Ever since Eliud Kipchoge broke the elusive two-hour marathon mark in 2019 carrying a prototype of the unreleased Nike Alphaflys, the road has grow to be one of the recognizable—due to these large, chunky blocks of froth underfoot—and coveted racing sneakers on the market. Since then, the professionals have worn Alphaflys to assist them set world data and win Marathon Majors, whereas on a regular basis runners have picked up their very own pairs within the hopes of blowing previous their PRs, too.

I’m firmly in that latter class: I’m by no means going to win a race, however I nonetheless practice with intention—primarily, to maintain bettering my very own marks. Meaning I’m all the time looking out for gear that may assist me run my greatest. So when Nike despatched me a pattern of the latest iteration of the road, the Nike Alphafly 3 (nike.com, $285), I used to be keen to check them out to see simply how briskly I might be. (Seems, a great deal of different runners had that very same thought, too. The sneakers, which launched on January 4, offered out ridiculously quick, and a rep from Nike instructed SELF they received’t be again in inventory till April 4.)

Who these sneakers are for

The Alphaflys are carbon-plated “tremendous sneakers” made for racing: Meaning they’re those you select if you wish to run your hardest and your quickest. The ample (to place it mildly) cushioning additionally makes them a terrific choice for runners racing longer distances, because it helps blunt the affect of every step. Whereas Nike markets the Alphafly 3 for “marathon velocity,” it could actually actually work for distances that aren’t fairly 26.2 miles, too.

At almost $300, the sneaker’s hefty price ticket additionally means it’s going to be greatest for runners who’re critical about their sport, and have sufficient disposable revenue to commit to a extremely costly pair of racing sneakers. Racing sneakers, not simply trainers. As a result of these aren’t made for on a regular basis miles, you’d nonetheless have to have one other pair to show to for normal put on, too.

Out of the field

These simply plain look such as you’re getting one thing leading edge. The truth is, the “Prototype” shade (white with orange and black accents, a black athlete wear-test quantity on the lateral midsole, and a black model quantity on the higher) made me really feel like I used to be really concerned of their testing course of.