Nike Vomero 18 Review: Bigger is Better

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Nike Vomero 18

ROBBE: I grew up on the ground, barefoot summers where the dirt never disappears and calluses big enough to walk on driveways full of rocks. Unfortunately, those days are long past as I now live in Baltimore, where just on my walk today I passed several instances of dog feces and at least one broken Tito’s bottle (Thomas, you really need to control your rage). So, shoes it is, I suppose. Barefoot-style footwear is all the rage right now, but I can’t bring myself to go Vivo or Xero, because that would also mean I’d have to give up my short and storied career as a running shoe reviewer. The void in my absence would be unbearable to all two dozen of you.

Nevertheless, I love a good ground feel in a shoe, even if that meaning has changed quite a bit over the past decade. I’m the counterbalance to Meg’s love of max cushion here at Believe in the Run. Even so, I must admit that I’ve relented when it comes to the max cushion movement. What began as a soft mess has now become a bit of relief for these road weary legs. Maybe it’s old age, maybe it’s just surrender. But max cushion is here to say for the foreseeable future, so I may as well get with the program.

The Vomero has always been that shoe for Nike– the pinnacle comfort shoe when it comes to running. More cushion, more of everything. To tell you the truth, I’ve actually never tried the Vomero, always sticking with the more standard fare that suits my taste, namely shoes like the Pegasus, Epic React, Vaporfly, and the excellent Zoom Fly 6. But there’s a first time for everything, even if it’s the 18th version.

Old enough to buy a pack of smokes at the bodega, the Vomero 18 has finally gained some seniority in the swoosh family as it finds itself at the head of the table in the max cushion space of Nike’s 2025 realignment. If you haven’t heard, Nike is phasing out the Invincible and InfinityRN models and rolling their identities into one of the three categories of Nike road running, plus race models. It will look something like this: 

• Three standard lines, with three models
  • Max Cushion // Vomero (Standard, Plus, Premium)
  • Everyday Running // Pegasus (Standard, Plus, Premium)
  • Support // Structure (Standard, Plus, Premium)
• Race day line
  • Alphafly, Vaporfly, Zoomfly, Streakfly

This is our second review of a shoe within the new Nike running alignment (we already reviewed the Pegasus Plus and the Pegasus Premium is coming soon), so let’s get into it. But first, a brief overview of the updates to the Vomero 18.

The Nike Vomero 18 holds true to its purpose as a max cushion shoe, going above and beyond past versions with a 46 mm of stack height in the heel and 36 mm in the forefoot. That’s a lot of cushion. Speaking of cushion, the midsole is a two-layer composite of Nike foams– a thin top layer of the bouncy PEBA-style ZoomX found in models like the Invincible and Vaporfly, and a thick bottom layer of ReactX foam, the same foam found in shoes like the Pegasus 41 and InfinityRN 4. Nike wants you to think the whole thing is ZoomX, so it somewhat misleadingly prints the word ZoomX on the bulbous heel section which is– in reality– ReactX foam. Not dragging Nike, pretty much every other brand does this as well, especially Asics. 

It ain’t a lightweight shoe, that’s for sure, coming in at close to 12 oz. for a Men’s 10.5. Part of that is the large volume of cushion, part of that is the all-around foot comfort and padding found within the engineered mesh upper and its tongue. 

Enough of the intro, enough of the historical details, let’s get into the actual review.

MEAGHAN: Nike announced the launch of the Vomero 18 along with a completely new road running shoe structure. There are now three categories of cushioning and each offers a different purpose. The Pegasus line provides responsive cushioning, the Vomero line max cushioning, and the Structure line offers support. Each category comes with an “icon” model (i.e. the Vomero 18) and a “plus” and “premium” option within their categories. The idea is meant to simplify the lineups and create a more “intuitive” way to select a running shoe. I’m all for simplification, but it will be interesting to see where these lines go. Let’s move onto the icon, the Vomero 18. 

I’ve worn several iterations of the Nike Vomero, a shoe that has been pretty inconsistent over the years. I enjoyed the Vomero 14, the 15 never made it to the states, the Vomero 16 was a hard pass, and the Vomero 17 finally felt like a nice daily trainer. I was happy to hear the latest iteration is the “most cushioned Vomero yet.” 

The update comes with 6mm more foam underfoot (now 46mm in the heel), a top layer of ZoomX and bottom layer of ReactX. This is the first time we’ve seen ReactX foam in the Vomero family, which according to Nike, reduces the carbon footprint by 43% and increases energy return by 13%.

The outsole is designed with a high abrasion rubber, more flex grooves throughout and the iconic waffle lug pattern for plenty of durability and traction. Finally, the upper comes with a new engineered mesh and more padding through the collar and heel. On paper, it all sounds pretty great, but let’s find out how it felt out on the roads.

THOMAS: I’ve had my ups and downs with the Vomero. The trainer has tried to do a lot of things over the years. At its best, the Vomero is a premium daily trainer, perhaps an upgraded Pegasus. It’s had a more premium upper, better cushioning, and a higher price tag. Somewhere in there, it’s also tried to be a max cushion shoe. The only problem is that, up until now, the competition has out-maxxed the Vomero.

