Nike Vaporfly 3 vs Nike Zoom Fly 6

The Nike Zoom Fly 6 and the Nike Vaporfly 3 both draw from the same performance playbook but serve very different roles in a runner's rotation. The Vaporfly 3 is a true racing shoe, designed to be as light, efficient, and propulsive as possible. It uses a full ZoomX midsole with an aggressive plate setup to deliver an explosive toe-off, ideal for shorter race events. It's lighter, softer underfoot, and much more energetic than the Zoom Fly 6—built purely for speed and race-day efficiency. The Zoom Fly 6, by contrast, is Nike's super trainer, a more durable and approachable alternative for interval training. While it shares some design DNA with the Vaporfly, it uses a thinner top layer of ZoomX over a firmer SR-02 foam, which dulls the responsiveness considerably. It's also heavier and doesn't offer the same bounce or snap. However, it's more forgiving, more stable, and built to last, making it a reasonable option for long runs, tempo sessions, or runners who want to get used to plated geometry without jumping into a full-on racer.