Do the latest breed of super shoes give you free speed?
I finally gave in to the hype and bought a pair of Nike’s latest and greatest track spikes – the ZoomX dragonflies – to find out.
My racing performance over 3000m and 5000m has plateaued over the last few years. I’ve consistently run just under nine minutes and 15.30s for these disciplines, so began looking for any advantage I could find.
Given nearly every competitor I was up against had some super shoe, I thought “if I can’t beat them, I’ll join them”.
The Hype – what’s so special about the dragonfly?
Since their release in 2020, Dragonflies have been on the feet of the world’s fastest middle distance runners during some astonishing world record performances.
The Dragonflies weigh around 125g and are aimed at 1,500m to 10,000 runners. And while super light weight is an important quality in any shoe – think about how many times you have to accelerate your foot when you run – it’s not the only important feature.
Nike claims its ZoomX foam delivers “optimal energy return”, combined with a full, toe to heel length rigid plastic “shockwave” plate in the sole, gives this shoe unrivalled efficiency.
These shoes are noticeably more rigid than the previous generation of spikes, which tended to be featherweight but supple as a slipper.
The upper is a Flymesh, lightweight fabric, designed to securely envelop your feet, while allowing it to breathe and flex, as you pound round the track.
If they’re good enough for Joshua Cheptegei, who broke the 10,000m and 5000m world records, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who ran the fastest 1,500m indoor ever in pairs, then maybe there’s something to Nike’s claims about performance benefits.
What are Dragonfly spikes like to race in?
The first time I laced these up was five minutes before a 5,000m race – no break-in, no training sessions to feel the fit out. But straight into the heat of competition is a great test of comfort out of the box.
My first thoughts were how spongy the sole is. It’s not harsh like all my previous track spikes.
Also, the contoured sole, which has the majority of padding between the ball of your foot and arch, forces you forward onto your toes.
All this adds up to you feeling fast from the moment you break into a few strides. You get the same sensation during the race.
The shoes feel like they’re urging you forward. When fatigue kicks in and you tend to lean back and sit on your heels a little more, these remind you to keep pushing on.
I raced a few weeks ago and struggled to get 15.38. I ran 15.13 and it felt pretty comfortable, for what that’s worth. Was it the shoes or the extra few weeks of training… probably more the training, but I have to give the Dragonfly spikes some credit.
Needless to say, these are fast shoes. You’ll have no excuses if you don’t PB in these.
Fit and comfort
These are surprisingly comfortable for all-out racing shoes. The upper grips without putting too much pressure on your boney bits. The pair I have – size 8.5 US – come up slightly wider than previous pairs of Nikes I’ve worn.
This is definite a good thing as my feet are shaped like bricks. The slightly wider toe box gives your feet room to spread with each stride.
The only question I still have is how durable are these feather-weight shoes? Will these stand up to a few seasons of wear? At £140/$160 they need to. You don’t want to fork that money out on a regular basis.
Conclusion – are the Nike ZoomX Dragonfly worth it?
Yes, I loved racing in these. They’re unlike anything I’ve run in before; super comfortable, light and snappy. It makes the pain and suffering of racing almost enjoyable.
These spikes favour those with a more forefoot striking style. So this is something to bear in mind. You’re unlikely to see all the benefits if you’re a heel-striker.
If you’re going to get the most out of them, you’ll want to be on your a-game. When you have these in the kit bag for race day, you’ll have that extra motivation for those training sessions before any races.
Bottom line is you’re giving nothing away to the competition if you’re wearing these. The differentiating factor will be who’s fitter. So get out these and train hard.