However, things are changing, and Nike has clarified Vomero’s role in the running lineup. The Vomero, Vomero Plus, and the Vomero Premium will be Nike’s most cushioned and comfort-focused lineup. It appears that Nike is off to a good start.

I have run in the Vomero for at least 8 of the past 18 models. As I mentioned above, some were fantastic and some were just not. It’s been around so long that the Vomero 5 is back as a fashion icon on the active wear side. I don’t recall admiring its looks as much as I do now. And to be honest, I have never thought the Vomero was that great-looking. I’d have to say the Vomero 14 was probably my favorite version of the shoe in recent years, followed by the Vomero 13. Functionally, I enjoyed the Vomero 16, but it was hard to look at. Last year’s Vomero 17 looked promising, and the ZoomX top with a Cushlon 3.0 bottom had us holding our breath, thinking it could be the return of the Nike Turbo. It wasn’t. The combo sort of felt flat. When we received the Vomero 18, I wondered if ReactX could save the day.

Robbe and Meg covered a lot. I’ll skip that and the part about walking around, stepping in dog feces, and shattered Tito’s bottles. Some call it rage. I call it passion.

What we like about the Nike Vomero 18

ROBBE: Once again, I’ve never run in the Vomero, so I didn’t have a hard reference point or really many expectations for this shoe. I love ZoomX in the Vaporfly, but not so much in the Invincible. I was also one of the few people to actually enjoy the InfinityRN 4, so I guess I’m a fan of ReactX. The Pegasus was okay, but has honestly been stale for at least the last three years. 

However, the recent release of the Zoom Fly 6 (i.e. the Alphafly Lite) had me rooting for Nike again and actually excited for what’s coming down the line. I’ve put close to 30 miles on that shoe and it’s for sure the most exciting Nike shoe in years outside of its race-day staples. 

I try not to weigh shoes or even look at the weight of shoes before a review, but I did come into the Vomero knowing it weighed a lot. I almost unequivocally hate heavy shoes, especially on the road. There are not a small number of adequate trail shoes that weigh as much as the Vomero.

I thought this shoe would be a Ben Folds brick, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was more of a comfort cruise through steady seas. Basically, it runs much lighter than its suggested weight, which is an acceptable trade-off for the loads of luxury surrounding the foot from top to bottom, side to side.

The engineered mesh upper features a half booty from the toe to the midfoot and a tongue that’s thicker than a concrete milkshake. It’s going nowhere. The Vomero foregoes traditional eyelets for Nike’s loop-style lace system with a secure attachment point at the bottom, making for an altogether snug fit. A faux microsuede heel counter gives a bit of extra support. No issues with fit whatsoever. 

On the run, the shoe is smooth. Maybe too smooth, depending on your taste. The cushion is ridiculous, and though it’s soft, it offers just the right amount of rebound to avoid feeling like a marshmallow. For this particular shoe, it’s exactly what you want. Which is kind of the problem I always had with the Invincible– it was too unstable, too blocky, and the shallow heel collar always gave me heel slip. This shoe has none of those things, and the React X is stable enough to balance out the top layer of ZoomX. It’s a surprisingly stable shoe for how much stack height it comes with.

I didn’t have any issues with the 10 mm drop, but I know plenty of people would like to see that taken down to at least 8 mm. With the high stack and soft combination of foams, I think you kind of need it in this shoe, otherwise you may have some trouble getting up to the toes.

MEAGHAN: I typically like the aesthetics of Nike shoes, and the Vomero 18 is no different. The step-in feel is also really lovely. The ZoomX foam underfoot feels soft, and the extra padding around the collar and tongue adds to the overall comfort and plush feeling. I found the shoes fit true to size with some decent room in the toebox (not super typical for Nike shoes). 

My favorite update to this shoe was the increased stack and addition of ReactX foam. Sure, it’s great the foam reduces carbon footprint and all that jazz, but I’m just happy with how it feels out on the roads. It’s soft and comfortable but also comes with some nice bounce. I think the rockered geometry also helps with the smooth transition and turnover. The added stack was especially nice in the forefoot, where I felt the previous version could bottom out a little. The Vomero 18 felt cushioned throughout and the miles just seemed to click by. 

I was expecting all that rubber on the outsole to make the shoes feel somewhat blocky, but it wasn’t too bad. The added flex grooves allowed the shoes to bend more naturally with my stride. I still feel like Nike trainers are designed with more structure and support than other typical trainers. For many, this is probably a positive, but if you’re looking for that soft, neutral feel, I’d push you towards the Asics Novablast, New Balance 1080 or Hoka Clifton.

THOMAS: Let’s start with the fit. Nike has been nailing the uppers lately. The designs and materials are unique. While we see a lot of similar trends in uppers, Nike is zagging where others zig, adding generously padded tongues and collars. Comfort is well thought out in the Vomero 18 upper. It’s no easy task to get an upper that works on both Meg’s and my feet. My narrow, low-volume foot felt cozy without having to crank the laces down. There wasn’t even any puckering over the vamp. My US men’s 10.5 fit perfectly. 

