NIKE VAPORFLY 2 VS. PUMA FAST-R: SUPER SHOE BATTLE

Shop the Puma FAST-R at ProDirect: tidd.ly/3gAmY1G
In todays video i share my full first impressions review of the Puma Fast-R, the latest carbon racing shoe from Puma and compare it to one of the greats the Nike Next% Vaporfly 2. I discuss whether Pumas latest offering to the competitive marathon racing shoe market can compete with the best. If you enjoyed this video, please leave a like and consider subscribing from more running related content.
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[@timtrenholm3698]

Fast-R comes across as a race version of the Nike Tempo Next%, where the difference in the plate would allow the Fast-R to really give back as you load up that mid/forefoot. I already own the Deviate Elite, and for anything 5/10k it's a dream. For the Half and Full it's the Alphafly V1. And the Tempo Next% for intervals or long runs with race pace sections which gives a nice familiarity of running on the air pods for when I put on my rarely used Alphaflys.

[@jameswestmoreland9717]

Cool to see the turntable as the platform for showing the shoes.

[@BamainMn]

I used the FastR in my last marathon because I get wobbly and can get some soreness at the back of my ankle/Achille area. I can say I didn’t think of the shoe and is comfortable, especially with my flatter feet. My go-to marathon shoe. However I ran a half in the Vaporfly for first time and could feel , maybe some propulsion, in the last couple miles when I had to push it.

[@caiocipolatti3030]

Nice! Just did my 10km pb in the zoom fly 4, my first carbon plate shoe! 45:11, a couple of months after a 52:39 at my first 10km race

[@BenIsRunning]

That’s some great progress. Sure it wasn’t all don’t to the shoe though :)

[@laszlokovacs9596]

For maraton distance: nike alphafly 1, for shorter distance: vaporfly 2

[@BenIsRunning]

This was very much my answer a few months back but thinking of switching it up for the marathon this time :)

[@rizontherun9684]

How bout half marathon?

[@laszlokovacs9596]

@@rizontherun9684 for shorter distance: vaporfly 2

[@laszlokovacs9596]

@@BenIsRunning I only have one maraton experience (Budapest_2022) 3:44, but Under preparations (some long distance: 20-36K) alphafly always keep my leg fresh! over 30K -vaporfly does not work for me!

[@rossgrant5849]

Love the look of these crazy puma’s!

[@BenIsRunning]

They certainly stand out

[@creativechimp03]

Ben great vid and comparison. How would you say the Puma stacks up against the Saucony Pro 3?

[@SpencerMahon]

I have both and I tend to use the VF2 as a workout shoe. I like the feeling of the Fast-R on race day. I ran my PB in the half in TT in 2020 because of the pandemic in Endorphin v1s from Saucony. So I think my stride likes an aggressive racing shoe and I feel the Fast-R is aggressive racing shoe.

[@BenIsRunning]

Yeah I’d agree with you there. I personally fee comfortable at most paces in the vaporfly but the puma feels a lot better at faster speeds. I’m surprised that a fair few people have said they got a pair as I don’t think I’ve seen any runners in them on the recent startlines

[@microwave0152]

am liking that colour on the vaga cap today

[@BenIsRunning]

Thanks, it’s a new one :)

[@infernoztar4235]

As a 1500M runner I barely run long distance, only like 2x a 5K per year but I use the Vaporfly 2 for that :)

[@martinkelsen6049]

Nice review. Nike shoes are just not wide enough for my healthy natural foot shaped feet, so I would be interested to see a review of the Altra Vanish Carbon, and see how you find its racing performance. My experiences on the treadmill are that the Altra are as fast as my Saucony Endorphin Pro 3, but that the grip in the wet and the longevity of the Saucony is better. However, I'd say the benefits of a zero drop shoe and the ability to let the toes and feet spread, and accommodate wider feet, give the Altra my vote. The Altra is also supremely stable for a carbon shoe. In terms of non carbon shoes I recently purchased the Topo Athletic Specter, which is a really nice shoe, among the fastest non carbon shoes, nice Altra style natural foot shape, and with a carbon style feel, so great for non race day faster efforts and longer runs.

