Nike Air Zoom AlphaFly Next% 1 vs 2 | Shoe Battle After 250km

[@chrismackenzie28]

Hey Tim , long time runner and almost same age, I’ve only had the v1 of the Alphaflys (2 pair) and for me they are by far head and shoulders better than any other shoe I’ve tried over the years. If you adapt you style to push off those air pods you get free speed imo.

[@davidh5429]

They are also pretty amazing for sprint training on hard surfaces if you have no track nearby. Amazing cushioning.

[@RunTall]

Hey Chris. I agree, the more I was able to strike the ground on the air pods the more I was getting back from them. They are a fun shoe to run in! Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!

[@greglummis]

They last way longer than other shoes. I've got 700km on one of my A1's and they still have life in them. Not the same pop, but still lots of cushion for long runs.

[@RunTall]

Hey Greg. That's awesome. Thanks for sharing. I plan to put a lot more miles in these before that are retired. Have a great day.

[@stealtherider3008]

Good review! The intro music improved too! I had the same experience regarding the V1 and V2 as well, most specially the bruised toe on V1. I’ll probably use the V2 in my next marathon too this coming November. Good luck on your upcoming marathons.

[@RunTall]

Hey thanks Stealth. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Good luck with your next Marathon!!! Have fun.

[@TolunayOrkun]

Great comparison. I ran Houston Marathon this year in Alphafly 1. Before that I ran 2x20 miles in them too, so I knew I wouldn't have any issues but as you noted I was impressed how fresh my legs were after such long-distance runs. In my current training cycle, I am rotating my original AF1 with NB RC Elite v2 but I will run my next Marathon in the new pair of AF1 that I bought on deep discount when AF2 came out. As for the wear, my gait is not as good as yours (especially when I get tired) so my AF1 might not last as long. I do have wear on lateral strip of the heel, and I am trying to keep it protected using Shoe Goo/Gorilla tape. At some point I might explore taking it to a shoe repair shop and have the strips replaced by a more durable rubber. Those strips are actually rubberized EVA so they are not designed to be very durable. I wouldn't worry about creasing on the ZoomX (PEBA) foam. They crease a bit but still have great energy return. Still to get maximal performance on this shoe, you need to land right on the air pods. They provide consistent bounce and energy return than just foam alone.

[@RunTall]

Hey thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience Tolunay. Great info. I really appreciate you keeping the conversation going. I recently picked up the adidas Adios Pro 3 to test. I'm curious how they will stack up against the AlphaFly's and VaporFly as a possible Marathon contender. Have a great day.

[@TolunayOrkun]

@@RunTall I recently picked an Adios Pro 3 on discount as well. I have not run in them yet, but I will soon. It is surprisingly wide fit (especially at the toebox)

[@maximilianklein2062]

The V2 don't make sense to me. While they may be great for many runners, they are nothing I'd ever buy. If I wanted a shoe with 8mm offset, more comfortability for the arch and a less aggressive "pop" from the ground, I'd buy the Vaporfly as they offer the same feeling for less weight. The V1 however were for those runners with a lot of foot strengths and strong achilles tendons....it's such a shame they were discontinued.

[@RunTall]

Hey thanks for taking the time to share you insight and experience. I am with you. At the moment, the Alpha V1 is my go to Marathon shoe. I guess we need to lookout for sales on the Alpha V1 and snap them up while we can. Have a great day.

[@gabem.2249]

Excellent comparison Tim! I have been looking for a similar comparison, but yours is very thorough 👏 Also, I appreciate the body glide advice 👍will try that. And once more, congrats on that marathon! 👍👍👍

[@RunTall]

Thanks Gabe. I really appreciate it. Have a great day!

[@mratran]

Thanks Tim for this video. I was debating between the two. Looks like both are great shoes for all runners due to the comfort and durability.

[@RunTall]

Hi Anthony. Yes they are. II ended up wearing the V1’s to run the Detroit Marathon and plan to wear them in Boston this year. Have a great day. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@timtrenholm3698]

Congratulations on the great result and training block! The training block video series is great content. I own the Alphafly V1, had the same arch discomfort as some people when standing in the them but it completely goes away when running in them. Wore them for a few 5km to great results, before finally testing them at a half marathon race where I PR'd by nearly 5mins with about 40sec negative split on the back half. I also use the Tempo Next% (200+km) in them and they work well for me as the perfect AlphaFly training partner (air pod familiarity). Really tempted to pickup a 2nd pair of V1's since I suspect I will find the V2 just alittle too tame at shorter distances. Still great at the marathon, but not nearly as effective as the V1 feels at all distances, for me.