Running on the ZoomX ReactX combo is smooth and well-cushioned without feeling dead. I wouldn’t say it feels bouncy, but it’s plush and surprisingly stable. This midsole is made for cruising comfortably. The word that comes to mind is “flow.” It is a shoe you can run mindlessly in.

The outsole is hardy but doesn’t interfere with the smooth underfoot feeling. The grip felt more than adequate, and the thicker rubber will help with durability.

What we don’t like about the Nike Vomero 18

ROBBE: Obviously, the weight could probably be trimmed up a little bit. The shoe is objectively heavy. So is the Pegasus Premium. Yes, they run lighter than their weight, thanks to the bounce of the midsole, but I sense a trend within Nike that weight will not be a focus within the Structure/Vomero/Pegasus lines. What we’ve seen so far gives us a glimpse into what we’ll see in the near future, and I have to say, I’m really trying to figure out if Nike’s focus is on creating the best running shoes, period, or creating the best lifestyle shoes that you can run in. It is a hazy distinction between the two, but a slippery slope once you start skating on it. 

The full-length Zoom Air unit in the Pegasus premium (which admittedly looks cool as hell but also makes the shoe a beast), the mediocre attempt at replicating the Peg Turbo with the Pegasus Plus, and now the wildly cushioned and built-up Vomero 18. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing, especially if they keep up with the fantastic performance line, but it’s something to think about.

And that’s kind of where the Vomero 18 fits in. It’s a more-than-fine running shoe, especially for long runs or easy days, but it’s also probably your mom’s favorite walking shoe. I’ll report back if my mom wears this one. For me, I can’t decide which it is, but I’ll lean towards running shoe because I legitimately have enjoyed all my runs in the shoe. 

Last couple things: the tongue is absurdly thick. I like cushion in a tongue, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a bit much. The whole thing is going to be quite warm come summer. Also, the outsole rubber is fine, but there are plenty of sections of exposed midsole, which give me some concern for durability.

MEAGHAN: My main complaint about the last iteration of this shoe was the weight, and well, this version got heavier. But, I’m honestly not mad about it. Sure, it’s a little on the heavier side at 8.65 oz (246 grams), but it’s distributed well throughout the shoe so it really didn’t bother me out on the roads. I also think we’re just getting used to shoes being heavier with all the stack, tech and fancy materials.  

THOMAS: Robbe dips into the Peg Premium and styling, but I’ll save that for the Peg Premium review. I’ll stay on the Vomero 18 even though I am excited to discuss the Vomero Plus and Premium. 

This year has been the year of extremes. At the tip of the spear, we have race-day shoes that get down to insane weights without sacrificing cushioning. Conversely, daily trainers have tossed out weight concerns and focused on comfort. I can’t recall the number of daily trainers over 11 oz./312 g  we have reviewed in the past four years, but this year, we have seen fatties from every brand. Some actually work if the weight is distributed well and the foam is amazing.

Although the Vomero 18 weighs 11.7 oz./332 g, the shoe still works and achieves the intended result. I can’t help but wonder what this shoe would be like if you could find a way to knock some weight off.

I wouldn’t recommend the Vomero 18 for all your training. It is really good at cushioning and comfort but isn’t a versatile training solution. You will want another shoe for your tempo days, workouts, and racing.

Final thoughts on the Nike Vomero 18

ROBBE: The Vomero 18 is a max cushion winner for me. And as someone who doesn’t love max cushion, it’s doing a pretty good job of catfishing me. I definitely wouldn’t mind grabbing this shoe again and again for more long runs or easy days. Is it the best Vomero yet? I’ll let Thomas or Meg tell you that, but if you’re looking for a ton of comfort in a Nike running shoe at a very fair price point, then this is going to suit you well.

MEAGHAN: It’s nice to see Nike showing up strong in the daily trainer world. For a while it seemed like we got amazing race shoes… and that was it. The Nike Vomero 18 is definitely my favorite version of the shoe yet and I’m excited to see what else is coming in this new category (spoiler alert: we saw the Vomero Plus and Premium versions at The Running Event, and they look SWEET.) But in the meantime, if you’re looking for a structured but bouncy daily trainer, the Vomero 18 is a solid option.

THOMAS: Nike, the experiment is working. You nailed the race shoes but left us wanting more in the training department. However, the last three shoes I’ve reviewed have all been exceptional. I loved testing the Zoomfly 6. The Pegasus Premium is in a class of its own, so fun, and the Vomero 18 nails cushion and comfort. I’m excited about Nike again. To answer Robbe: yes, this is the best Vomero ever. The fit is excellent, the ride is comfy and stable, and it looks good. Like Meg mentioned, we got a sneak peek at the future of Nike running, and it looks bright.

You can pick up the Nike Vomero 18 for $150 on February 27, 2025, from Nike by using the buttons below.