Nike Streakfly 2 Review: Cutthroat to the Core

Introduction to the Nike Streakfly 2

ROBBE: I’ve never been one for streaking. I don’t do run streaks, I don’t go streaking through the quad with Frank the Tank. If Snoop brings his green hat, then maybe. I never did the Nike Streakfly when it first came out, either. 

Thomas reviewed that one for the team, a lightweight and quick shoe meant for shorter race distances up to the 10K. It was fairly simple shoe with a lower stack of ZoomX, Nike’s premium race day foam. It didn’t have a carbon fiber plate, but it did have a midfoot shank for some extra stability underfoot. The knit mesh upper was incredibly light and breathable. It looked great as well. And yet – when it came to the 5K distance, it didn’t really give runners a reason to drop the Vaporfly. 

Simple, lightweight, and fun – yes. But it wasn’t a race day ripper.

It’s been over three years since that shoe came out, and whatever that shoe was is now gone, because this version of the Streakfly is a total overhaul.

The Streakfly was an already light shoe, but Nike really took it to the next level with this version, chopping off a whole 40 grams (nearly a quarter of its weight), bringing it down to 144 grams (5 ounces) for a US M10. As you can imagine, it’s absurdly light, both in hand and on foot.

Incredibly, it lost that weight with the addition of a carbon fiber Flyplate, the same one found in the Nike Vaporfly 3. Weight savings come in the way of a lower stack midsole, which has been trimmed back by 5 mm, now coming in at 27 mm in the heel and 23 mm in the forefoot (4 mm drop). The whole thing has been built on a track spike last to make it feel like a converted Dragonfly, or something similar. The mesh upper is different but still ultralight. The outsole rubber design hearkens back to the earlier versions of the Vaporfly. 

All of this comes with a predictable price increase, putting it at $180. If you’re looking to break a 5K PR, it may be worth it. But first– let’s tell you why.

THOMAS: I loved the original Streakfly. At the time, there weren’t many shoes that combined an ultra-light build with soft, responsive foam. It stood alone. Today, that space has grown into its own category—simple, clean, lightweight trainers with premium cushioning. Shoes like the New Balance Rebel v5 and Adidas Adizero Evo SL come to mind. The newish category has become my favorite kind of running shoe.

But back to the Streakfly. The second version feels less like a sequel and more like a hybrid. It has more in common with the Vaporfly 4 than with the original. If anything, the Streakfly 2 feels like the offspring of the Vaporfly and the Dragonfly spike—a near-perfect blend of track snap and road speed.

What We Like About the Nike Streakfly 2

ROBBE: First world reviewer problems, but I feel like three quarters of my training this year has been in super trainers or super shoes. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fun, but it’s just a whole lot of stuff going on. Carbon plates, extreme rockers, medial cutouts, giant slabs of foam with varying degrees of densities even within the same midsole. It’s just a lot underfoot. Things that help you go fast, but sometimes keep you from feeling fast. More shoe feel than road feel. 

This shoe right here is the antidote to all of that. It’s an absolute dart, and when it comes to going fast for shorter distances, it’s unlike anything else I’ve worn in recent memory.  

Let’s start with the upper, which is an ultrafine mesh, the same kind used in the new Vaporfly 4. In fact, it’s very hard to tell these shoes apart even from across the room. The fit is snug and secure throughout, and though I probably prefer the Atomknit style of the first version, this one is definitely lighter. 

As I said earlier, Nike built this shoe on a track spike last and it feels like it. The ZoomX midsole is crazy narrow through the midfoot before widening slightly in the heel, with a large cutout channel running from heel to the start of the forefoot. It’s wildly unstable when walking around, almost feeling like you’re going backwards. The heel is almost there for cosmetic purposes, if you are a heel striker, even on race days, just stop reading this review now. Simply put, this shoe is meant for you to be running fast and on your toes.

Now, they don’t expect you to do that all on your own. The carbon fiber Flyplate is aggressive and stiff and keeps the turnover as quick and as fast as you want it to go. When hitting race pace, it feels like it gives you an extra gear with just an absolutely perfect blend of aggressive leverage combined with the benefits of a low layer of ZoomX. It’s super snappy through every step. I had no problems hitting all my prescribed paces with ease, and even managed to take it down to a 5:10 pace (very fast for me) on the last rep of a 10 x 60 seconds at 5K pace workout. I am itching to take it out for a real race; once I do so, I will update this review.

The weight, of course, is ridiculous. It weighed like 4 ounces for my M7.5 which is practically nothing. It’s almost like running in your bare feet, but with the world’s best race day combination glued to your foot. The rubber was surprisingly tacky and infinitely more sticky than the other shoe as light as this one, the Adidas Pro Evo 2, which is effectively an ice skate in wet conditions. One of my workouts was in the rain and I had no problems whatsoever.

I came away shocked at how much I loved this shoe. When it comes to faster workouts or shorter races, I’m not sure I would choose any other shoe at this point. It’s that good. Keep in mind, if it comes to cushion vs. road feel, I’m going to lean road feel every time, especially if it’s a faster shoe. So it’s not going to feel like a marathon racer with 40 mm of foam underfoot. But it provides just the right amount of cushion to not leave your feet completely beat, while still allowing you to access the highest levels of turnover and speed without any limitations.

At $190, it may be a bit steep for a one-trick pony, but if you want to ride the fastest pony, you gotta pay for the right to do so.