[@johnwardlaw6204]

Currently, I’m set to race a marathon in the Asics Metaspeed Sky Plus.

[@Svekke89]

My first Carbon shoe was the Hoka rocket X. I hitted nice PR's on the 10mile and marathon distance. Since summer switched to Nike vaporfly 2. The pr's went faster by a few minutes. The overall ride during the race was much comfortable with the vaporfly (compared to rocket X)

[@BenIsRunning]

Yes the cpaorfly is certainly in a different league to the hoka rocket x. Hopefully hoka will be bringing out a more competitive option soon

[@jewishmedroso4772]

agree

[@markhill8590]

Should try through X2s it's faster than the vaporfly 😊

[@cesarzoghbi4695]

For these 2 years i wore the adidas Adizero Pro, now i bought the Adizero Adios Pro 3 and is going tobe my race shoe for all 2023 begining with a 5 k this December and an Half Marathon at the end of January

[@BenIsRunning]

Great stuff! That shoe really comes into its own on my long runs when my legs get tired. Very comfortable

[@robcaseyire]

Just got a pair of vaporfly 2 on sale (black & gold). just went for one short steady run so far, they are so different to my daily trainers, they'll take some getting used to! (Mizuno wave inspire 17)

[@Alh359]

In the USA you can find Vaporfly Next% 2 all over the internet for less than $140 USD, but the Puma Fast-R it sold out everywhere.

[@stephenrobinson4449]

My favourite is still the Vaporfly4% Flyknit. Tried all the variations of the VF and AF and keep coming back to my faithful 4% FK's. I find the higher stack of the VF next's and AF to be a hinderance to my foot strike. Also I dislike the offset lacing structure on the VF Next. I made a VF Next iD with Flyknit upper and made a huge difference to the fit of the shoe. Even with that, in my use case (up to Half Marathon) the VF 4% FK is still the king.

[@BenIsRunning]

I never actually tried that shoe. Believe it or not I wasn’t really into running yet when that shoe came out :)

[@stephenrobinson4449]

@@BenIsRunning 🤣 I just bought two pairs on EBay / StockX one arrived the day before my recent weekend Half Marathon , I put them on and it they were fantastic...

[@dpeddler123]

I got a new 5k pb in the Fast-r (19.14) and marathon pb in Dublin (3.30). The thing I liked best was that the comfort was supreme thoughout, just the right amount of squish and bounce - love them!

[@BenIsRunning]

Ah awesome! I’ve not tested them over the longer distance but great to hear you got on well with them. Have you tried any other carbon shoes out of interest?

[@dpeddler123]

@@BenIsRunning Hi Ben, a number of them, Vaporfly Next 2%, Adios Pro 2, Endorphin Pro Plus and Takumi Sen 8 (if that counts). It was a close call as I wasn't sure which ones to pick, these were the most comfortable (fit and ride) but the thing that swung it was the rocket printed into the inside of the tounge - that means they must be fast right! 😁

[@BenIsRunning]

@@dpeddler123 oh nice one! So safe to say you’ve tried a fair few. The upper on these are great, very snappy underfoot too! I did notice that, great touch

[@dpeddler123]

@@BenIsRunning I'm really pleased you like them, a number of reviewers have been a bit dismissive of them, so I was thinking 'why can't they see what I'm seeing' even the box they come in is special, nice one Ben 👍

[@angistone-macdonald6283]

I want to get excited about the Fast-r, but you can’t get it in the US and I messaged Puma and they said they won’t be carrying at all this season and didn’t know when. It is hard to get excited when you can’t get a shoe unless you get it for review from the company or seemed to be more available in UK and Europe. I love my velocity nitro 2 as a daily trainer and wanted to try the fast-r.