[@RunTall]

Hey Tim. That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience in them. I just bought the Tempo Next%. I’m looking forward to giving them a try. Have a great day.

[@kit7579]

@@RunTall so did you like Tempo Next%? How does it compared to alphafly 1 and 2?

[@ericpacia757]

Run with both with same route and same distance , maybe half and see which is faster . Thanks for the review.

[@RunTall]

Thanks so much for watching. I greatly appreciate it. Have a great day.

[@bev9708]

Big CONGRATS on your marathon Tim!! And great comparison, very interesting! Just last weekend I ran a marathon in the Alphafly V1 for the first time, and loved it but definitely felt it hard in the calves in the last 10km, they really felt like they were gonna cramp up, but held out!! I managed a 24min PB!!😀🏃🏻‍♀💪🏻😃 KZbinrs seem to either love or hate the V2, and your review seems more fair!! Since I love the V1 so much I decided not to take any chances and took advantage of some great deals on the V1 to snaggle a second pair for only €123!!

[@RunTall]

That’s great Bev. I’m glad you like them. And wow, that is a great deal. It’s always nice to get a good buy on running shoes. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!

[@bev9708]

@@RunTall So true!! It’s against my principles to pay full price 😂😂

[@TolunayOrkun]

Bev, were you coming from higher drop shoes? AF1 almost feels like a negative drop shoe because heel compresses more while standing up than the front of the shoe and that is more taxing to the calves. While running at pace it is not an issue unless you are a heel striker (or heel striker when tired like me) AF1 really wants you to lean forward and land on the air pods each time.

[@bev9708]

@@TolunayOrkun SO TRUE!!! Yes it does indeed feel like negative drop and yes I am a heel striker and yet I just love them anyway!! I do prefer low drop shoes but you're right, most of my training was definitely in higher drop shoes than the AF... good point for my next training block!! Actually I recently snagged a new pair of AF1 for only €123, so I can do more training in my old pair. Thanks Tolunay, that's helpful!!

[@sonomagoo]

Thank you very much for your review 👍🏻 very appreciated!

[@RunTall]

No problem it was my pleasure! I’m glad you liked it. Have a great day.

[@gmezg]

Great review. Keep it up!

[@RunTall]

Glad you liked it! Happy Holidays. Have a great weekend and stay safe.

[@vacationmode6286]

Great video really helpful. Nice job on the marathon!🎉

[@RunTall]

Hey thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I had a great time. The AlphaFly V1 didn't disappoint! Have a great day .

[@McLeod573]

Hi Tim...great comparison ...i did my last Marathon on october9th with the V2 orange 😍...really enjoyed them...a bit heavier but more stable and better lacing system i think...😉👏👏👏🇫🇷

[@RunTall]

I totally agree with you on the lacing system. It’s much better than on V1. Have a great day!

[@anthony7828]

Excellent video! I just ordered a pair of alphafly next % Ekiden originals. Also on sale here in Canada. $304.99 + tax $345. Haven’t arrived yet but excited. Also, will have to use them after a recent ankle sprain heals up. 🤦‍♂️ Next pair I’d love to add to my collect… next to my Mach 5, new balance 1080v12 and Bodi 8 - the new balance supercomp fuelcell. Again, great video, Tim and I’m looking forward to a video on what type of clothing to wear for outdoor cold day runs.

[@RunTall]

Awesome. Let me know how you like them. I'm really happy with their performance. It did take a while for me to enjoy them as much as I do. It was not love at first run. But now I can say, they are one of my favorites. I just picked up the adidas Adios Pro 3 to test. I've been wanting to see how these stack up against the AlphaFly. I've also been wanting to pickup the NB Supercomp and now the Supercomp Elite when my budget allows it. Have a great day.

[@anthony7828]

@@RunTall finally got I the treadmill today. Used the alphafly next% - AMAZING!!!!! Love them but disappointed to see the back of the right shoe, heel separating from the upper. Sending them back. For this sort of money $350 almost Canadian spent…. I don’t think it’s fare I have to repair them with gorilla glue.

