pattern just for him. Originally applied to the tip and quarter panel of his Air Jordan II, the iconic green paisley now makes a special appearance on the right shoe collar and upper of the AJ 1 “What The” Doernbecher. / Caden, Air Jordan VIII Doernbecher (2014) Caden's reminder to “Be Brave” is prominently placed on the lateral collar overlay on the right Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher, and his flaming basketball graphic adorns the outsole.

Daniel, Air Jordan X Doernbecher (2013) Most prominent on Daniel's original design was the camouflage pattern material that covers the shoe’s upper, and it shows up on the eyestay and under the shoelaces of this year’s shoe. / John, Air Jordan XIII Doernbecher (2015) John’s original design boasts a green and black color scheme inspired by the outfit he wore to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for the first time. His original vibrant green material makes a statement on the vamp of the right AJ I “What The” Doernbecher.

Donovon, Air Jordan XV Doernbecher (2018) A fan of Japanese anime, Donovon wanted his original Air Jordan XV design to represent him as a character in his own anime story. Suede dragon scales covered the shoe’s upper, while bright gold accents represented the hero’s armor. Both elements can be found on the AJ I “What The” Doernbecher’s right tip and shiny Swoosh. / Isaac, Air Jordan V Doernbecher (2012) Isaac's Air Jordan V officially released on September 14, 2013, on what would have been his 14th birthday. The AJ I “What The” Doernbecher celebrates Isaac’s enduring spirit. The material from Isaac’s original design — which features glow-in-the-dark and black-light-activated elements inspired by his love of video games — is included on the quarter panel of the left AJ I.

Damien, Air Jordan VII Doernbecher (2016) Budding rock star Damien added a guitar pick patch on the foxing of his original design, inspired by his favorite guitar, and which includes his initials “DJP.” The patch appears on the left heel foxing of this year's shoe. / Isaiah, Air Jordan IV Doernbecher (2011) The side quarter panel and cupsole of the right shoe features the green from Isaiah's original design, which represents his perseverance through life’s ups and downs. / Jordan, Air Jordan VI Doernbecher (2009) This year’s AJ I “What The” Doernbecher right shoe features a metallic gold collar lining inspired by Jordan’s original design, and his icon “1” logo appears on the heel tab.

Cole, Air Jordan III Doernbecher (2010) Look closely at this year's left shoe collar and outsole to find Cole’s favorite design element: a grid pattern which spells “C-O-L-E” in repetition. / Tony, Air Jordan I Doernbecher (2008) Tony’s original palm trees represent his favorite tropical place, while the angel wing pattern symbolizes everyone, including his family and the Doernbecher team, who supported him during his medical journey. These same angel wings are present on the heel foxing of the left nike air max 2021 and his bright yellow contrast stitching on the Swoosh represents the good times cutting through the bad.

Ethan, Air Jordan XIV Doernbecher (2019) The same vibrant, iridescent material on the quarter panel of Ethan's original design appears on the vamp of this year's left shoe. / Oswaldo, Air Jordan IX Doernbecher (2012) Leaning into Oswaldo's “Little Chicken” nickname from his family, this year's shoe brings his custom-etched, metallic gold and black feather pattern on the tip, eyestay and forefoot overlay.

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Carissa, Air Jordan XII Doernbecher (2017) Carissa's Air Jordan XII design was all spunk, loaded with references to food, pets and colors. That energy is reflected in her design's wild, marbled pink outsole, which appears on the left outsole of the AJ I “What The” Doernbecher.

Sheridan, Air Jordan II Doernbecher (2007) A fan of paisley patterns, Sheridan came together with his Nike team to design and create a custom pattern just for him. Originally applied to the tip and quarter panel of his Air Jordan II, the iconic green paisley now makes a special appearance on the right shoe collar and upper of the AJ 1 “What The” Doernbecher. / Caden, Air Jordan VIII Doernbecher (2014) Caden's reminder to “Be Brave” is prominently placed on the lateral collar overlay on the right Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher, and his flaming basketball graphic adorns the outsole.

In honor of the 17th year of the program, only 17 pairs of the Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher were created. The first Air Jordan I “What The” Doernbecher, with a custom lasered box, was auctioned off during the Virtually Freestyle event on Feb. 25. The remaining 16 pairs will later be auctioned on eBay, and all proceeds from the sale of the AJ1 “What The” Doernbecher pairs will benefit OHSU Doernbecher patients and staff in a variety of different ways – from the delivery of advanced clinical treatment to the emotional support that helps to lift spirits and spread hope.

