Nike’s Air Zoom Tempo Next% running shoes might not turn you into a superhero, but you’ll sure feel like they did.
The model was designed as a scaled-down, slightly more durable interpretation of the Swoosh’s Zoom Alphafly Next%, an ultra-cutting-edge marathon shoe that (in its previous iteration) helped Kenyan running superstar Eliud Kipchoge shatter the sub-2-hour marathon barrier at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. While the race model isn’t suited for everyday training, the Tempo Next% is made for higher mileage, more stability, and greater versatility for training runs. The model is designed using dual self-contained Zoom Air pods at the balls of the wearer’s feet, ZoomX foam in the shoe’s forefoot, and React Foam in the heel. This setup, when combined with a slightly softer springplate to strengthen wearers’ feet over time, helps to literally rocket runners forward as they go through each step.
Nike’s flagship Next% shoes are so fast that they’ve prompted marathon and Olympics officials to reconsider what constitutes “mechanical doping” amid concerns that the shoe provides a significant and unfair advantage to those who wear it. While they were eventually approved for use in the (now postponed) 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, the Next% line has cemented itself as a true revolution in running footwear.
You can harness this technology for everyday runs in the Tempo now via Nike’s website. Models tend to sell out extremely quickly, but the Swoosh undoubtedly has more stock (and more tricks) up their sleeve down the road. In the meantime, you can check out photos and a behind-the-scenes design video on the Nike Zoom Tempo Next% down below. Additionally, you can take a first look at the Off-White version of the shoe supposedly releasing sometime soon here.
Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT%
Color: Black/Volt/White
Style Code: CI9923-001
Price: $200
Nike Women’s Air Zoom Tempo NEXT%
Color: White/Hyper Violet/Flash Crimson/Black
Style Code: CI9924-100
Price: $200
