Never before has there been a more highly anticipated release within the running community than the Nike Flyknit collection. Promising to be extraordinarily lightweight, offer an amazing fit, and reduce the waste from the construction process, the Nike Flyknit shoes seemed to be the perfect running shoe. And after having put them on display for the world to see on the medal stands at the London Olympics, Nike created a huge demand for the racers. The question; do they live up to the hype?

Upper: 10/10
The blend of support, breathability, and weight exceeded my high expectations. I cannot imagine a better upper.


This upper is amazing. It is knit together like a sock and when you get this shoe in your hand, you are blown away at how complex the upper seems. At first I was worried I would not get enough support from this amazingly lightweight upper, but the dynamic flywire that is built into the knit locks your foot into place. The upper is extremely breathable as well; there are literally spots where I can see right through it because there is only a single layer. The heel counter is amazing as Nike used a higher tension knit here to create the firmness needed to lock the heel down. Furthermore, the upper molds to your foot as you use the shoe more. If you want to break in these shoe a bit before even wearing them you can steam them (wear them in the bathroom with your shower on hot). This process of heating the upper allows the threads to expand and then, when they cool while on your feet, they mold to your feet.

Midsole: 9/10
Extremely responsive while still offering impact protection, this is the best racing midsole I have ever used.

First things first, this is a neutral racing shoe. A lot of people I talk to think these are very similar to the Nike Free collection, but that is simply incorrect. The midsole offers great responsiveness and feel, but it is most definitely not a “barefoot” style midsole. This shoe is designed to be worn for the 26.2 miles of a marathon, but works perfectly for any race from the mile all the way up. There is a zoom air unit in the forefoot for that added responsiveness, and the heel to toe drop is 10mm. If you overpronate, these shoes will not give you the support you need but for neutral runners or forefoot strikers, these are perfect.

Other aspects and conclusion:

This shoe embodies what Nike sets out to do with their running shoes. Make it light, make it fit, and lower its environmental impact. The leftover thread from the production of the upper is said to be as light as a piece of paper, the upper is light, and the shoe mold to your foot. There is minimal rubber used on the outsole to keep the weight down but the grip is great. The stack height in the heel is 24mm and is 14mm in the forefoot.

The listed weight for a sample size 9 is 5.8 oz according to Nike, but once running it really does feel like there is nothing on your feet. They are designed as a racing shoe, and in that sense they are extremely durable. For efficient runners you may be able to use this as a daily trainer, but for the general running population I would suggest only using it for racing and speedwork. The volt colorway is BRIGHT, but if you want something a little subtler there is an orange color (spoiler, its still pretty bright).

These shoes are AWESOME! If anything, I suggest at least going to a store and trying them on.