In production · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $170
Nike Vomero 18 GTX: 46 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 306 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
The midsole is ZoomX, tuned very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. At 46 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.42 per mile at $170.
For the foams and plates Nike uses across its line, read the Nike brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
310 g / 10.9 oz
35 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
46 mm
10 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$170
10 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Nike line it is heavier than the brand's median (295 g / 10.4 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Nike Vomero 18(2025)
325 g / 11.5 oz · 45 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $150
Nike's plushest daily: ZoomX over ReactX for a deep, quiet ride.
Asics Gel-Nimbus 27(2025)
305 g / 10.8 oz · 44 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $165
Pillow-top max cushion with a plush knit upper. Recovery-day comfort food.
Adidas Ultraboost 6(2026)
300 g / 10.6 oz · 40 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $190
Boost comfort for lifestyle miles more than fast ones.
Brooks Glycerin GTS 22
303 g / 10.7 oz · 39 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $180
Brooks Glycerin GTS 22: 39 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 305 g — specs from independent lab testing.