The KD 14 Brings Back the Strap

Reintroducing a strap to Kevin Durant’s signature line for the first time since the KD7, the KD14 combines a chill, sportswear-inspired vibe with a full-length Zoom Air Strobel set up for serious responsiveness.

One constant in Durant's line has been his curiosity to explore a wide design filter from season to season, spanning sleek low-tops that resemble football boots, plush sock racers and ’90s-style power mids. When Durant reaches back into the vault and resurrects a feature, like the strap, he knows the familiarity will serve him well when he takes the court.

“It’s been a while since we incorporated the strap, which excites me,” says Durant. “My other favorite part about the shoe is the cushioning, which helps me feel low to the ground and still helps give me some of that energy back.”

The strap itself is a familiar sight, but the build is rich with Nike heritage. The design of the simplified one-piece midfoot strap, especially on the medial side, was inspired by the Nike Air max.. The thin, elongated Swoosh is a nod to the original Bruin model. The engineered mesh upper means that graphics can be uniquely layered for detailed colorway options, covering topics like art, music and more.  

The KD14 releases in the Black/White colorway starting April 10 around the globe, and April 14 in North America. The KD14 Cyber colorway releases April 11 in Greater China only.

Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature Review

Images of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature leaked a few weeks back and our running audience has asked one question over and over. Is the Alphafly Next Nature a running shoe or a casual shoe?

The short answer is the Alphafly Next Nature is meant to be a performance running shoe. In this case, one focused on long distance racing just like the previous Alphafly and Jordans. I do have a couple areas where I’m not sure if the Next Nature will perform as well as the regular version of the Alphafly, but I’ll get into that. If you need a refresher, click here to read the performance review of the original Nike Alphafly Next%. Now, let’s talk about the new Alphafly Next Nature

First Impressions

The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature packs all the same cushioning tech as the Alphafly Next%. A ZoomX midsole, full length carbon fiber plate and two large volume forefoot Zoom Air Bags. The high performing rubber outsole is the same as well. The basics that made the Alphafly the shoe to help Eliud Kipchoge break the 2 hour marathon barrier are all there. But it has some differences as well.

The insole (or sockliner) is now made with recycled ZoomX. We’ve seen a similar type of insole previously on the Nike air max 2021 USA Medal Stand and the Space Hippie line. The problem with the ZoomX insoles is they’re very slippery, and so far, haven’t been performance-oriented. It also takes a long time to get them to mold to your foot shape. Hopefully Nike did something to the top side to nullify the slick coating that’s usually present on the recycled ZoomX. And from the pictures, the top of the insole doesn’t look like raw ZoomX so I’m hopeful this got done.

But all that recycled ZoomX is not a bad thing. The Alphafly Next Nature is 50% total recycled content by weight. That absolutely blows away Nike’s record for a performance model using recycled materials. The previous record was set by the Nike Cosmic Unity basketball shoe with 25% total recycled content by weight. That’s a big jump. And even if you believe Nike just does its recycling efforts for cost savings or marketing, they’re moving fast to create less waste. And that’s a really good thing in a world where the climate crisis is showing up in our lives almost daily.

The last big change from the Alphafly Next% to the Alphafly Next Nature is the upper material. The Alphafly Next% used Atomknit, a steamed and stretched version of Flyknit. The Alphafly Next Nature uses a hybrid Flyprint and Flyknit upper. And the Flyprint is made partly from leftover Zoom Air pod waste. Flyprint is a way to make textile uppers stronger in all the right places. So theoretically, this new upper could provide as support that’s just as good as Atomknit but be more comfortable due to regular Flyknit getting used alongside the Flyprint.

Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature Conclusion

While there’s a couple of things I want to feel on foot first, namely the ZoomX insole and the new upper, the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next Nature is clearly a true race day running shoe despite the 50% recycled material. We’ll see if it can perform quite as well as the original recipe Alphafly, but even if it doesn’t match those lofty standards, it’ll get very close. And if shoe companies can keep using more and more recycled materials and get performance that’s basically the same? That’s a win for all of us that want the sneaker industry to be more sustainable.