I have done the same and simply sticking with Nike zoom 3 as my regular shoe now my 4% have given up. My other pairs are quarantined in the office with no chance of returning until late October.
I think I might do the same. And thatâs also what appeals about the mini-Alphaâs
They lose a bit of their magic, but then they hold up well. Even after 1000km+ they still feel fast. I donât put on my Next% and think wow this is quick compared with a very worn pair of 4%
In terms of comfort the 4% are much better than the Next%, I much prefer the upper on the 4%
I can agree with the bolded bit. Thatâs why I loved the ZF FK. I really like the FK upper
@Poet I canât see a gap regarding the insoles.
Haha donât be coming over onto my patch taking my crowns 
1 Like
My ZF2 are ready to be retired to the garden, would like some new tempo trainers for pace work (not sure I can justify calling it speedwork). I guess the Zoom Tempo are natural successors more than the ZF3? although neither seem to be on offer and thatâs a lot of money for some plimsolls. Based on the comments above, maybe I should get the 4% out of the back of the cupboard, run them into the ground and invest in some Next or Alphas if there are ever any races again.
2 Likes
That.
My blue 4% in a UK11 are now my speedwork shoe.
the ÂŁ55 Zoom Fly FlyKnits are my tempo shoe.
I reserve the crimson 4% Uk11.5 for actual races (like parkrun, where the Alphaâs might not be so good)
My Zoom Fly SP Fast are now unused, but too new to bin.
Pegasus shield for general training.
Wildhorse for a minor bit of off-roading on the bridleways around the back of mine.
(I got a pair of Mammut base shoes for dog walking, as I quite enjoy running in the Wildhorseâs)
Salomon Speedcross for Alderley Edge woods.
Nike had a 25% Offer and I used that for the Zoom fly 3. They are a good compromise to the Next% as they are harder wearing but not quite as plush. For me they are perfect for training and can now move the Next% to the tempo category and the alpha to the racing bag. After my bout of tendinitis that had a high probability of being caused by moving to saucony endorphins, then I am happy to spend a bit more on something that does not stop me running for 2 months.
The Nike site seems to magically run out of my size when they have their offers on. They didnât send me a birthday code either, so I donât think they like me. Itâs not like I have even taken advantage of the 30 day returns, maybe thatâs what I should do until I can find a deal somewhere.
eh?
Timed event then 
I do parkrun once every six to eight weeks and I taper, do it in a lighter week and have a breakfast 3 hours before start time, etc, etc.
I use them to nail do my race morning routine.
So yes, I treat them as a race, shame the NYDD isnât on this year, as I actually raced for a position last year.
all good practiceâŚ
I found that the app automatically applied the birthday code for me this year!
Question:
I saw a number of people at Blenheim wearing some sort of version of the next % or 4%
Some of them seemed quite flat/heavy footed and I wondered if they got the full benefit?
Is there a running style that is more conducive to getting the full benefit from the carbon plate?
Right here is my fed back on the Alphas
For me they fit with no problems I ordered 8.5 in line with the ZF3 and NEXT%. The toe box is better and a bit wider so allows the foot to spread compared the Flyknit and 4%. The fabric on the Alphas is stiff and prestretched and there is no give in it. I like the sock element as it is better than the tongue in the Next% in theory it should make a rapid shoe for tri but the laces are designed to be tensioned and there is no give once they have been set. As the flat corrugated laces are laced through the top of the shoe rather than through eyelets Switching them out might cause some rubbing to the top of the foot. I might use a greeper pull lock and see if they could be converted. The heel grip is nice and secure so a little more developed than the Next%.
Run wise they are bouncy like the 4% but give that forefoot oomph that the Next% had. A full heel to toe roll through feels nice now with the combined set up. I found the stability of the shoe not a problem and the noise seems to go away or I got used to it.
Did I say they were fast? I sneaked them out of the house for a rolling L2 run this morning so was aiming for 4:30 km pace with the hills involved. Bearing in mind I am coming back from injury so I wanted to keep it easy but they do increase the pace with little effort my cadence remained steady between 89-91 rpm throughout the run. In the end I did 4:07 pace (41 min 10 KM) and remained in zone no aches or twinges.
They will be my go to shoe for road races, for multi sports I need to figure out the laces.
If any of you are UK 8.5 let me know if you want to try them out as I do not think there will be many races for me to use them this year in Scotland anyways.
1 Like
To get the best out of it in my opinion is to have a good heel to toe roll, so connect with the heel and a full push off with the forefoot.
What size do you use for the 4%, same as Alpha?
For me, I initially went with a UK11 for the 4%.
I found this nice for up to 10km, but my feet tend to swell, which made them a little small for half marathons.
So I bought another pair of 4% in a UK11.5, which are perfect.
My Alphaâs are a UK11 and Iâd say the size of them is similar to a UK11.5 in the 4%.
SoâŚthe Alphaâs fit âtrueâ to size.
Also, 60 day replacement nowâŚso you can all really test out the durability of them, then just send them back
The 4% I was a UK 9
Update from my run in the Alphas on MondayâŚâŚ
My legs are still aching, outside between my knee and ankle.
Feels exactly the same as after the first XC race of the season when I am not used to running on an uneven surface.
On Monday it did feel unstable and my run route wasnât the best with lots of up and down kerbs at the bottom of peoples driveways and generally rough pavements and towards the end of the run I could feel my outer right lower leg starting to ache.
Obviously they are made for road racing so in a race this shouldnât be an issue and if I do more training on the rougher surfaces my legs will adapt. I am coming at these without having tried the 4% or Next% so my legs are not used to the amount of squish.
They are bloody ugly though and my other half said they looked like moon boots!
I would like to try the Next% to compare so when they come back on sale I will give them a go.
1 Like