[@scottcockburn9112]

The only nike shoe I’ve liked is the invincible run. The streakfly has grown on me for track sessions but not my go to shoe. Im really glad shoe brands are competing with and in my opinion beating nike nike. I think it will be awhile until we stop seeing a sea of Vaporfly at the start if any race but adios pro 3 is gaining popularity and is my go to shoe for racing

[@TuckerWittenberg376]

Is there any difference in the Ekiden version of vaporfly 2? Or is it just the color?

[@jameswest8752]

Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 - have set huge PB’s over 5k, 10k and 1/2 Marathon in this show. Will be upgrading to the Speed 3 for when my race season starts next April 🏃🏻‍♂️

[@jamesdrury6627]

Check the review on Speed 3. It's slightly heavier and slower according to most reviews. So might not be the upgrade you expect for races 👍

[@DenisYT27]

@@jamesdrury6627 and worse fit, higher in the arch area. They ruined the shoes. Pro 3 on the other hand are an improvement!

[@jameswestmoreland9717]

One of the Doctors of Running shoe tubers suggested that the spring forward component night be too fast for some. What is your thought? Can the spring forward be too fast there?

[@Baldpoodle]

I use the adizero takumi sen 8 and I have just ordered a pair of the puma fast-r ....what would you recommed over the two?

[@James-em1pq]

Would be very curious to see a video on your diet! As a very much amateur runner I feel that my food should 100% be better than it is, and that it is letting me down haha

[@BenIsRunning]

I’m not very strict with my diet. Overall I’d say it’s pretty balanced but I love a good takeaway once a week, the odd couple of beers and chocolate. Good to fuel is my motto :) if you’ve done a long run, treat yourself to a can of coke 🤙🏼

[@thor5204]

Hey Ben!

[@BenIsRunning]

Hello 👋🏻

[@yijuntey]

Im rlly contemplating whether to get the vaporfly or not, its perfect for me (at least from trying it in the store) but i just want something more durable in terms of the midsole foam and outsole and heard a lotta ppl say that its not that durable. Anyone can give some input on this?

[@TimGrose]

No sign of the Puma Fast-R in my size UK 13 so that's a bit of a non starter for me! Also the NEXT% 2 is often to be found somewhat less than RRP these days and not just in orange! Have to say though that if your preference is for the NEXT% 2 and you have never raced a marathon in the Puma isn't that a win for one over the other?

[@Theveteranrunner]

It’s funny that other brands are finally catching up to what Nike did in 2019. The vaporfly v1 and v2 are essentially the same. People say it got firmer in v2 but I don’t know about that. I do prefer the upper in v1 over v2. But, I have a feeling that the Vaporfly v3 is going to take the next jump and put shoes like the Fast-R in the dust once again. But, we shall see. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@DuncanEpping]

Vaporfly is now available on Nike’s website for 150! Guessing just this week though.

[@TuckerWittenberg376]

yupp. I capitalized on that lol

[@teewaikay]

just got them on Nike app for US$130/GBP110! cant wait for them to arrive

[@bh4560]

I have 2 pairs of vaporfly 2 one pair of alphafly 1s.. and I would love to give the fast r a go now. I use the puma velocity nitro 2s as my everyday miles shoe and speed 2s for tempo efforts.

[@BenIsRunning]

Sounds like you’ve got yourself a good rotation there. I’ve not actually tried the nitro 2 yet but heard really good things, especially for its price point

[@bh4560]

@@BenIsRunning yes I paid 80 for them which is really great for such an all-rounder. I had the version 1 too so really love what puma are doing right now bud.

[@kwd-2023]

I'd think it must be hard to do a 100% honest review of a shoe from a company that has treated you so well. Can't say that I could do it totally honestly.

[@sx99cornell]

You should compare these two with Skechers' Go RUN Speed Freek.

