7 Best Nike Road Running Shoes in 2025

With nonstop upgrades for the past forty years, the Pegasus series remains at the top for a reason. It has perfected the formula of a liberating, comfortable, yet stable ride that caters to the needs of beginners and even seasoned runners. Backed up by solid numbers from the lab, Pegasus 41 is our ultimate Nike shoe for road running.

Looking at its bottom, it features the brand’s iconic waffle-patterned outsole and has multiple grooves to increase its flexibility. Upon checking with our bend test, it’s indeed 34.0% more bendable than average, allowing for a freeing and relaxed feel that flooded our runs.

Moving to the sliced midsole, a plush ReactX foam unveils itself and two Air Zoom units to enhance responsiveness. Our feet truly enjoyed its soft touch, which our durometer confirms is 26.2% softer than average. At a moderate 33.6/22.2 mm height, the shoe delivers a stable feel during testing. Additionally, the midfoot sidewalls and generous landing base ensured our steady strides.

However, as a jack of all trades, Pegasus 41 is a master of none. Those who prefer more kick of energy should explore more exciting options. 

The Nike ZoomX Streakfly is the Oregonian's answer to the critically acclaimed Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen, a phenomenal and fast modern-day racing flat. Commended for being fast, this shoe surprised us in the lab with its comfortable ride and pleasant upper. While not the ultimate short-distance racing shoe, we found this non-plated hyper-light Nike racer to be an excellent tool for a wide variety of workouts.

Vaporfly hits the mark with its V4 edition, emerging as the top choice for 5K/10K races, outperforming all other Nike road-running shoes in our laboratory and outdoor tests. This lightweight champion strikes the perfect balance of comfort and energy return. The V4 model maintains our power and pace, guaranteeing peak performance in our races.

V4’s ride feels phenomenal as it blends energy return and comfort. Its ZoomX midsole promotes a lot of bounce and feels cozy underfoot. Our durometer confirms the foam is 5.2% softer than average, without causing instability.

V4’s unyielding ride ensures record-breaking runs with its spoon-shaped carbon plate springing back the power with every stride. It feels quite rigid, translating to strong energy return and sustained momentum. Our bend test confirms our observation as V4 emerged 14.6% stiffer than average!

Another factor contributing to each stride feeling smoother is its lightweight and breathable design. Weighing in at 5.9 oz (166g), it surpasses the average supershoe (7.3 oz/208g). The well-ventilated upper, which earned a 4/5 score in our lab breathability test, ensures body heat and sweat won’t build up.

Those of us with wide feet or mild pronation didn’t enjoy the narrow 110.6/77.0 mm midsole. Runners who need more support should try other options.

The third time’s a charm as Alphafly 3 is crowned best for marathon — beating all other Nike road-running shoes in our lab. This featherweight champion hits the sweet spot in our runs, delivering comfort and energy return for long miles. A3 sustains our power, speed, and surefootedness, ensuring a strong pace from start to finish.

Alphafly 3 feels phenomenal underfoot as its world-class ZoomX midsole blends propulsion, comfort, and stability into one platform. It features two layers of foam with the stiff FlyPlate in between and the Air Pods in the forefoot. From top to bottom, the first foam measures a firm 29.3 HA for a balanced ride. Next is the rigid carbon plate, which emerged 89.3% stiffer than average in our bend test. Together with the Air Pods, these translate to insane responsiveness that comes alive once engaged correctly. The bottom cushion is a plush 18.1 HA for dampening the impact of repetitive landings.

What also makes each turnover easier is its airy build. Tipping the scales to 7.1 oz (201g), it sits above the average supershoe (7.5 oz/214g). Ensuring comfort and breathability even for the hottest marathons is the well-ventilated Atomknit upper that scored a 5/5 on our lab breathability test.

Just like other race shoes, the outsole wears out faster than average. Our lab shows the Fast Shot rubber is only 1.9 mm thin.

The Nike Pegasus Premium embodies protection and luxurious comfort, overflowing with that homey feeling when gliding through the city streets. Its lab data leaves no room for doubts, its fine cushioning offers the best shock absorption from Nike road running.

Hitting the pavement repetitively with the Pegasus Premium was very much tolerable because of the generous cushion delivering endless comfort. First, it reaches above-average heights of 42.9/31.0 mm. Second, it performed extremely well in our shock absorption test, rating a high 155 SA and 136 SA in the heel and forefoot. Both stand above average, meaning they are able to reduce impact better.

Much to our delight, it features a full-length Air Zoom unit that adds propulsion to our strides. True enough, it returned a high energy score of 67.3% in the heel and an even higher 68.3% in the forefoot, proving its dynamic ride.

To ease of steam during adrenaline-filled runs, the upper delivers the perfect mix of plushness and ventilation. Earning the maximum 5/5 breathability score in our smoke test, it delivers comfort for long hours of wear.

All that cushioning doesn’t go weightless, as Pegasus Premium’s 10.9 oz (308g) weight falls deeply on the heavier side of the running spectrum. For reference, the average running shoe sits 16.2% lighter.

The Invincible Run is a shoe that barely needs an introduction. It’s among the most (if not the most) comfortable max-cushioned trainers that we put on our feet, alongside the More and the Bondi. In this third iteration, the shoe moved away from the unadulterated wildness of the v2 in favor of practicality and versatility. The outcome? We experienced a ride that was less soft and bouncy but more stable and controlled. It’s the Invincible for runners who couldn’t handle the Invincible.

Downshifter 13 defies the traditional budget-friendly shoe with its remarkable versatility and impressive breathability in our runs. Our lab confirms its solid durability, offering high value for its $75 price. For reference, the average Nike road trainer costs $127, making Downshifter 13 our top budget pick.

Downshifter 13 offers a pleasantly comfortable ride—a feature often found in more expensive counterparts. Its low level of resistance to our natural movements makes it easy on the feet. Our bend test reveals a remarkably low 11.4N resistance to our 30º bend test, reflecting 24.0% greater flexibility than average. This adaptability makes it suitable for walking and activities beyond running.

Meanwhile, its mesh upper has numerous ventilation holes that allow the cool breeze in. Our lab reveals an impressive 4/5 rating in our smoke test, which aligns with the refreshing ride we had. Despite the light upper, it still received a good durability score of 3/5.

The rubber in the outsole registered a firm 90.5 HC in our durometer, validating its toughness vs. the 80.1 HC average. Furthermore, it only sustained a minimal 0.8 mm dent in our abrasion test, proving its longevity and giving us the confidence to use the shoe regularly. However, it delivered average traction in our runs so we recommend sticking to dry roads. Those who need more traction should invest in grippier models.