5 Reasons Why the Nike Streakfly 2 is a Great Short Distance Racing Shoe
The Nike Streakfly 2 is a short-distance training and race shoe with ZoomX race foam and a full carbon Flyplate that is designed for speed. Priced at $180, it competes with shoes like the Hoka Cielo Road ($160) and Adios 9 ($140). Here we will go over 5 things that make the Streakfly 2 a great 1 mile or 5k racing shoe.
What makes the Nike Streakfly 2 so good? The Streakfly 2 brings serious heat with a full ZoomX midsole and a full-length carbon Flyplate that work together to make this shoe fly. Built on a spike-like last with aggressive geometry, it gives the illusion of a negative drop—throwing you onto your forefoot, right where the waffle-patterned outsole is designed to grip and go. And at just 128g, it’s insanely light for how much it packs in—making it a road racing weapon built for pure pace.
1. Geometry: Midsole Geometry Drawn from Track Spikes
There’s no better place to start than with the Streakfly 2’s aggressive midsole geometry. Designed using the last of a track spike rather than a traditional road shoe, the Streakfly 2 features a negative drop feel that necessitates a forefoot strike for optimal use. It might feel unusual upon initial step in, but once you start ripping pace on the forefoot, the shoe’s geometry makes perfect sense. This is truly a track spike for the roads.
Nike Streakfly 2
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2. Midsole: Perfect Implementation of Plated ZoomX
The Streakfly 2’s geometry is one piece of the puzzle, but equally important is its foam compound. Featuring a 26mm slab of pure ZoomX and a full length carbon fiber Flyplate, the Streakfly 2’s midsole is designed to provide a wildly fast and propulsive ride. This might be our favorite implementation of Nike’s softest, bounciest pinnacle race foam—it feels like a stripped down Alphafly 3 or Metaspeed Sky Paris that’s perfectly tuned for pure speed.
3. Outsole: Forefoot Lugs for Aggressive Traction
The outsole rubber placement on the Streakfly 2 says everything about where Nike wants you to be landing in the shoe: the forefoot. Featured here is a layout of waffle patterned outsole rubber in the forefoot that is designed to mimic the way spikes bite into the track. Combined with the tacky quality of the rubber compound itself, this outsole provides a unique grip and rip feel that helps you access a gear you didn’t know you had.
4. Weight: Only 128 Grams
Weighing in at only 128 grams, the Streakfly 2 is the lightest shoe we’ve tested thus far. The shoe is light on paper, and even lighter in practice—the minimal engineered upper all but disappears on foot. Think of it like a perfectly streamlined Cinderella slipper that you can actually race in. The Streakfly 2’s light weight enables the most direct, natural, and freeing running experience on the market.
5. Fun Factor: A Truly Novel Shoe that Revives Its Category
The Streakfly 2 is a much-needed addition to the short distance racing category, a market segment that has been largely dormant in recent years. When was the last time you heard someone getting excited about the Saucony Sinister or SC Pacer? In a world where lower stack racing shoes are out of the hype cycle, Nike’s novel track spike for the roads has finally got people talking about these shoes again. We hope the Streakfly 2 helps to usher in a new era of innovation in this long slept-on category.
New Balance SC Pacer v2
Watch Yowana's YouTube video comparing Nike's 3 best racing shoes below:
And for our multi-tester, team review of the Streakfly 2, check out this post.
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