The outsole of a shoe such as the Nike Zoom Fly must be able to deal with a high level of use, as well as be flexible enough to move with the motions of the foot; the shoe definitely does both of these things in excess. The designs of both the forefoot and the heel of the shoe vary somewhat. The majority of the rubber that gives the sole unit that durable feel is placed in the forefoot of the shoe to keep in line with the transitions that the wearer of the shoe will likely experience while the shoe is in place; this allows the shoe to maintain the grip that is provided by this model. Another reason for the lack of rubber in the outsole of the shoe is that, with other aspects of the shoe’s design, a bit of rigidity is introduced to the wearer’s foot; the rigidity is counteracted somewhat through the use of the strategically placed rubber in the sole unit of the shoe. That isn’t to say that the heel of the shoe has no rubber in place to provide it with a bit of gripping ability; the heel of the shoe has spots of the hardened rubber in place to give the wearer what they need while the shoe is in use. The hardened rubber on the heel is simply placed in more of a strategic shape in the furthermost portion of the heel to provide the wearer what they need when the heel touches the ground.

The midsole of the Nike Zoom Fly is honestly the most interesting piece of the shoe. For starters, the midsole of the shoe is designed from a dual density foam that works to provide the wearer with a bit of comfort and cushioning when the shoe is being used for long distance runs. The shoe makes decent use of the Lunar Lon foam on the inner portion of the midsole; the use of this foam on the inside allows the shoe to really give the wearer what they need in terms of response without compromising the durability of the shoe. The outer casing of the material is designed from an EVA material that allows the shoe to have that durable nature that simply isn’t provided by the Lunar Lon foam on the inside of the shoe. Aside from this, and probably the most exciting part about the midsole is the act that the shoe has a plate that runs the length of the shoe; the plate is made of a Nylon material and has ridges that run along the outside of the shoe and give it a bit more in terms of durability. Something else to take note of though, is the fact that the material that runs the length of the shoe or at least the ridges in the plate and the way that they are positioned takes away from the level of flex that is expected of this model; not the worse thing seeing as this is a long-distance shoe but, as always, this should be taken note of.

The upper of the Nike Zoom Fly is designed to give the wearer that extra bit of comfort that they will need in order to really rough out the harsh trek that is a marathon or half-marathon. The majority of the upper on this shoe is made from that mesh material that we all know and should all love, Fly mesh. The Fly mesh make of the shoe really allows it to give the wearer what they need in order to have a high level of breathability and to ensure that the wearer can move their feet while in the shoe; another feature of the material is that it is highly malleable and never ceases to provide the wearer with what they need in terms of a snug fit. The fit and structure of the shoe are somewhat enhanced through the placement of counter on the heel and the loop lacing that is featured in the shoe’s design. The loop lacing ensures that the wearer has what they need in terms of a snug fit simply because of the fact that the materials that make up the rest of the upper are on the thinner side of things.

In terms of weight, the shoe is definitely on the lighter side of things; it has to be in order to really provide wearers with the feeling that they’ll need to make precise movements when in use. The funny thing about this shoe, before anything is said about the overall weight, is that the majority of the design is one that is made up of the sole unit; the midsole on this shoe is massive. The size of the sole unit and the materials that it is made from generally signals to the wearer that they have a shoe that will be a bit on the heavier side and the Nike Zoom Fly is definitely not. For a men’s size 9, the Nike Zoom Fly weighs roughly 8 oz. One explanation for the lack of weight in this shoe could, and probably is, the design of the upper of the shoe. The upper of the shoe and the fact that is made of thin lightweight materials counteract the design of the sole unit.

Come on now, the air flow provided by this shoe really shouldn’t even be in question. The upper of the shoe is made from an incredibly thin cut of Fly mesh; fly mesh is inherently known for providing wearers with what they need in terms of breathability due to the fact that it is always on the thinner side of things and is incredibly perforated. To improve the level of breathability experienced by this shoe, the side of the Nike Zoom Fly features perforations that, as perforations usually do, provide the wearer with increased levels of circulation when the shoe is in use.

Well, the comfort of the Nike Zoom Fly stems from the design of the shoe in whole. The upper of the shoe is designed from an incredibly malleable materials aptly title fly mesh; the use of this material really allows the shoe to conform to the curves of the wearer’s foot and really, when laced up feels almost non-existent on the foot. The sole unit and the plate incorporated into the design may give the wearer a bit of discomfort while in use. The majority of the material in the design of the sole unit such as the Lunar Lon and EVA casing gives the wearer what they need in terms of comfort; the two aforementioned materials consistently respond to the movements and curves of the wearer’s foot and, in turn, provide the wearer with what they need comfort-wise. The plate though does introduce a bit of stiffness to the design of the shoe that wouldn’t have been experienced otherwise; the plate does give the wearer a bit of rigidity that, may feel uncomfortable for those with a slower gait.

