Running Shoes HQLineups
Find where every shoe fits.
All lineups

Nike road lineup

MenWomen
RoadTrail
Current lineup2026 edition

Shoe range map

Race day ↑↓ Daily training← Shorter effortsLonger distance →

Position is our reviewed read of each shoe’s distance and racing focus — editorial judgement, not a performance score or ranking.

Shoes by role

The full lineup with role explanations and buying advice
Shoe & specificationsWhy this roleIs it right for you?

278 g · 10 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Recovery

Nike calls the women's Vomero Premium maximum cushioning taken to the extreme: a massive full-length ZoomX midsole with two Air Zoom units, one in the heel and one in the forefoot. Nike sells it as an everyday shoe, but its weight and price make it the easy-day and recovery pick here. It gives up weight and price: 278g and $230.

Also considerVomero 18
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Vomero Premium and Vomero 18 both cover easy miles. The Premium has two Air Zoom units and costs $230; the Vomero 18 is $155.

Choose if

  • You want the most cushion Nike makes for slow, short recovery runs
  • You spend long hours on your feet and want the same shoe for that

Skip if

  • You want one shoe for easy runs and faster days: the Vomero Premium is 278g
  • You want to spend less: the Vomero 18 is $155

263 g · 10 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Cushioned daily trainer

The women's Vomero 18 stacks ZoomX foam on top of ReactX foam, and Nike positions it as its most cushioned everyday shoe at a mid price. It is $155 and 263g. It gives up speed: it has no plate, and it is a shoe for daily miles, not for workouts.

Also considerVomero PremiumPegasus 42
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Vomero 18 and Vomero Premium both give women deep cushion. The Vomero 18 is $155 and 263g; the Vomero Premium adds two Air Zoom units in full-length ZoomX, is 278g and costs $230.

Choose if

  • You want more cushion than the Pegasus 42 for most of your weekly miles
  • You want the Vomero cushion without the $230 price of the Vomero Premium

Skip if

  • You want one shoe that also does tempo runs: the Pegasus 42 is lighter at 243g
  • You need support: the Structure 26 is the support shoe at $145

243 g · 10 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Versatile daily trainer

The women's Pegasus 42 is Nike's everyday road shoe: a curved, full-length Air Zoom unit in ReactX foam, with more room in the forefoot and toe box than before. At 243g and $145 it is the lightest of the women's daily shoes here, which makes it the shoe for easy runs, long runs and some faster running. It gives up the deeper cushion of the Vomero 18.

Also considerPegasus Plus 2Pegasus Premium
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Pegasus 42, Pegasus Plus 2 and Pegasus Premium share the Pegasus job for women. The Pegasus 42 is $145 and 243g; the Pegasus Plus 2 is 215g with ZoomX for $170; the Pegasus Premium is $220 and 275g.

Choose if

  • You want one shoe for most runs, from easy days to some pace
  • You want the lightest women's daily trainer in this lineup at the lowest price

Skip if

  • You want the most cushion: the Vomero 18 or the Vomero Premium
  • You want a plated shoe for workouts: the Zoom Fly 6 is the carbon option

262 g · 10 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Stability daily trainer

The women's Structure 26 is Nike's support shoe for daily runs. A full-length ReactX midsole sits in a midfoot support system that wraps the arch and heel and slows the inward roll of the ankle. It costs $145. It gives up cushion: the Structure Plus puts ZoomX on top for $170, and in women's sizes it is also the lighter of the two.

Also considerStructure Plus
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Structure 26 and Structure Plus both give women midfoot support. The Structure 26 is $145 and 262g; the Structure Plus adds ZoomX, is 248g and costs $170.

Choose if

  • Your ankle rolls inward and you want support on daily runs
  • You want a support shoe at the Pegasus price

Skip if

  • You want support with more cushion: the Structure Plus is 248g against 262g, with ZoomX on top
  • You do not need support: the Pegasus 42 is lighter and costs the same

275 g · 10 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Max-stack long run

Nike builds the women's Pegasus Premium on ZoomX foam, a sculpted full-length Air Zoom unit and ReactX foam in the heel. Nike says it is the most responsive Pegasus ever. Nike sells it for everyday runs; here it takes the long run because the Pegasus 42 and the Vomero 18 cover the daily miles. It is the long-run pick as an editorial call: no independent review of it is saved yet. It gives up price: it is $220, and the Pegasus 42 is $145.

