Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 Introduction

For the previous 2 years, the Invincible Run has been the gold normal in terms of max-cushioned trainers.
Unparalleled when it comes to softness and vitality return, the Invincible Run has been a giant step ahead in operating shoe innovation.

What makes the Invincible Run such a particular shoe is that it makes use of Nike’s premier midsole foam, ZoomX, the very same PEBA-based foam used of their high-end racing sneakers. That is the one model that does this with their max-cushioned coach.

The Invincible Run sequence has been arms down my favourite max-cushioned coach of the final 2 years. No different coach has this a lot affect safety and insane stage of bounce.

The Invincible Run 2 was a minor, upper-only replace however this yr’s Invincible Run 3 will get an entire redesign.

Nike not solely made the midsole wider but additionally added foam for a taller stack top. There are another extra tweaks which have altered the experience of the Invincible Run 3.

It weighs 10.9 oz (310 g) for a males’s US9, which is 1.1 oz (32 g) heavier than the Invincible Run 2. It now has a stack top of 40 mm within the heel and 31 mm within the forefoot, an extra 3 mm within the heel and forefoot in comparison with its predecessor.

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 First Impressions

Final yr’s model ran a half dimension large however this time I ordered it in my true dimension. When it arrived and I attempted it on, I used to be relieved that the match was good. The Invincible Run 3 is true to dimension.

My first run was a 9 km simple run and there have been a number of large variations in comparison with the final 2 variations.

Probably the most noticeable distinction was the brand new heel clip that now extends within the midfoot- I might really feel it on the edges of my toes which was barely annoying.

The opposite large distinction was that the Invincible Run 3 felt firmer underfoot and never as bouncy, not as enjoyable. It felt extra reserved.

Heel lockdown wasn’t pretty much as good as within the earlier variations and I had to make use of a runner’s knot. My first run within the Invincible Run 3 was a bit disappointing nevertheless it nonetheless felt very effectively cushioned and far softer than every other max-cushioned coach.

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 Higher

It’s fascinating that Nike has modified the padded tongue from a fully-sleeved tongue to a non gusseted tongue however I nonetheless didn’t expertise any tongue slide. The absence of an interior sleeve makes the higher really feel thinner and extra breathable. The mesh additionally feels smoother and higher ventilated than on predecessors.

The padding on the skin of the collar has been eliminated and there’s nonetheless a beneficiant quantity of padding contained in the collar nevertheless heel lockdown is subpar because of the heel cup being low, so your heel sits larger up within the shoe. I can’t cinch the laces actually tight to alleviate the heel slip as a result of that creates different uncomfortable match issues on the slender midfoot.

The Invincible Run 3 has a much less roomy match than the earlier variations and also you don’t must dimension down anymore. It has a slender midfoot so it’s not appropriate for large toes nevertheless it has a normal-width forefoot and toe-box.

A brand new addition to the higher is a reflective heel pull tab loop which runs vertically alongside your entire heel cup.

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 Sole Unit

The Invincible Run 3 is a chief instance of a model attempting to vary an excessive amount of. When this occurs, it strays removed from the unique product which made followers fall in love with it and made it turn into such a preferred shoe to start with.

The Invincible Run 3 feels firmer than its predecessors as a result of it has a furry, white strobel lining beneath its insole. That is basically an additional layer between your toes and the delicate midsole foam. Within the earlier variations, your toes sat immediately on high of the froth with simply the skinny insole in between.

The brand new strobel lining prevents your toes from sinking down into the delicate ZoomX goodness. The results of this variation is a better stage of stability and a extra managed experience.

It feels to me as if the energetic ZoomX has been watered down and I want I might lower the strobel lining out of the shoe.

The Invincible Run 3 feels most snug if you’re doing simple paces slower than 5:half-hour per km (8:52 minutes per mile). For those who do need to choose up the tempo for parts of a run, the high-energy return from the midsole permits you to take action with ease. I wouldn’t suggest it for whole runs at speeds beneath 5 minutes per km (8 minutes per mile) as a result of it’s far too heavy and hulking.

The Invincible Run 3 is now on the most 40 mm allowed for World Athletics races and though they added an additional 3 mm of froth within the forefoot and heel, it doesn’t really feel extra cushioned than the Invincible Run 2. That is once more the results of the strobel lining making the experience firmer.

Nike says on the product web page that the heel clip on the again of the Invincible Run 3 has been made smaller and whereas it has been made thinner, the clip now extends additional ahead into the midfoot so it’s longer (just like the heel clip on the Infinity Run 3). This makes the again of the shoe extra inflexible and offers it extra construction so it doesn’t twist as a lot.

I discover that as a result of I’ve flat toes, I can really feel the heel clip of the edges of my midfoot. This heel clip is designed to information the foot by way of the gait cycle however in actuality, it’s too distracting. On lengthy runs, I discover this poking sensation so annoying that I’ve to loosen the laces lots in order that there’s more room within the midfoot of the shoe.

The midsole has a redesigned geometry which bulges out within the forefoot much more than the earlier variations. This geometry creates a wider, extra steady base nevertheless it additionally makes the forefoot stiffer. When mixed with the brand new strobel lasting, the forefoot of the Invincible Run 3 has much less flexibility within the forefoot and this results in transitions which really feel extra snappy.

There’s a protruding orange “stamp” with the total title of the shoe on the medial facet of the rearfoot midsole and it appears to be like prefer it could possibly be a medial publish to forestall extreme inward ankle roll. That is nevertheless not the case and it’s only a design function so it doesn’t have an effect on the experience.

The outsole nonetheless makes use of very skinny, very delicate rubber to maintain the experience delicate. There’s much less rubber on the outsole of the Invincible Run 3 on the midfoot part in comparison with earlier variations which had full outsole protection so the outsole of the third model is much less sturdy.

There are small nubs that protrude from the rubber however they’re very delicate and don’t grip moist surfaces very effectively. I went down a small, moist slope, slipped and fell as a result of the grip was so dangerous.

Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 Conclusions

For those who beforehand discovered the Invincible Run too delicate and unstable, I feel you’ll be very proud of this new model which has a firmer, extra managed experience because of the further strobel lasting beneath the insole. It additionally has a stiffer forefoot so it feels barely extra snappy.

For those who cherished the unadulterated vitality return and excessive bounce of the primary 2 variations, you’ll be dissatisfied with the Invincible Run 3. I fall into this camp. For me, the Invincible Run 3 feels much less particular within the experience division and never as snug. The brand new, longer heel clip pokes into the edges of my toes and the heel lockdown isn’t as safe.

I don’t assume the Invincible Run 3 is an efficient replace. Not solely is it firmer however it is usually over an oz. heavier than its predecessor. I feel what Nike was attempting to do with this replace was make it extra sensible, to enchantment to a wider viewers however the result’s a extra unusual, much less enjoyable coach. The one factor I like about it’s the sleeker, extra fashionable design.

In order for you a firmer, extra steady Nike every day coach, there’s already the Infinity Run 3 and Pegasus 39 so it doesn’t make sense to make the Invincible Run extra just like these different React-based impartial trainers.

The Invincible Run 3 seems like a missed alternative to make an already nice shoe, good. All they wanted to do was lower among the bloat from the higher and make it lighter.

The Invincible 3 remains to be the softest shoe available on the market nevertheless it isn’t as snug as different max-cushioned trainers such because the Triumph 20, Glycerin 20 and even the Ultraboost 22 so it has fallen down the pecking order for me.