[@kierenkd]

NIKE UK was selling Nike VF for £101 with a 15% 3rd party cashback last week. So less than £86 delivered. Its virtually impossible to be tempted by any other brands, especially when they cost so much more

[@jvn1622]

Vaporflys are my favorite, and own 2 pairs.

[@BenIsRunning]

They certainly are very reliable :)

[@Chav_naylor]

How would you compare the Puma Fast R to the Adidas Adios Pro 3?

[@BenIsRunning]

The pro 3 for me is very much a marathon pace/ long run shoe. It’s a little clunky and not as nibble as the puma fastR or vaporfly. It does however offer more protection in my experience. Adios is my go to long run shoe for 25-35km distance for that reason

[@jorge-mendes]

Adios pro 3, is my carbon running shoes

[@ethanleier8530]

Is there a minimum pace requirement at the marathon distance that you'd say runners benefit from wearing carbon-plated racing shoes? Or would you say they benefit runners across all paces?

[@BenIsRunning]

I personally think that carbon racing shoes will improve the efficiency of runners or all abilities. They don’t however replace hard work in the training 😂

[@timothytrewin]

At first I went for the alphafly on raceday for half marathon but it was not suited to my feet, crazy blisters under my arches 😣 but now the vaporflys are definitely my go to and I think they will only feel better as I get faster. Interested to see how the vaporfly 3 performs when it comes out. Nice verses video, I'm definitely intrigued by this Fast-R especially being a slight heel striker.

[@BenIsRunning]

I’ve had the same issue with alphaflys but it’s been manageable for me and goes away after I break them in. You can’t go wrong with a vaporfly but reckon you’d get in well with the puma as I’m also a mid/heel striker

[@timothytrewin]

@@BenIsRunning yeah I've heard a lot of others had problems with the alpha's. I'm going to have to get those Fast-R on my feet at some stage, I trust your judgement haha

[@trandaiihoang]

Xét theo tổng thể từ độ bền, độ êm, độ nảy Thì đôi nào mang đi marathon ok hơn ạ

[@bobotmeister]

i have the alphafly 1. The narrow midfoot fit kills it for me. the foam supports half of my arch.😆 never bought the vaporfly since they were also supposedly made for narrow feet. I have the adios pro 2, og prime x, deviate nitro elite and fast-r. All of these fit fine. too bad for me.

[@sunsetpastimes4113]

Will you be wearing alphaflys in Valencia? Secondly, will you be meeting up with Ben Parkes and Matt Rees while you're there?

[@BenIsRunning]

Tbc, as I’m aiming to run at 3:20/km I’m actually finding the the vaporfly feeing a little better of late but the alphafly is my good faithful. And no plans to meet up as such but I’m sure I’ll see them on the start line :)

[@sunsetpastimes4113]

Just snapped up my first pair of vaporflys for 112€ on Nike's black Fridayy offer. Never thought I'd be able to afford a pair.

[@teetertotter5787]

Style 100000% matters!!! Totally makes you faster!

[@BenIsRunning]

100% got to be confident in them ;)

[@fireman3857]

I am curious what your opinion is on the Puma nitro elite

[@BenIsRunning]

I’ve never tried them

[@skobodabaws8946]

it's a shit shoe 😁too low

[@markhill8590]

Just bought a pair of these for 125 pounds!! I personally hate the vaporfly so hoping Puma works better

[@jennysmith8835]

Hope you are recovering okay, still sound like you have a bit of a cold,

[@BenIsRunning]

Thank you Jenny! I do yes but hopefully will be a think of the past in a few more day, definitely over the worst of it :)

[@Jake-kd2xu]

I wonder why all the SuperShoes are doing this "swoosh" thing at the back of the show. Making it look more aerodynamic. It seemed to be a Nike thing but somehow all SuperShoes, (with the exception of the Adios Pro) are utilizing this same marketing, as I doubt it actually has anything to do with performance.