This is a long-distance running shoe; the cushioning in the sole unit of the shoe signals that to wearers. Something that may or may not is noticed by this shoe is that it also incredibly attractive. Before even holding one in hand, one can tell that the design of the shoe is one that gives the wearers what they need in regards to a bit of style. The colors of the shoe are incredibly muted, which makes them easy to both look at and pair with other types of clothing. The sole unit of the shoe balances out the look of the whole of the shoe simply because of the fact that the sole of the shoe is on the thicker side of things and the upper lays relatively close to the ground; this is one of the areas that the high heel-to-toe ratio and the plate in the shoe helps in.

To give the shoe an added level of durability for those long distance runs, they cased the midsole or Lunar Lon material in that portion of the midsole at least, with an EVA material. EVA is a bit on the dense side and does a decent job of bouncing back when in use; this ensures that the wearer doesn’t deal with over-compression while the shoe is in use. To give the shoe varying levels of traction and traction that fade very easily at that, Nike placed the hardened rubber that makes up the outsole in highly pressure pots; this ensures that the materials don’t wear down quickly and lasts for the length of time that the wearer will need it to.

In terms of protection, the upper of the shoe does not have much of it. The fit of the shoe itself is relatively snug which prevents excessive movement of the wearer’s foot while the shoe is in use; this becomes increasingly important simply because, during a run, damage can occur when/ or if the shoe slips off while the shoe is on foot. The materials in the sole unit of the shoe keep the wearer steady and prevent missteps while the shoe is in use; the thickness or the hard shell of the EVA foam really does a good job of aiding in this part of the experience of the shoe.

One thing that most people can agree upon about the sole unit, or really the entire design of the shoe is that it never ceases to respond to the movements of the wearer’s foot while in use. The layer of Lunar Lon foam on the inside of the shoe has an amazing cushioning effect that works to provide the wearer with what they’ll need when in use; the cushioning effect somewhat balances out the snappy feel of the EVA foam and work to provide the wearer with what they’ll need in terms of energy return and, in turn, a bit of bounce for the overall foot. The upper of the shoe moves in tandem with the movements that the wearer makes, which makes it relatively responsive.

This is definitely a road running shoe; the design of the shoe is a bit fragile and, if used on the more arduous terrain may not last for as long as it was initially intended. The outsole of the shoe has minimal rubber in place throughout the design; the forefoot has a fair amount but the heel does not. Seeing as the material is a bit thin and lacks the general lugs that are needed for a shoe to successfully manage on an off-road terrain.

In terms of price, this shoe may not work for everyone; it’s a bit on the expensive side of things. The price of the shoe is justified by all of the materials that are incorporated into the design but, may throw a few people off when initially seen. Think about it, why would someone purchase the somewhat expensive Nike Zoom Fly, when they could purchase a much cheaper shoe with similar features. The main reason for doing so would be that the cheaper shoe wouldn’t have either the durability or combination of materials that this shoe has. The blend of materials and the durability that is incorporated into the design greatly improves the functionality of the wearer while in use; this should be kept in mind by those who are considering purchasing this shoe.

The sole unit of the shoe makes decent use of the hardened rubber material in the outsole of the shoe. The hardened rubber in the outsole is placed in such a way as to really allow the shoe to provide the wearer with what they’ll need in terms of traction; the forefoot of the shoe is honestly made completely out of the stuff. The heel of the shoe may not have the excess material that is present on the forefoot but, it still works to give the wearer what they’ll need in regards to traction simply because of the highly abrasive nature of the material. When used on its intended surface, the Nike Zoom Fly provides the wearer with everything that they’ll need in terms of traction and does a great job of doing so at that.

The upper of the shoe and the Fly mesh make really allows the shoe to provide the wearer with what they’ll need in regards to flexibility; the upper really lacks the plethora of coverings that are typical in the upper of a shoe and, in turn, is able to move quite easily with the needs of the wearer’s foot. The plate in the midsole of the shoe does slightly take away from the flex achieved by this portion of the shoe but is slightly counteracted by the placement of the rubber in the sole unit of the shoe.

The upper of the shoe doesn’t have very many stability features; it has the heel counter and provides a snug fit but, other than that does nothing to provide the wearer with a sense of stability while in use. The sole unit of the shoe and the layering of the foam in the midsole does provide the wearer with what they’ll need in regard to a high level of security for their movements. The thickness of the EVA and the rigidity that it introduces to the midsection is one of the main reasons for the added stability in that portion of the shoe.

The drop on this shoe is roughly 10mm. The higher than average stack height on this shoe is attributed to the surplus of cushioning and the added plate in the same area. Overall though, since this shoe is meant for long distance runs, it provides the wearer with what they need while in use.

• Fly mesh upper
• Fly wire lacing
• Nylon plate in midsole
• Dual-density foam

The design of the Nike Zoom Fly is one that gives the wearer everything that they’ll need for different portions of a run. The added plate in the design of the shoe works to give the wearer an added level of responsiveness while the layering of the materials provides the wearer with what they’ll need to have an overall cushioned and comfortable ride. The shoe may be a bit on the more expensive side but, for the price is definitely worth it.