A Few Minutes With the Coach

In this section of the post, I’ll take a few minutes to discuss a topic each week that is pertinent to my training. Each week I’ll tackle one specific part of my training and explain either why I do what I do, or the reason behind my training sessions. This week I’ll take a moment to thank my sponsor, Sean Harkin Photography and to give my review of the Vaporfly 3’s and compare them to my Alphfly 1’s. 

General Statement Regarding Carbon Plated Shoes

Let me first say one thing, I am not married to Nike. I have worn both Adidas and Hoka carbon plated shoes as well. I just so happen to feel good wearing the Nike’s and will always be on the lookout for anything that will suit me better. One other thing to say is that carbon plated super shoes are great. They do help with performance and with comfort, particularly on the long runs. However, I have always said, and still think, that super shoes will help but they will not make a runner. The work still needs to be put in and no running shoe will take the place of hard training.

My Start with the Super Shoes

A few years back I was a Newton Running man through and through. I loved my Newton’s and I credit them for transforming my running form. However, when the super shoes first appeared on the scene I thought I’d give the Nike 4% shoes a try. The 4% felt strange at first, particularly weird to walk in. But they certainly offered a comfort and bounce when running at pace. Unfortunately, I got mine in 2019 with the intention of wearing them in the Manchester Marathon in 2020. We all know what happened in 2020. These new super shoes soon became a training shoe for those faster sessions. I managed to get one race in them and I, and the shoes, performed well. The downside was they fell apart way too quickly, showing wear and tear after 50 miles or so.

The Original Vaporfly

With some positives coming from the 4%’s the next step once they wore out, which was too quickly if you ask me, was to try the next generation. Out came the Vaporfly’s. These were another level altogether. By far the lightest trainer I ever wore, I found them to be an amazing 5k racing shoe. They were so light and comfortable. At this time, I also purchased the Alphfly’s for a distance racing shoe. These two trainers in my arsenal equipped me for running fast times in all distances.

The Vaporfly 3’s

OK, the Vaporfly 3’s weigh in at 220g (EU size 45, UK 10, US 11). It has a heel height of 40mm and toe of 32mm so a total of 8mm drop. My inital thoughts when first putting them on were that, similar to the original Vaporfly’s I found the foot opening gaped. I relaced them using the heel-lock technique and this fixed that and actually secured my foot rather nicely. When first putting them on, they just feel good. Although it is a rather narrow shoe, they feel more stable than the originals, with perhaps a slightly bigger toe box than I remember my Vaporfly 1’s having.

The upper is very breathable with it’s flyknit construction. This adds to the lightweight feel of the shoe overall. The comfort is top-notch, particularly in the warmer climate of Spain where a heavier, less wicking upper can get heavy and cause blisters. Unlike the Alphafly the sole is a single slab construction with less chance of the carbon plate breaking through the ZoomX foam which has happened in all of my previous Alphafly’s. I like this about the Vaporfly’s and always have.

When the Aplhafly 2’s first came out I jumped on and purchased a pair and from the first run I disliked them. I can’t say what it was, but they didn’t feel great and my feet didn’t feel great wearing them. Therefore, I avoided upgrading to the Vaporfly 2 when my originals finally wore out. I am very pleased with the look and feel of the 3’s however.  

The Vaporfly V. Alphafly

I have a few weeks to decide which shoes to wear in the 2024 Valencia Marathon where I look to break 2:50. As of today, my confidence is with my relatively new Alphafly 1’s. This particular pair has two marathons and roughly 75 miles (121 km) in total on them. They are still in terrific condition. This is the pair I ran 2:54 in Manchester earlier in 2024. It will take some convincing for me to change to the Vaporfly’s for this race. However, my initial thoughts are that the Vaporfly 3’s are an amazing shoe. Similar to the originals, they are extremely light. The upper does gape a little, but using the heel-lock lacing technique fixes that. 

I’m not sure any trainer holds my feet as well as the Alphafly 1. My foot feels secure and cozy in these and I’ve never had any issue with blisters or with the lacing. I will tackle some of my pacy sessions this week in the new Vaporfly’s and see how they feel. So far, however, they performed extremely well and I can’t wait to put them to the test. A big thank you to Sean Harkin Photography for the sponsorship and the support for the 2:49 Marathon Project.