Nike Invincible Flyknit 3 Run

Introduction

The ZoomX compound was first launched in 2016 with the 4% Vaporfly, used by Eliud Kipchoge for his first attempt to run a sub-two-hour marathon (
Breaking2
). The launch of this foam was a defining event in the development of racing equipment, if for no other reason than that it set the direction for the following years. Since then, all major footwear companies have developed compounds with similar characteristics to ZoomX in terms of weight, cushioning, and energy return. Meanwhile, several studies have also shown that the main factor contributing to improved performance in a shoe is the height of the midsole and its cushioning capacity. In other words, the taller and softer the shoe, the faster it is. Although these only partly explain the rise in the average height of running shoes from any brand, in fact not taking into account the ‘fashion’ factor, it is still evident that all running shoes in recent years are relatively tall: think Adidas’ Adios Pro 2, Hoka’s CarbonX, Mizuno’s Rebellion Pro, and Asics’ Metaspeed. Not only that, ZoomX paved the way for the midsole even on shoes that traditionally lacked it altogether, such as spiked shoes, first with Nike Dragonfly and closely followed by all others. What to infer from this? Not much, except that for better or worse ZoomX today is a fixed point, something that can always be trusted anyway.

Upper

The upper is comfortable and lightweight. Compared to Invincible 2 the fabric has changed completely, on this version there is a firm material, less breathable but still light in feel. The collar has become lighter and even the tongue is less padded (before it was unnecessarily so), the laces simply do what they are supposed to do: they stay laced. In short, it does everything a shoe should do, and with a beautiful design.

Midsole

We come to the most characteristic part of this model. The midsole of the Rebellion Pro is composed of two parts: an upper part that uses Mizuno’s Enerzy Lite+ compound, and a lower part that uses Enerzy Lite. The two foams differ in density: the first one, the top one, is softer while the one underneath is more stable and responsive, as you can feel even when touching them with your fingers. The overall effect to the run is of a compact and stable midsole that is not very cushioned.

As we said, in the center of the midsole is a wide slot necessary to make the shoe more flexible to twisting and thus more responsive, as well as to lighten the weight.

Sole

The sole is two-piece and is even across the entire tread surface, with a regular tread block pattern that holds enough; not only that, compared to the previous version, the sole has been perforated gaining a few grams without affecting grip. The base of the shoe is very wide on the forefoot, narrows on the famice (i.e., the width in the middle of the foot) and then widens again on the heel, which is still more than the previous version in which the back was much wider and squarer

Fit

The fit is snug, even in the front, but on skinny feet the heel shell may be ungainly (occasionally, when climbing, the foot wobbles and the shoe almost seems to slip off). Overall everything works, looking at the assembly details shows the experience of a company that has had plenty of time to learn how to make shoes. In short: good. There is a plastic support on the heel: it is not annoying and serves more to give structure to the shoe that would otherwise have a back that is too flexible for all the midsole material.

Why we like them

Because ZoomX is a good compound. We do not entirely agree with those who claim that they are slow and regenerative shoes, or at least not only. It is like a basketball, if you drop it it will barely bounce, if you throw it hard it will go much higher. Here, apart from the somewhat unfortunate simile, these shoes do something similar. Which doesn’t make them fast shoes, because they remain bulky and rather heavy, but let’s keep in mind that most amateurs hardly run at such a pace that you can really feel a difference between a slow shoe and a fast shoe.

What we didn’t like

When I was attending the Conservatory, my professor argued that large (classical) guitars, with very deep bodies and very pronounced curves, yes had a lot of volume, but they sounded a little bit the way they wanted to, and the pursuit of sound was quite limiting. Invincibles are kind of like big guitars: they have a lot of volume, but they let you run the way they want you to run. In fact, the design of the heel combined with the drop and the height of the shoe tend, in our opinion, to retract the footstrike, or at least encourage it. This is not necessarily a negative aspect, but it is something to take into consideration when determining for whom these shoes are intended.

In fact, most reviewers identify them as suitable shoes for everyone, for different reasons: for those who run little or long because they are comfortable, for those who run a lot because they are restful, for slow runners because they are cushioned, and for fast runners because they are responsive. True, they are all these things, and that is the strength of these shoes, but they have (this is our debatable opinion) one flaw: they tend to vitiate the running act. For this reason, we believe that they are all in all counterproductive for people who run few miles or have recently started running. Instead, they are good for athletes who rotate shoes weekly, who use lower models for certain jobs and vice versa, and who are able to take advantage of their restful properties.

Conclusions

We tried to tell you in our opinion who these shoes are suitable for, we said that they are both comfortable and responsive but that excess material tends to soil the gesture and in the long run worsen the running economy; therefore, we recommend them to those who use other models at the same time. They do not have any glaring flaws, no one thing that can be markedly improved. The design is always very nice, and, we haven’t run on it enough yet to be able to tell (because we’ll need a couple more months for that) but if they look like the previous version they really last, so much so that means 1400 kilometers. They cost 180 euros, which is not cheap but is average with current prices, but they last twice as long as any other road shoe, so it pays for itself.

See you on the trails, or at worst on the bike path.