[@RunTall]

Sorry to hear that. I have just started running in the adidas Adizero Adios Pro. Have you tried them? They are comparable to the AlphaFly and right now you can find them on sale. Thanks for sharing! Have a great day.

[@m.ch4rmaland3r10]

I got the same ad you with the brushed toe nail especially the left big one. I am pretty sure it was the volume I did on the AF1. Glad you did not get it on v2

[@RunTall]

Thanks for sharing. I appreciate it. Have a great day!

[@raysollarsthehappyjogger5907]

Well Tim, I don't have a dog in this race but being a certified Shoe Geek, I always love a good shoe battle. Meanwhile, Atreyu just came out with a limited edition Saffron color Artist. I have a friend who did a 3:30 in Chicago recently in the Artist. Hey... :-)

[@RunTall]

Hey thanks Ray. That’s a very solid time. The pace group I ran with were all wearing a variety of shoes. Some with Carbon plates and many others without. It’s about finding the right shoe that works best for you. It’s really fun trying new shoes to find the right ones 😀

[@roberttaylor8514]

Hi Tim, great video as always. What plan were you using to train for the Detroit Marathon? Where did you find a size V1 Alphafly?

[@RunTall]

Hi Robert. The plan is from Garmin. It's free. If you have a Garmin watch the plan will sync with it so when you go to run it will already have your workout available for you to choose.You can find it by going to connect.garmin.com. I went with the self guided Intermediate Marathon plan that has be working out (typically) 5 days a week. You start by running 4 days a week with a cross training day. There are some points in the training block that are a double so you'll run and do cross training. I will be using this same plan to prepare for both Boston and Chicago Marathons in 2023. I'll start a new training block for Boston December 26th. I am currently running these workouts to maintain and to prepare for the 5K Holiday races coming up. I bought both of my AlphaFly V1's directly from Nike. The first time they were on sale for $204 U.S. dollars and the second time they had an even better sale and I picked them up for $139 US. dollars. I could pass them up at that price. Have a great day. Let me know if you have any issues finding the Training Plan.

[@fledsongarcia]

Excelente vídeo 👏👏

[@RunTall]

Thanks I appreciate it. Have a great day!

[@garysailors]

Hey Tim, since I have 3 pair of the v1, I won’t be getting the v2 any time soon but have a question. Some reviewers have expressed a belief that the v2 ZoomX is a slightly different formulation which has robbed it of some of the fun the v1 brings. What are your thought on that? Maybe a bit more dense (this the apparent less compression) in the v2?

[@RunTall]

Hi Gary. I think that's a very real possibility. The ZoomX in V2 does seem more durable. I don't have near as much sign of wear in them (compression marks) as I do in V1. I do think they will last longer but they just don't feel as fast for me. Have a great day.

[@toni194]

Interesting shoe battle. I have Vaporfly Next% 2 and Alphafly 1 for my marathons. Last Sunday I ran Amsterdam Marathon with Alphaflys (1) but I definitely felt the low drop after 20 miles. My calves where quite sore and I started to heel strike. I think I will run my next marathon with Vaporfly. Can you feel Alphafly 2’s 8mm drop? Does it feel agressive like Vaporfly? Does it keep you on your toes for the whole marathon?

[@junglisttt]

Feels the same to me dropwise. Tried one on each foot

[@RunTall]

Hi Toni. I thought the AlphaFly V2 would feel more like the VaporFly Next% 2 because of the drop but they didn’t to me. The VaporFly is a great choice. I really enjoy them. Good luck with your Marathon!!!

[@TolunayOrkun]

While Nike claims AF2 has 8mm drop, some reviewers measured the drop closer to 6-6.5mm. So, I think AF1 and AF2 probably will feel similar to most people.

[@raul3450]

Nice video 😎

[@MrMeMyselfandI]

I know it’s hard to do a true comparison (exact conditions etc) but which would you say has you running faster?

[@RunTall]

The original version feels faster to me. I feel like I’m getting a little more help and energy back from them. Have a great day.

[@brendalogan3784]

Yeah, 1 cat. Thank you!

[@RunTall]

Bella is always offering to help with my videos. Have a great day Brenda!!!!