Nike Zoom Fly 6 EK Review: A Beautiful Plated Trainer That Does Not Quite Fly

Introduction

Nike’s plated training shoes rarely arrive without fanfare, and the Zoom Fly 6 EK (Eliud Kipchoge Edition) is no exception. It is Nike’s direct entry into the plated marathon training segment: the idea is simple, a training companion to the Vaporfly that lets you log big miles without wearing out your race shoe. Priced at $170, it finally lands at a competitive point in a category where every major brand now fields a contender.

To find out whether it can hang with that competition, this review comes from a 23-mile long run straight out of the box. The short version: the looks are outstanding, the ride is more complicated.

First Impressions: Design and Build

Out of the box, the EK colorway is genuinely special. The red is meant to symbolize the red clay of Kenya, the “no human is limited” slogan sits inside the shoe, and the Kipchoge signature is printed on the heel. The typography mixes different widths of the same typeface for a stretched effect, and the heel carries six dots as a nod to the Zoom Fly 6. It may be the best-looking speed trainer of the year, and it looks even better in person than on camera, with a noticeably taller stack than photos suggest.

Build quality holds up too. The outsole has good rubber coverage in a new reverse waffle pattern that nods to the Bill Bowerman era, and the upper is a highlight: dialed in, true to size, and arguably the best part of the shoe. The heel counter is structured and comfortable.

Weight and Specs

On the scale, the shoe comes in at 273 grams, remarkably consistent on both sides. That is close to the Nike Pegasus Plus at 263 grams despite this shoe’s much taller profile, which makes it a lightweight option for the marathon training segment.

The stack measures 40mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot, with an 8mm drop. The carbon plate is decently stiff, firmer than the plastic plate in a shoe like the On Cloudboom Zone but not as rigid as some rivals. One important nuance: the foam here is a denser, softer-feeling variant of ZoomX, not the same compound as the Vaporfly or Alphafly. It shares the characteristic crinkles in the foam but does not perform identically. Underfoot it feels like pressing into a soft stress ball, which is pleasant in the hand but has consequences out on the road.

Who This Product Is For

This shoe makes the most sense for two types of runners. First, Nike loyalists who want the swoosh and mostly run shorter sessions: if your typical run is 30 to 60 minutes with the occasional 90-minute effort, it will serve you fine. Second, and more importantly, it is built for Tuesday and Thursday speed days. The faster the pace, the better this shoe felt, so interval workouts, 400s, 800s, and up to an hour at tempo pace are where it should shine.

If you like the Vaporfly’s feel, this is essentially its training counterpart, sharing much of the same character.

Main Strengths

The design and upper are legitimate standouts, the weight is competitive, and the 40mm heel stack gives it useful cushioning on paper. When the pace comes up, the shoe responds with real bounce, and there is a proper aggressive rocker in the front that helps rollover. Across a 23-mile debut run it delivered its miles injury-free, which counts for something.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The ride has real problems at everyday paces. At slower speeds the foam compresses heavily and the forefoot feels like it is slamming directly into the carbon plate, producing a choppy, unrefined ride. The shoe wants a very specific landing: heel-leaning with the toe pointed up. Land more midfoot or forefoot and the plate presence becomes intrusive. There is also an aggressive heel bevel cutout that flat-footed landers will not notice but toe-up strikers might.

The broader issue is value in context. The foam feels less protective than rivals in the same price band, and there is significant overlap with the more expensive Pegasus Plus, which is supposed to be the short-and-fast option in the lineup. This shoe costs less yet is meant to carry more technology, which says a lot about how the foam was prioritized. For long runs of two hours or more, it simply does not have the protection of the category leaders.

Buying Advice

In the $160 to $190 plated trainer category, there are many strong options, and this is not the pick for long-run-focused marathon training. But if your week revolves around speed sessions, you run mostly under an hour, and you love the way this shoe looks, it is a reasonable choice. Buyers without experience in the category’s best shoes will likely be perfectly satisfied. Anyone comparing it directly against the top performers in the segment should temper expectations.

Conclusion

The Zoom Fly 6 EK is the definition of a mid-pack plated trainer wrapped in an exceptional design. It is not a bad shoe, and for shorter, faster workouts it does its job. But in 2024’s crowded field, the performance sits a tier below the leaders, and the beautiful Kipchoge colorway cannot carry it further than that.