Nike is bringing new color ways of its latest tech-heavy race day shoe to market, and they’re inspired by speed.
Three new versions of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% dropped over the weekend, timed to coincide with the London Marathon. The shoe’s ultra-recognizable, maximalist silhouette was designed by the Nike Sport Research Lab to offer critical benefits for competitive runners on a race day.
Originally released in February, the running shoe features two Nike Zoom air pods for shock absorption and energy return, a thick layer of lightweight Nike ZoomX cushioning to cradle feet, and a hidden, full-length carbon fiber plate within the shoe’s midsole for stability and smooth transitions. The shank provides the sensation of propulsion, the brand said, by increasing stiffness in the forefoot. The shoe’s built-for-speed design is rounded out by a breathable Flyknit upper. At the time of its release, Nike described the shoe as “the ultimate meeting of sports science and purposeful design.”
Over the weekend, the athletic wear titan dropped the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% Kenya edition, inspired by the colors of the country’s flag. The color way debuted as running sensation and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge toed the starting line at the London Marathon Sunday. While Kipchoge would go on to be bested this year, coming in eighth place, the runner is still known as one of the fastest marathon runners of all time. The Kenya color way will be released exclusively to Nike members in the U.K. via the Nike Running Club app on Oct. 11, and will be available more broadly next year.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% 1:59:40 also celebrates Kipchoge’s legacy, marking the time of his record-setting race in Vienna in October of last year. The style resembles the prototype of the Alphafly Next% that he wore during the race, when he broke the two-hour marathon barrier. The color way will be released in select markets across the globe on Oct. 12.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% Mango is included in this year’s Fast Family sneaker pack, which also includes the Tempo Next%, Vaporfly Next%, and the men’s and women’s Pegasus 37. The new color way was inspired, Nike said, by the lights on the brakes of race cars that illuminate when the vehicles are pushing the limits of high speed. While the pack is currently only available to Nike members in Greater China, the brand said it would be made available more widely sometime in early October.