The Different Types of Nike ZoomX Foam in Every Road Shoe in 2025
ZoomX is Nike's premier, lightweight race-day foam. The traditional soft and bouncy PEBA-based ZoomX is featured in the Nike Alphafly 3. A more cushioned and comfortable version appears in models like the Pegasus Premium, while a firmer, more responsive take is found in the Pegasus Plus. Here, we break down these three versions of ZoomX foam and their applications in 2025.
It's time for some Foamwork. Today, in our newest series, we're breaking down Nike ZoomX: the OG lightweight race foam. Here's how the foam shows up across Nike's road running shoes on the market in 2025.
Race Day ZoomX
This is the ZoomX that we know and love. Soft, bouncy and lightweight, it’s the foam that kickstarted the carbon fiber racing shoe segment and the “super shoe” arms race. This classic race day ZoomX is a PEBA compound (polyether block amide for the real sickos), and it works beautifully when paired with an aggressively angled plate like in the Alphafly 3 and Streakfly 2. In the Vaporfly 4, the soft comfort shines through, but the bounce and propulsion isn’t as great as other race shoes. We’ve found that our enjoyment of ZoomX in a fast shoe depends on everything else going on around the foam—the plate, rocker, stack, presence of Air units, etc.—but when done right, there’s little better on the market.
- Alphafly 3
- Vaporfly 4
- Streakfly 2
- Zoom Fly 6
Nike Streakfly 2
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Nike Vaporfly Next% 4
Comfort ZoomX
While this may or may not be the same compound as race day ZoomX in the newer releases (it’s a TPE-based foam in the Invincible 3), the application of it in these shoes is for a different purpose than in the racers. Here, ZoomX provides a soft layer of cushioning for comfortable landings and a smooth underfoot feel. None of these three shoes are particularly fast, but that’s not the point of ZoomX here. In the Vomero 18 and Pegasus Premium, the foam pairs with other elements to deliver a protective ride. The main downside of the comfort-oriented ZoomX applications is that without the plate and aggressive rocker, the foam can quickly fatigue and lose its pop—especially in the forefoot given the higher 10mm drop of these shoes.
- Pegasus Premium
- Vomero 18
- Invincible 3
Nike Pegasus Premium
Nike Vomero 18
WTH / Confused ZoomX
What the heck? Seriously, what, the heck? Now don’t get us wrong: the Pegasus Plus is not a bad shoe. To the contrary, it’s actually a quite good shoe. It’s fast, decently lightweight and easy to run in. However, the WTH? here comes because the ride experience of the Peg Plus is nothing like other ZoomX shoes; the ride is firm, direct and not particularly cushioned or comfortable. Call it gaslighting, good ol’ marketing or whatever you want, but the decision to call this foam ZoomX when the ride is so different is puzzling. And it also raises a question: what does ZoomX mean in 2025? Is it about speed? (Vomero says no.) Or is it about comfort? (Streakfly wants a word.) Is it about being soft? (The Peg Plus begs to differ.) Maybe it’s about vibes.
- Pegasus Plus
Nike Pegasus Plus
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