Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Mens Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Womens
	Full Name: Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5
	Category: Cushioning
	Weight: 11.6 oz. (330 gr.)
	Suggested Price: 130$
	Recommended For: Under pronators, male and female runners who like/need a very cushioned, soft ride.

UPDATE!We reviewed the Nike Zoom Vomero+ 6 !

• Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 General Info:

The Nike Zoom Vomero is a cushioning shoe that – in a relatively short amount of time – conquered the hearts (and feet) of an amazing number of runners. Known for its soft and unique cushioning, it is now at the fifth edition and is as usual presented in both a mens and a womens specifically engineered version. The new Vomero 5 presents Zoom Air cushioning both in the heel and the forefoot, a redesigned midfoot section and updates to the fit.

• Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Sole Unit:

The Vomero is undoubtfully a benchmark in terms of cushioning. Consistant feedback throughout all the various editions is that the ride provided by the Zoom Vomero is a soft, “pillowy” one. The sole unit is a new one, but Nike took good care in not changing what was working and only adding small improvements.

The technology behind the Vomero’s unique cushioning is the placement of two units of Zoom Air, one in the heel and one in the forefoot. An evolution of Nike’s tradmark Air technology, Zoom Air are special “bags” of compressed gas inserted in strategic points of the midsole that absorb the impact and quickly return to their original shape, bouncing the foot back with every step. Zoom Air is considerably thinner than the traditional Air units therefore achieving the same cushioning in a much thinner profile. Luckily for the Vomer’s many fans, the modifications to the Air in the Vomero 5 are minimal and dont’ change the shoe’s famous cushioning.

The changes on the sole unit continue with a redesigned midfoot section, where the addition of an extra pad guides the foot safely from heel strike to toe-off and a redesigned decoupled heel (the heel section is split into two areas of different shape in order to absorb the shock of the impact progressively, also guiding the foot to the right movement.

As in last year’s model, the Vomero presents a little midfoot shank under the arch, covering only the medial (internal) side of the sole. The shank, a piece of plastic material that connects the heel with the forefoot is a standard technology solution to add stability to the shoe. It is usually applied to stability shoes and it’s usually a much larger, sturdier piece of TPU. A shank is not common for a cushioning shoe but the one on the Vomero is just light and small enough to add that little bit of stability without compromising the soft, bouncy feeling.

Nike developed two different soles for the Vomero (as it was in the previous editions): a mens version and a womens one. Female runners have different running biomechanics and the Vomero takes this into account. (Check here why womens running shoes are different). The sole unit of the female version of the Vomero has a more beleved heel and deeper flex grooves (the “carves” under the forefoot) that adapt better to the lower specific weight of women.

As usual for all the Nike running shoes (that’s what the “+” in the name indicates), the midsole contains a “hole” where to fit the Nike+ sensor, to capture data about your run and transmit it to an iPod.

• Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Upper:

The upper of the shoe is where most of the updates have taken place. We agree with Nike’s choice: when the cushioning of the shoe is already great then it’s better to leave it mostly as is and work on improving the fit of the shoe around the foot.

The Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 has a softer, improved tongue and collar lining (a few runners complained about the previous Vomero’s toungue fit) and an anatomically shaped heel counter (the “cage” that traps the heel inside the shoe). On the medial side we notice a different saddle. Inspired to the Flywire technology found in Nike racing and Lunar models, it is a plastic structure that connects the laces to the midsole, wrapping aroud the arch with a snug but flexible fit.

On the forefoot, a semi-booty construction removed the stitches from the area removing opportunities for chafing and irritation.
Mesh is very open and breathable and the overlays (the synthetic leather stripes that provide support in strategic parts of the upper) have been reworked to offer a snugger fit.

Wear impression is that the toe box offers now more room and the shoe as a whole feels slightly wider than the previous version.

• Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Opinion:

The Vomero family, now at its 5th edition, is famous for its great, soft and pillowy cushioning. The Vomero 5 does a great job in not changing anything about this feeling and only improving the upper fit. A slight weight reduction, which is always welcome, and gender-specific engineering are also great features of the Vomero 5.

All in all the Vomero 5 is a great cushioning shoe – probably one of the strongest in the market right now – suggested to neutral runners and underpronator who love a soft bouncy feeling. Runners with knee problems seem to particularly appreciate this shoe. The biggest competitor for the Vomero in 2010 is the Asics Nimbus 12. We wait to read your opinions in the comments!

• Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 Price Comparison:

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!