NIKE Women's Vista Lite Walking Shoe

Product Information

Nike has developed two standout upper designs for its shoes: Flyknit and AtomKnit. Flyknit, found on shoes like the Vaporfly and Invincible 3, as well as Nike soccer cleats and some basketball shoes, is a woven upper design where yarn is woven tightly in some areas and more loosely in others. The loose weave allows the shoe to flex with your foot for greater comfort, while the tight weave provides support in key areas where you need it. In our testing, we found its stable, smooth ride made it great for longer efforts, and one of our wear testers loved using it for everyday training. “I have a whole host of daily trainers to choose from,” he said, “and with the exception of speed days, I would choose this shoe over and over.” From introducing runners to EVA cushioning to placing air-filled cells in its shoes, Nike has created some landmark innovations over the years, and it continues to push the boundaries of running shoe design today. To get you acquainted with Nike’s shoes, we’ll walk you through the most important tech found in the brand’s lineup and explain what those features do.

While premium racing models like the Vaporfly grace the feet of elite marathoners, the trusty Pegasus is the running shoe for the rest of us—and it might be Nike’s most beloved running model. The Pegasus line has been around for decades, and it’s a workhorse training shoe that offers some of the brand’s best tech.In the new Wildhorse 8, Nike revamped the upper’s midfoot saddle system for a more stable, secure fit, which should come in handy when negotiating uneven terrain. The full rubber outsole is studded with large, widely spaced lugs that create good bite on all kinds of surfaces.

Show more The Expert: I became a runner in middle school and have covered running and outdoor gear for years, both on-staff at Runner’s World and as a freelance journalist. I’ve written more about running shoes than any other kind of gear, and I have firsthand experience running in models from a range of brands, including Nike. I first wrote this guide in 2018, and update it regularly as Nike releases new shoes and running shoe tech. The latest model, the Vaporfly 3, is a top-to-bottom overhaul with all kinds of revisions to make it lighter, boost its energy return, and increase its stability. Like previous versions, the shoe features Nike’s top-tier ZoomX foam and an embedded carbon fiber plate for stiffness and energy return.That yields a bouncy, snappy feel that encourages fast paces. For the ultimate racing shoe experience, the carbon fiber-equipped Nike models are the way to go. How We Selected The Best Nike Running Shoes The forefoot outsole rubber is 2mm thinner, allowing a 2mm increase in forefoot foam for increased cushioning. Nike also scooped out some foam on the sidewall and a channel at the bottom of the shoe to shave off weight. In addition, the medial side of the midsole is shaped to resist compression, which helps the shoe feel less wobbly when cornering. Kipchoge used his Alphaflys to set the current official marathon record—2:01:09—in 2022, and he also wore them while winning his second Olympic marathon gold medal.