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Dec 2021
10:21pm, 9 Dec 2021
36,109 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
How long how many miles they done Chris ?
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Dec 2021
9:46am, 10 Dec 2021
18,800 posts
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Chrisull
Don't know, but they've been in service a 2-3 years (mainly races).
As to gait, I tend to supinate on the right so I nick the surface a little, I used to wear minimalist ones and didn't wear the soles out but I would nick the road on the right side widest part of the foot. You only have to nick it a couple of times a mile to cause serious damage long term.
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Dec 2021
9:59am, 10 Dec 2021
4,267 posts
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Kieren
Bjúgnakrækir & Vrap - those are good strategies for deciding to buy.
I am not in the vaporfly club yet but was tempted by the recent discount.
I did but reduced Saucony Endorphin speed (non-carbon plate) as these are noted to be a good general shoe with a softer plate. At a discounted £136, the purchase was still a bit painful as my normal Nike pegasus were also on sale for £55.
I have been using a stability / max pebax cushion shoe (Nike invincible) coming back from an ankle injury. My reason for the speed was the hope that the fatigue reducing pebax / soft plate might allow me to get a bit more volume in my training with less trauma to recover from. I'm only running about 20 miles a week at the moment and hopefully will start building up again late January.
I think I'd only stretch to the vaporfly if I was chasing a landmark / qualifying time for me - like a sub-3 hour marathon. It's very helpful reading the real world reports in this thread.
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Dec 2021
10:11am, 10 Dec 2021
18,803 posts
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Chrisull
I've looked at Vaporflys and been put off by the cost.
I am, at best, an average social runner (certainly not in the league of you guys), and am interested in your thoughts as if they would be of any benefit to someone like me.
There is also one other aspect, some people are non-responders to Vapor Flys or low responders. It isn't a universal boost for all runners. I'm one of those people - all my pbs were set in minimalist shoes, but when I took my VFs and ran a downhill route of a mile flat out, and then the next day put on the minimalist pair did the same route, in the same weather conditions (sun, little wind), flat out, there was no time difference in seconds between the two. They blunt proprioception. I prefer them comfort wise, and they make running up hills more pleasant, and on a net uphill course I'd expect I'd see an improvement.Then there's runners from other clubs seeing 10% improvement...
But you don't know til you try.
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Dec 2021
10:27am, 10 Dec 2021
75,309 posts
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Gobi
I'm a cyclist/duathlete so used to buying performance.
They are comfy and I can't risk not having the best shoes at the sharp end of age group racing.
That's good enough justifocation for me.
Still prefer the original 4% to the Alpha
What's a PB ?
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Dec 2021
10:32am, 10 Dec 2021
55,375 posts
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Velocirappingpaper
I find the VFs don't contribute anything useful to my downhill speed and may even be slightly detrimental, but the benefits on the flat and uphill make them worthwhile on most courses. The descending has improved with time. I'm not sure whether it's that I've become more relaxed about the slightly unstable feeling underfoot or that after 200 miles the foam is less wobbly. I got my first 77% age grade on a flattish course in them a few weeks ago.
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Dec 2021
10:39am, 10 Dec 2021
577 posts
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fuzzyduck79
Bit handwavey but I'm the other way round on that vrap
I've always felt uphills were where VF had little or no impact, as your heel doesn't drop into the ground hard enough to get as much bounce.
Feels like ~2% downhill I get the biggest benefit, but I am usually a forefoot striker
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Dec 2021
10:40am, 10 Dec 2021
55,377 posts
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Velocirappingpaper
I also land quite a long way forward on my feet, slightly more on the left than on the right. Funny how perception varies!
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Dec 2021
10:51am, 10 Dec 2021
578 posts
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fuzzyduck79
Indeed - I'm fairly convinced nearly all the magic is in the foam, and the biggest chunk is in the heel, so it's probably confirmation bias that I'm expecting to see the largest effect when I can get lean a bit more into the heel on landing. Going uphill, my heels barely touch the ground, assuming I'm not too tired.
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Dec 2021
12:56pm, 10 Dec 2021
1,929 posts
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Brunski
I bought the original VF 4% for the Rome marathon and left them in the apartment. Eventually wearing them for the Virtual London Marathon last year and was really impressed, fastest time over 26.2 and seemed to protect my legs.
I then got drawn in by the Saucony Endorphin Pro (money saved from WFH during Lockdown). Wore these for a dry Round Sheffield Run age victory, run a few relays in them and they are light and quick.
I bought some of the ugly Gyakanasu Next% and wore them for London in April.
Recently picked up the Alphaflys and had my first run out at the weekend.
Might all be nonsense but my impression having not running many miles in each of them:
Alphafly - felt a bit clumsy when I first put them on but got upto 10k pace and held it nicely, definitely helped.
Endorphin Pro - Took longer to ‘break in’ than the other Nikes, great going downhill but seem to almost work against you unless you’re going for it uphill.
Next% - Not sure if it was bad pacing, recovering from COVID, or what but I’ve never felt as sore post race as I did after London. My quads were ruined.
Original 4% - first put them on they felt like stilts, now they feel almost normal. Super light and quick!
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Nike Pegasus
Jul 2024
