Nike Apex Explained: Can Nike's Zero Drop Super Shoe Beat the Adidas Evo 3?

Nike has announced three new race day shoes, led by the Nike Apex: a zero drop super shoe with a full 40mm stack in both the heel and the forefoot, built to take on the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3. Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle of Marathon Handbook break down the Apex, the Alphafly 4 and the $145 Swooshfly, the most affordable super shoe yet from a major running brand.

We sat in on Nike's briefing this week with the executives and designers behind these shoes, and over the summer we spoke with Nike athletes about the prototypes they were testing, including the zero drop shoe that became the Apex. We also recently sat down with Brett Schoolmeester, the Nike VP who has helped lead the brand's super shoe program since the first Vaporfly. In this episode we share what we learned, including details that have not been reported elsewhere, and ask whether the Apex can give Nike back its place at the front of the marathon.

Timestamped Chapters:

00:00 Nike drops three new race day shoes
01:25 Is the Apex an Evo 3 killer?
03:25 40mm in the forefoot, zero drop
06:23 The biggest pivot since the Vaporfly?
08:42 Four Air Zoom pods, 40% more return
10:56 Power versus the lightweight arms race
14:00 A racing shoe for everyone?
15:17 Will Nike athletes reject zero drop?
16:45 Apex price, weight and release date
18:48 Conner Mantz and the secret prototype
20:50 Why didn't Nike charge $500?
24:51 Will anyone be able to buy one?
27:47 Loss leader or mass market shoe?
29:50 Our Chicago live show with Nike
31:23 Swooshfly: the cheapest super shoe yet
32:54 Should beginners wear super shoes?
36:11 Why Nike is chasing China
38:18 Carbon plate, new foam, $145
40:16 What the Swooshfly does to the market
41:15 Does Nike have the best lineup?
45:06 The Pegasus problem
46:40 Is the Apex the answer?
49:35 Pressure on Nike's marathon stars
52:15 Hidden in the World Athletics database
53:58 Did Adidas go zero drop too?
54:28 Should we start a weekly shoe show?

JOIN US LIVE THIS FALL We are hosting live shows in Chicago, Toronto and New York around this fall's marathon majors, and tickets are on sale now. In Chicago, our guests include Nike's global head of running, and we will put every question from this episode to her directly. Capacity is limited. Get tickets:

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NIKE APEX AT A GLANCE Price: $350 US Release date: January 27 Stack height: 40mm heel, 40mm forefoot (zero drop) Weight: 6.2 oz (about 176 g), men's US 8.5 Two stacked Air Zoom units under each side of the forefoot, ZoomX foam and a revised rocker Nike claims 40% more energy return than the Alphafly 3 Raced in prototype form by Jacob Kiplimo for his half marathon world record in Lisbon

NIKE SWOOSHFLY AT A GLANCE Price: $145 US Release: China in February, global in spring Weight: 7 oz (198 g), men's US 8.5 Five-layer carbon plate, a new Nike foam and a wider fit Nike claims 16% more energy return than the original Vaporfly 4%

In this episode, we answer: Is the Nike Apex better than the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3? Why did Nike build a zero drop super shoe, and will its own athletes race in it? Is $350 the right price, and will you actually be able to buy a pair? Should beginners wear a super shoe, and is the Swooshfly a true super shoe or a super trainer? Why is Nike aiming the Swooshfly at China and other growing running markets? Does Nike now have the best running shoe lineup? Did the Apex already influence the Adidas prototypes raced this fall?