[@ericbeall7675]

So I have my first 5k race coming up on Thursday morning. I was 300 lbs (136 kg) just a year ago and have lost a load of weight down to 170 (77kg). I attribute this all to running and healthier eating. My best time for a 5k is right at 25 mins 12 seconds. I’ve been running 10-20k a day for the past couple of months and am wondering how much I should lower that with these last three days before race day to have the best chance at being fresh.

[@timbattershall1679]

Eric, if you’ve been doing that much just relax, put your feet up and you’ll fly on race day.

[@ericbeall7675]

@@timbattershall1679 thank you, I’m taking my first rest day in months today and will have a small run tomorrow to make sure my legs are primed and ready to go for race day

[@BenIsRunning]

Hi Eric, first of all that’s great to hear you’ve really found the love for running. My general rule for the week before a 5k race is to run half of my peak volume week of the training block. If your highest mileage is 60, then race week you want to aim for 30 with the race included in that total. Best of luck with the race

[@ericbeall7675]

@@BenIsRunning thank you so much, I seem to have overdone my last few days. I’ll take today off and run low and slow tomorrow and be ready for race day hopefully!

[@ericbeall7675]

@@BenIsRunning had my first 5k race today. My previous personal best was 25min 12 second, and I blew past that today and got to 23min 58 seconds. Thanks for the tips!

[@akremamara8349]

I tried to give the vaporfly next 1 a try after hearing all the hype about it and I was extremely disappointed! I went true to size and they were a lil tight, too stiff and not flexible which caused me blisters and 2 blue nails. I was still believing the hype so I kept the pair and I said it will break it after a few wears, but unfortunately the soleplate cracked all alone after a short period. I contacted Niked customer service and they were amazing so they took the pair and I gave me a refund. Being thankful to the brank for the good treatment, I decided to try the vaporfly next 2 this time and I was really disappointed again. The pair showcased a poor build quality with some construction flaws, some glue on the foam and the shoe's esthetics messed up. I returned the pair and I bought 3 pairs of Asics with the same amount of money.

[@edwardwilliammorris1340]

I'm with you, I have 8 pairs of asics in my 14 pair rotation. They are the best all rounders and also reach high mileage easily 👍

[@legitlee8359]

Out of my vapourflys,alphaflys and endorphin pro 3's my endorphins trump the lot. I guess it's down to personal preference

[@BenIsRunning]

That’s really interesting to hear! For me personally I find the pro 3 a little soft at fast paces but comfort in them is unmatched

[@legitlee8359]

@BenIsRunning I prefer them with a bit more cushioning. I've just got a pair of adios Pro 3's which I'm looking forward it trying out. I've heard good things about them

[@wockodiddlo]

Vaporfly2's can currently be purchased on sale here (Australia) for AU$180 vs $400 for the new Puma's. For less than half, I'll stick with the VF's

[@girirajnegi2108]

Puma rocking

[@jobanski]

Gah! Not first!

[@BenIsRunning]

Close but no cigar 🚬

[@jonathanweatherill1029]

Vaporfly 2 for £105 on black Friday.

[@fabsterun]

First

[@BenIsRunning]

🎉🎉🎉

[@fabsterun]

@@BenIsRunning my current favourite shoe of the year is the puma deviate nitro 2 . It's just perfect for my level 👌🏼 even won the race in them but I guess that's because I wore the Benji socks all day and for the warm-up

[@jackjack8205]

How much is puma paying you Ben? 🤣

[@BenIsRunning]

Nothing but I do have good relationship with the puma pr team so can’t pretend to be completely unbiased. Honest review 🙌🏻

[@junglisttt]

Nice video 👊👊 Alphafly Fast-R then? You prefer the alpha over the vapors i do recall? 🥷

[@BenIsRunning]

The alphafly 1 is still probably my favourite all time yes but have been drifting more towards a less clunky feeing shoe like the vaporfly/ Metaspeed of late

[@junglisttt]

@@BenIsRunning Yeah i hear you. Always good to Switch it up:)