Nike Ultrafly - Women's Review

The Nike Ultrafly includes an underfoot plate for propulsion and protection and tacky Vibram Litebase outsoles. They have a 33 mm heel stack with 6 mm of toe drop and very little protection.

Performance Comparision

Foot Protection

The Nike Ultrafly seems like a great idea from the jump. It is relatively lightweight and has a Flyplate that doubles as both a propulsion device and an underfoot protection piece. Aside from this piece of architecture, the Ultrafly is generally lacking protection. The heel collar is somewhat plush and well-shaped, which prevents debris from flying in on the ankle side of the things. The paper-thin upper textile is great at deflecting sand since there aren't any holes across this textile, though this knit material does very little to protect your feet from splashes you may encounter on the trails. Unfortunately, this is where our generally positive commentary about the Ultrafly's foot protection ends. This is the first trail shoe we've tested that does not have a toe bumper. You and your sensitive toe tips are out there, exposed to any and all rogue rocks, roots, and ruts to attack, which diminishes the applications for this shoe by a lot. Sure, this might not be the worst thing to be lacking if your runs take you on mellow single tracks and sandy trails, but why spend so much hard-earned cash on a trail shoe that lacks versatility?

Traction

Nike's choice to partner with Vibram to construct this outsole was a great idea, honestly, as the traction of the Ultrafly is its main redeeming quality. The outsole is grippy and durable, covered in chevron-shaped lugs with sharp edges that can bite down into the earth — kind of. These bitey, texturized lugs are shorter than average, measuring only 2.5 mm deep. While it is typical to find 3 mm layering the outsoles of high-scoring trail shoes, these just don't quite add up. Again, we find that the price tag doesn't match the functionality of the Ultrafly. When we throw down serious money, we want a trail shoe that can accompany us on a variety of adventures, not just mellow, dry ones.

Sensitivity

The sensitivity of the Nike Ultrafly is middling. This heel stack stands at 33 mm tall with a 6 mm drop. This means that, at 27 mm, the forefoot isn't especially far off of the ground. Of course, a carbon plate stands between your feet and the earth, which creates a dampened trail feel. Overall, the moderate sensitivity of the Ultrafly is not a make-or-break element of this shoe. It provides some trail information but isn't especially generous.

Stability

Unfortunately, the lack of structure and 6 mm differential of the Ultrafly make it a rolled ankle special. We had to be especially mindful during our testing runs on technical terrain because the stability wasn't quite there. Plus, we didn't want to bang our toes on rocks since this shoe lacks a toe cap. For runners seeking a shoe that provides some stability, this is definitely not going to be it. Because of its knit fabric siding, there isn't a lot of structure to keep your feet where they need to be, making this a shoe we hesitate to recommend. Sure, you can try to tamp down the laces across the lace bed to provide stability. We did this, and after 20 miles in this shoe, we ended up with tendon pain across the tops of our feet from the pressure.

Comfort and Fit

Honestly, this was the shoe we were most excited about running in when we unboxed this season's test specimens. It looks cool, but Nike really dropped the ball in this metric. The Ultrafly runs a bit narrow, and Nike does not offer the option for a wide option. The knit siding is comfortable but is fabricky enough to allow your feet to splay over the platform if your feet happen to be wider than the 4.38-inch (at its widest) outsole. The dual-gusseted tongue and slight tongue cushion are comfortable — until you tighten down the laces. This is what caused our tendons to flare up over longer runs. The heel cup and collar are plush enough to be comfortable but not quite enough to make up for the rest of this shoe's body.

Let's talk style for a second. This shoe is gorgeous but ultimately feels like you're spending money on the label, which is something that our veteran testers have noticed in the past with Nike-made kicks. Based on looks alone, this shoe slaps… for the first spin around the block. The upper textiles soak up dry dust so fast. We noticed that the Ultrafly really lost its luster after being worn on our testing runs. We noticed that many Ultrafly wearers across the internet have similar complaints.

Weight

7.78 ounces for a women's size 6.5 trail shoe is pretty standard when the shoe includes adequate protection, cushion, and a host of other technical features. The Ultrafly doesn't feel heavy while worn, which is nice, but it isn't the lightweight race shoe that we hoped it would be.

Should You Buy the Nike Ultrafly?

We do not think most runners will find adequate value in the Nike Ultrafly. We hate being the bearers of bad news, especially when it comes to such highly anticipated, beautiful trail shoes. The elements of this shoe simply do not come together in a way that makes it a good value. The Ultrafly falls short in nearly every metric and costs more than nearly every other shoe in our lineup, making it difficult for us to recommend.

What Other Trail Running Shoes Should You Consider?