THOMAS: When I slipped on the Streakfly 2, I felt that unmistakable flicker—the one that says, let’s see if this thing can move. At first glance, the shoe isn’t much to look at. It’s tube-shaped, lacking the sculpted lines I usually prefer. But it fits snugly, the way a racing flat should—close to the foot, ready for business.

Nike’s ZoomX foam is still a marvel. Whatever sorcery they use to transform raw PEBAX into that soft, spring-loaded ride, no one else has matched it. The foam compresses, rebounds, and drives you forward. It’s a sensation that’s hard to describe, but you know it when you feel it.

This version comes lower to the ground, with a sharper, more aggressive carbon plate. You don’t feel planted so much as perched—like you’re sitting on a V8 engine just waiting to drop the hammer. The outsole grabs the ground with knobby lugs that feel almost overbuilt for the road. It’s the kind of grip you could trust on a trail. Two small rubber patches guard the heel—just enough to tell you this isn’t a shoe meant for heel striking. It’s built for the balls of your feet.

I’ve long defaulted to marathon racing shoes for every race distance. But the Streakfly 2 made me reconsider. In a workout with Robbe at the local park— 400-meter repeats— I felt so smooth, so locked in, that I abandoned the pace plan and just ran. The response was immediate. Foam, plate, and grip worked as one, pushing me forward with every stride.

The difference became clearer the next week, during a similar session in the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3. It’s an excellent marathon shoe, one of the best. But it couldn’t match the pop, the urgency, the raw feedback of the Streakfly 2. That’s where the design pays off. Every element is tuned for shorter efforts—5K, 10K, or a fast mile on the roads.

But don’t mistake this for a marathon shoe. It isn’t. The stripped-down build won’t hold up over 26.2 for most runners. It’s a scalpel, not a hammer. Use it accordingly.

What We Don’t Like About The Nike Streakfly 2

ROBBE: I’m usually a pretty big fan of Nike shoe designs, but I feel like this jawn is more yawn than the first version. Really, the entire line of Nike racers look boring to me at the moment, and the watermelon sour patch colorway isn’t really helping. Sure, it’ll stand out on the start line, but looking like a cherry limeade Fun Dip isn’t my idea of intimidation. The proto colorway was pretty solid though, I have to say. 

Apparently I was the only one who got significant heel slippage in the Vaporfly 4, and though it was much less pronounced in the Streakfly 2, I still did get a little bit of heel lift if the lacing was totally dialed in. It may require a mid-workout adjustment, and I’d definitely get some warm-up reps in before a race to make sure you’re good to go. 

This isn’t a bad thing, but just a note: if you plan on doing a workout in this shoe and you’re not used to an aggressive forefoot racing shoe, you may want to wear a different shoe for your warm up then switch out when it’s time for the workout itself. It’s just a very aggressive shoe and you don’t want to be landing in the heel area at slower paces cause there’s just not much there.

I would personally have a hard time taking this past 5K for a race. I did a couple 7-mile workouts in the shoe, but that included warm-ups and cooldowns on each end, as well as rest intervals. My calves were pretty cooked by the time I got home and were sore for a couple days afterward. Again, not a bad thing, just don’t think you’re getting Vaporfly type miles out of this shoe, which you may have been able to get away with in the last version.

Lastly, the shoe is $190 (it’s seen a $10 increase over the past month in response to tariffs). That’s $30 more than the first version and a lot of money for a one-trick pony, even if it does have some great giddy-up in its gallop.

THOMAS: I mentioned the tube-shaped upper earlier, and it bears repeating—it leaves something to be desired. I’d like a more defined fit through the arch, something that hugs the foot. The original Streakfly had it right, especially in the prototype colorway. It was sleek, simple, smooth, and beautiful. Looks don’t make you faster, but they make you feel faster. That matters.

Robbe noted some heel lift. I felt it too. It wasn’t enough to ruin the run, but it’s a reminder that the fit could use refinement. I understand the dilemma. When you build around a stiff carbon plate, lockdown becomes a balancing act—secure enough to trust, light enough to fly. It’s not easy to get right. And here, it’s close, but not quite there.

Final Thoughts on the Nike Streakfly 2

ROBBE: The best thing about the Streakfly is that it definitively separates itself from the Vaporfly 4, which was kind of a do-it-all race day shoe before this. That’s not a bad thing, it was just great for any distance. The first Streakfly didn’t really give you a reason to give up the Vaporfly. Now it does.

In fact, I think the Streakfly distinctly separates itself from any other 5K racer across the board. Most brands are dancing in that weird grey zone between a marathon/half marathon/5K shoe, throwing in elements of each one into a single shoe and just keeping the stack height a little lower. I’m talking shoes like the Adidas Takumi Sen, New Balance SC Pacer, or even the Brooks Hyperion. All great shoes, but none of them are a true 5K dagger. The Streakfly 2 is that. So get ready to slay some race day dragons.

THOMAS: This is the first shoe that’s convinced me: the 5K and 10K deserve their own tool. The Streakfly 2 sends unmistakable signals—quicker turnover, a forward lean, pressure through the toes. It coaxes speed out of you, not with brute force, but with precision. The result is a ride that’s fast, light, and sharp. There’s bite.

I’m not chasing PRs these days. I’m chasing the best effort I have in me. And this shoe helps me find it.

Robbe mentioned some of the competition. They’re fine. But none matched what the Streakfly 2 delivers in feel and focus. Someone should go ahead and name a 5K racer The Dagger. Until then, this one comes closest. 

You can pick up the Nike ZoomX Streakfly 2 for $190 at Nike by using the shop link below.

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