Discontinued · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $180
The original ZoomX max-cushion experiment — soft, tall and bouncy.
Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Nike Invincible 4.
Nike tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 37 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 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 9 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.45 per mile at $180.
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
37 mm
1 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
9 mm
3 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$180
20 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 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.
Brooks Glycerin 23(2025)
303 g / 10.7 oz · 38 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $165
Nitrogen-infused plush max cushion for luxurious easy miles.
Asics Gel-Kayano 32(2025)
304 g / 10.7 oz · 40 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $180
Stability icon with 4D Guidance and a softer, higher stack.
Adidas Supernova Prima
284 g / 10.0 oz · 37 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $160
Soft, high-stack Dreamstrike+ cruiser for easy mileage.
Brooks Glycerin 22(2024)
289 g / 10.2 oz · 38 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $165
DNA Tuned nitrogen foam — soft up front, supportive at the heel.