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Versus · 6 min

Alphafly 4 vs Nike Apex: Which Nike Should You Race In?

Nike now has two flagship marathon shoes. One is for personal bests, the other is for world records, and they aren't built the same way.

Race Desk · October 21, 2026

Nike launched the Alphafly 4 alongside a new shoe that sits above it: the Apex. The Alphafly 4 is on sale now. The Apex arrives in January 2027 at around $350. Here's how they compare on paper, and who each one is for.

Geometry is the biggest difference. The Alphafly 4 has a 39 mm heel, a 31 mm forefoot and an 8 mm drop, like most super shoes. The Apex is zero drop, with 40 mm under both the heel and the forefoot, right at World Athletics' limit for road racing. That means much more foam under the ball of your foot, and a shoe that strongly favours a forefoot strike.

Air Zoom. Both use Nike's new heat-welded Air Zoom units. The Alphafly 4 has two. The Apex has four, stacked in two pairs under the forefoot, which is where that extra forefoot stack goes. Both use ZoomX LT foam and a carbon Flyplate.

Weight and energy. In a men's US 8.5, Nike lists the Apex at about 176 g and the Alphafly 4 at about 188 g. Nike claims the Apex returns up to 40% more energy than the Alphafly 3, against 10% for the Alphafly 4. Both figures come from Nike's own lab and neither has been tested independently yet, so treat them as claims rather than results.

Who each one suits. The Alphafly 4 is the more forgiving shoe. Its 8 mm drop and wider platform work for midfoot strikers and for the later stages of a marathon when your form starts to slip. The Apex is built for elite-level forefoot runners who hold their form for 42 km. A zero-drop shoe also loads the calves and Achilles more, so it needs time to adapt to.

Price and availability. The Alphafly 4 costs around $280 and is widely available from October 29. The Apex is about $70 more and won't arrive until January, likely in limited numbers at first.

Our verdict: for almost every runner, the Alphafly 4 is the right Nike for a marathon PB. It's proven, more stable and cheaper. The Apex is worth watching if you're a fast, efficient forefoot striker with a spring marathon on the calendar, but wait for independent reviews before spending $350 on Nike's claims.