Nike Streakfly 2: First Look & Thoughts

Winning Streak

There’s nothing more freeing than a good time streaking. And when it comes to running short and fast, there’s nothing better than an ultralight, low-stack, lightning fast shoe. Put it all together and you have the Nike Streakfly 2, the shorter distance counterpart and the fourth member of the Nike road performance family, a shoe which sees significant changes in its updated version.

The just-announced shoe (coming March 1) seeks to combine a lightweight design with improved ZoomX midsole, redesigned outsole and Vaporfly-style Flyplate, as it looks to join the ranks of the marathon-ready Vaporfly bringing top speeds on race day.

What’s new? Let’s find out.

What’s New in the Nike Streakfly 2

The original Streakfly was a quick little slipper, but it lacked some of the punch of its race-day counterparts. Changes in the Streakfly 2 look to harness the bounce of the ZoomX for a quicker ride.

But first, there’s the weight savings. According to Nike, the Streakfly 2 “pushes the boundaries of just how lightweight a low-profile racing shoe can be.” The original was already a feather in its own right (184 g), but this version takes it to a whole new level, coming in at a miniscule 144 grams (5.1 oz.) for a US M8.5. That’s a whole 40 grams lighter than the original version of the shoe.

The entire build is different on this go-around. For starters, the shoe is built on a track spike last, and the stack height has been trimmed back by 5 mm (with a lower drop as well), coming in at 27 mm in the heel and 23 mm in the forefoot (4 mm drop). The offset lacing has been eliminated, replaced with a traditional centered lacing system.

As with the first version, the midsole is full ZoomX, though Nike claims it’s an improved formula for greater durability, flexibility, and bounce. Within the midsole is a carbon Flyplate, which is actually the same exact plate found in the Vaporfly 3. 

The retail on the shoe takes a predictable tick up, coming in at $180 ($10 more than v1).

Our Thoughts on the Nike Streakfly 2

It’s been three years since the original Streakfly came out. At the time, it worked. But since then, plenty of others have entered the same space and equaled (or bettered) its output. Shoes like the Hoka Cielo Road, New Balance SC Pacer v2, and Adidas Takumi Sen 10. An update to the Streakfly has been long overdue.

That said, we’d rather Nike get something right than release something wrong, so if it takes three years, then so be it. While we loved the first version for what it was– a modern throwback to a traditional flat– it probably could’ve used a bit of an edge.

Because here’s the thing– the Vaporfly is so good that it really can be used for anything from a mile to a marathon. Which makes it hard not to choose it for everything, even shorter distances. The Streakfly was nice and light and quick and fast, but it lacked the lightning that came from the heavy hitters in the race day family. Why have one shoe that can do one thing (Streakfly) when you already have a shoe that can do everything (Vaporfly)?

With a track last and lower stack of Zoom X wedged around a Vaporfly Flyplate, it seems that the Streakfly 2 will give us what we’re looking for: a mix of track and road, a shoe that bottles up lightning and sets it free when the gun goes off.

And that weight! We’re talking Nike Mayfly levels of lightness, but with ZoomX and a carbon fiber plate. We’d slap our younger selves for even dreaming of things so ridiculous. And yet, here we are.

Final Thoughts

Of course, we still have to run in the shoe. That will hopefully happen soon as the Streakfly 2 is set to arrive here for testing in the coming days. Rest assured, we’ll get in our reps and get out our thoughts, so stay tuned for that report. 

You may even get it before we do, so report back with your own first thoughts if you do. 

The Nike Streakfly 2 is set to release on March 1 for $180 (in tandem with the Nike Vaporfly 4), you can pick it up at nike.com or select global retailers.