Also considerVomero PremiumPegasus 42
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Pegasus Premium and Vomero Premium both put ZoomX over Air Zoom. The Pegasus Premium is 275g and $220; the Vomero Premium is 278g and $230.

Choose if

  • You want deep cushion for long runs
  • You want the Pegasus with the most foam and Air Zoom Nike puts in it

Skip if

  • You want a lighter long-run shoe: the Pegasus 42 is 243g
  • You want to spend less: the Pegasus 42 is $145

214 g · 8 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Tempo / workout

The women's Zoom Fly 6 pairs ZoomX foam with a full-length carbon Flyplate at $180 and 214g. Nike sells it as a road racing shoe; here it holds the workout role because the Alphafly 4 and Vaporfly 4 SE cover race day. It is the shoe for tempo runs and long runs with fast finishes. It gives up the lighter weight of the racers: the Alphafly 4 is 168g.

Also considerPegasus Plus 2
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Zoom Fly 6 and Pegasus Plus 2 weigh about the same for women, 214g and 215g. The Zoom Fly 6 has a carbon plate and an 8mm drop; the Pegasus Plus 2 has no plate and a 10mm drop, and Believe in the Run found it closer to a daily trainer that can pick up the pace.

Choose if

  • You want a carbon-plated workout shoe for $100 less than the Alphafly 4
  • You want to train on the same ZoomX and carbon-plate setup as the Nike racers

Skip if

  • You want a workout shoe without a plate: the Pegasus Plus 2 is $170 and 215g
  • You want one shoe for easy days as well

145 g · 4 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

5 km / 10 km race

The Streakfly 2 is a unisex racer that Nike makes for the mile up to the 10K. It adds a full-length carbon Flyplate to a ZoomX midsole under a minimal upper, and it weighs 145g with a 4mm drop. It gives up cushion for long races: for the half and the full marathon, the Alphafly 4 and Vaporfly 4 SE are the picks.

Also considerVaporfly 4 SE
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Streakfly 2 and Vaporfly 4 SE both race shorter distances. The Streakfly 2 is $190 with a 4mm drop; the Vaporfly 4 SE is $270 with more foam and a 6mm drop, and goes on to the marathon.

Choose if

  • You race short road races and want Nike's lightest racer
  • You like a low 4mm drop

Skip if

  • You race the half or full marathon
  • You want a women's-specific cut: the Streakfly 2 is sold in unisex sizes

168 g · 8 mm drop
Heel stack not listed

Half / marathon race

The women's Alphafly 4 is Nike's marathon racer. Nike updated the Air Zoom unit for the first time, to be quieter with more energy return, and put ZoomX LT foam over ZoomX with a wide carbon Flyplate. It weighs 168g with an 8mm drop and costs $280. It gives up flexibility to the tall stack: it is a race-day shoe for long races.

Also considerVaporfly 4 SE
Where it overlaps with other shoes

Alphafly 4 and Vaporfly 4 SE both race the marathon for women. The Alphafly 4 adds an Air Zoom unit, is 168g with an 8mm drop and costs $280; the Vaporfly 4 SE is 152g with a 6mm drop and costs $270.

Choose if

  • You race the marathon and want the most cushion Nike puts in a racer
  • You want a wide carbon plate under the foot for the whole race

Skip if

  • You want a leaner racer with a lower drop: the Vaporfly 4 SE is 152g with a 6mm drop
  • You race mostly shorter races: the Streakfly 2 is lighter and lower

Specs are from manufacturers. Role explanations are editorial judgement.

Putting it together

Suggested rotations

A few shoes with different jobs. Start with the running you actually do.

Three-shoe road rotation

Pegasus 42Zoom Fly 6Alphafly 4

The Pegasus 42 takes easy and long runs, the Zoom Fly 6 takes tempo days, and the Alphafly 4 is kept for race day.

Cushion-first rotation

Vomero 18Vomero Premium

The Vomero 18 covers daily miles at $155 and the Vomero Premium is kept for recovery days.