Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3...

By Frank

I had the privilege on trying out the new Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 recently and I must say that I was really impressed with the shoe. I hadn’t had much opportunity on trying out Nike shoes and this experience was really worth it, all made possible by Nike Malaysia and Mr. Wong Li-Zren.

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Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3...

For the introduction, the Vomero+ 3 is neutral cushioned shoe. And for a trainer, it certainly was light weighting at only 326 grams. Not forgetting too that it is also a Nike+ enabled shoe.

Positive
The Vomero+ 3 I received came in white, black and reddish orange colour with some shades of grey and not forgetting those reflective metallic silver although Nike’s website reveals another 2 colour option. It looks really plush but personally, I always feel that a running shoe would be best if it comes with majority lighter colours or those that repels heat. Darker colours tend to attract heat especially with the hot humid weather of Malaysia. But thanks to the great ventilation, the shoe was great and comfortable to have both my feet in it. Not much of a sweaty feet experience even with those traditional cotton socks. My guess for the great ventilation lies with the very breathable mesh as I did not notice any or much holes on the shoe like some how other shoes have on them.

A look on the breathable mesh. Notice the amount of reflective metallic silver...

The most significant highlight is, the shoe was very soft. It’s the softest shoes I’ve worn since the day I started running. From the built of the shoe to the cushioning, everything was so soft. The built of the shoe from the vamp to the overlays and the tongue was so soft that my feet felt like that it was resting in a piece of very soft well cushion pillow! And the material being this soft provided the shoe with excellent flexibility. Oh and yes, it’s seamlessly built so no stitching which led to a really comfortable shoe. The collar was made of memory foam and it hug my ankle nicely. No trouble at all even when I do a sharp turn. And since I mention the shoe’s tongue, I think its worth to talk about it. It’s a one piece construction and it doesn’t move around at all compared to traditional tongues. Well designed here as I had always mentioned about the irritation I suffered from moving shoe tongues.

The shoe’s width was just nice for me. It doesn’t look like a 2E width to me, but somehow, both my feet just fit snugly in the Vomero+ 3. The toebox was generously designed and my toes had the freedom to move in them.

The footbridge with the Nike+ logo...

A quick look on the outsole quickly reveals that Nike did an impressive job here by adding support to the metatarsals especially to the cuboid. With it, the force which is generated during the locking of the midfoot during the propulsion phase which without the support may lead to plantar fasciitis or even iliotibal band syndrome.

Key notes:
Nike+ enabled.
Great ventilation.
Comfortable to wear.
Impressive metatarsal support.

Negative
Besides the slightly darker shade of the shoe, the other or only negative aspect I found from the shoe is the cushioning. I simply like the softness of the shoe, but it was the softness of the outsole that let me down. The outsole cushioning was built on top of Nike’s Cushlon technology for the midsole and the Zoom Air for the heel and forefoot. It was all right for runs distanced at 10KM or even further at 15KM but at 20KM, my calves began to hurt. With every heel strike, my calves are called into action especially when now I am implementing plyometrics to my runs. However with the Vomero+ 3, my calves had to work extra hard as the softness of the outsoles meant a slower response time as my heels felt that it was like “sinking” with every strike. This probably was due to the thick but yet soft outsole which compress on impact. The transition from heel strike to toe off isn’t as smooth as I would like it to be, but on harder surfaces like concrete, it felt better.

Cushlon on the midsole...

The heel cushioned by Zoom Air. Notice the Zoom word...

Key notes:
Cushioning on the soft side.

Comfort: 8.5/10
Cushioning: 7.5/10
Design: 8/10
Flexibility: 8/10
Weight: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

To finish off my first ever Nike shoe review, I have only one word to describe the Vomero+ 3, “Excellent”. Obviously from my perspective, I will definitely like it better should the outsole is made just a little bit harder, but that doesn’t mean it is not suitable for me at all as I still found it a very comfortable shoe during my “pain-free” runs. Finally, my thanks to Nike Malaysia and Mr. Wong Li-Zren for the opportunity to test out this great pair of shoes.

The Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 is now already available retailing at RM479.