Nike against Nike: maximum marathon machinery against the lighter, cheaper shoe that also races a 5K.
The Nike Vaporfly 4 is 34g lighter (184g against 218g), the Nike Vaporfly 4 is £30 cheaper at RRP (£255 against £285), and the Nike Alphafly 3 stays fast for roughly 10km longer (~250km against ~240km). Both are inside the World Athletics 40mm road limit.
Weight · men's US 9
Price · UK RRP
Competitive life · km before the foam fades
■ marks the better figure, where better is not a matter of taste
Alphafly 340mm — on the limit
Vaporfly 435mm — road legal
| Specification | Alphafly 3 | Vaporfly 4 |
|---|---|---|
| RRP | £285 | £255 (advantage) |
| Weight | 218g | 184g (advantage) |
| Stack | 40 / 32mm | 35 / 29mm |
| Drop | 8mm | 6mm |
| Road legal | yes | yes |
| Plate | carbon fibre | carbon fibre |
| Foam | ZoomX with Air Zoom pods | ZoomX |
| Competitive life | ~250km (advantage) | ~240km |
| Price per km of life | £1.14 | £1.06 (advantage) |
| Fit | standard | standard |
| Underfoot | balanced | balanced |
| Built for | Half · Marathon | 5K · 10K · Half · Marathon |
| Economy gain | 3.4–4.6% | 3.2–4.4% |
= 5:20/km
Modelled economy gain adjusted for pace and your current shoes; ranges reflect the spread published between individual runners. Full method.
| Race | For the time | For the money |
|---|---|---|
| 5Kat a reference 22:00 | Only the Vaporfly 4 is built for this distance. | |
| 10Kat a reference 45:00 | Only the Vaporfly 4 is built for this distance. | |
| Half marathonat a reference 1:45:00 | Alphafly 3−1m 30s to −2m 10s | Level on cost |
| Marathonat a reference 3:45:00 | Alphafly 3−2m 59s to −4m 20s | Level on cost |
Reference times, trainer baseline, whole-life economics. Your own time changes the answer — use the reading above.
Still the reference marathon shoe. The Air pods give a propulsive forefoot that nothing else quite replicates, and the wider platform makes it manageable late in a race when your form has gone.
■ Caution Sits at exactly 40mm — legal, but with no margin. It is a lot of shoe for anyone racing slower than about 4:30/km, and the forefoot pods reward a genuine forefoot strike.
The most versatile super shoe on sale. Light enough for a 5K, cushioned enough for a marathon, and the fourth generation fixed the upper problems that made the VF3 divisive.
■ Caution Less cushioning than the Alphafly for a full marathon if you are on your feet over three and a half hours. Outsole rubber is minimal — treat wet corners with respect.
Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated on the shoe sheet · last reviewed 2026-08-13 · prices are UK RRP.