Nike Apex and Alphafly 4: the New York shoe arrives in January, the other is on sale now
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Two shoes, two different calendars
Nike has two super shoes on its schedule but only one is on sale. The Alphafly 4 launched in a limited preview on 17 September 2026 and has been widely available since 29 October 2026 on Nike.com and at selected retailers.2 The Nike Apex, presented on 30 September 2026, arrives in January 2027, again on nike.com and at selected retailers.1 Anyone wanting the model seen in New York has to wait: the distinction matters because race reports already show the Apex, which is not yet on sale.
What the Nike Apex is
According to Nike's announcement, Apex is the first racing shoe with two stacked pairs of Air Zoom units in the forefoot: four units in total, paired with the new ZoomX LT foam, a carbon Flyplate with a reverse-wave profile and a Flyknit X upper. The platform is 40 mm with zero drop, with a wider outsole and rocker geometry; the structure has no insole.1
Nike declares, for a men's size 44, energy return up to 40% higher than Alphafly 3 with over 10% less weight, and a design intended for at least 100 kilometres across training and racing.1 In the announcement, Nike athlete Jacob Kiplimo says he ran the half-marathon world record in Lisbon and his London personal best in Apex prototypes: a statement collected and published by Nike.1
Nike presents the model as designed "in compliance with current racing regulations".1 That is the manufacturer's wording: not our verification nor a World Athletics certification. Current road-racing rules cap sole thickness at 40 mm and allow a single, non-overlapped rigid structure: the declared 40 mm platform sits exactly at the limit, and Air Zoom units are not plates (we cover the opposite case in Puma Fast-RB Nitro Elite 2). Update, 3 November 2026: the "Apex" entry appears on World Athletics' approved shoe list as a standard model approved for road, as does "Alphafly 4".4
What the Alphafly 4 is
The fourth Alphafly generation introduces, according to Nike's launch page updated on 29 October 2026: a redesigned Air Zoom unit, the new ZoomX LT foam paired with ZoomX, a seamless AtomKnit upper, a wider carbon Flyplate and a Fast Shot outsole.2 Nike declares that ZoomX LT is up to 17% lighter than ZoomX and returns 8% more energy, again from internal testing.2
The price shown on the launch page is $280, with a note that prices and availability vary by market.2 As of the 3 November 2026 check, the Italian product pages do not reliably expose a price: the Italian price is not verified.
The New York showcase
The 2026 New York City Marathon was also a product showcase. According to GQ Italia's report, Andreas Almgren won in 2:06:01 wearing the Nike Apex, Yeman Crippa finished second in 2:06:14 in the On Cloudboom Strike 2 LS and Kamohelo Mofolo third in 2:06:26 in the Xtep 160X 8.0 Pro, a Chinese brand on a Major podium.3 We tell the race and the three build-ups in 2026 New York City Marathon and in the comparison of the three preparations. The athlete-shoe pairings come from information released around the race, not from our own inspection of the footwear.
What is only declared
Every performance figure quoted on this page comes from Nike: the Apex's +40% energy return over Alphafly 3 (men's size 44), the weight reduction of over 10%, the durability of at least 100 km, and the Alphafly 4's ZoomX LT being 17% lighter with 8% more energy return.12 As of 3 November 2026 we found no independent laboratory tests for either the Apex or the Alphafly 4. Race results (Lisbon, London, New York) show that top athletes ran fast in these prototypes and models, not how much the shoe contributed to the outcome.
What this means for runners
If you are considering a super shoe today, the Apex is not an option before January 2027: the Nike racing model you can buy is the Alphafly 4. If you can wait, the data worth relying on will come from independent testing and real-world use, not from press releases. For what studies say about carbon-plated shoes in general, and who they make sense for, see Carbon-plated shoes.
Limitations
- All technical and performance data come from Nike: at publication time there are no independent tests of these two models.
- The Italian price is not verified: $280 is the declared US price on the launch page, and Nike notes that prices and availability vary by market.2
- The athlete-shoe pairings on the New York podium come from GQ Italia's race report, not from a direct check.3
- "In compliance with current racing regulations" is Nike's wording; on the homologation record: "Apex" and "Alphafly 4" appear on the World Athletics list as standard models with road approval (list consulted on 3 November 2026).4
Sources
- Nike, "Nike Apex: un passo avanti nella velocità da maratona" (Italian newsroom), 30 September 2026. about.nike.com. Read on 3 November 2026.
- Nike, "Informazioni sul lancio di Nike Alphafly 4" (launch page, Italian), updated 29 October 2026. nike.com. Read on 3 November 2026.
- GQ Italia, "Nike, On e Xtep, le tre scarpe da running che hanno vinto la maratona di New York", 2 November 2026. gqitalia.it. Read on 3 November 2026.
- World Athletics, competition approved shoe list (certcheck). certcheck.worldathletics.org. Consulted on 3 November 2026.