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Stepping into the Nike Vomero 17 is like pulling on your old college sweatshirt and a pair of pajama pants. They’re insanely comfortable and make you wonder why you’d ever want to wear anything else. Thankfully, they perform a lot better on the run than your old cotton digs, and testers raved about their ride on long runs and shorter speed efforts alike.

Nike Vomero 17

Pros and Cons:
⊕ Extremely comfortable upper
⊕ Soft, smooth cushioning
⊕ Versatile
⊗ Super slippery laces that come untied

Weight: 10.6 ounces (men’s), 8.5 ounces (women’s)
Stack Height: 39.5–30����
Drop: 9.5mm
Sizing: 6-15, regular and extra wide (men’s); 5-12, regular and extra wide (women’s)

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The light and propulsive Pebax foam that carried Eulid Kipchoge to his 1:59:40 marathon is the same material you’ll find underfoot in the Nike Vomero 17. The ZoomX layer sits on top of a firmer, compression-molded, EVA-based Cushlon foam. This combination feels like a ridiculously soft pillow for the first few steps—especially with the absence of the ZoomAir unit that was in the forefoot of the Vomero 16. However, we found that once we settled into our strides, the latest Vomero felt increasingly responsive, and we just wanted to keep running.

“The cushioning felt just right, lending itself to a springy ride,” says Boulder, Colorado tester Kiki Silver. Katie Bleichman of Louisville, Colorado, gushed, “They are springy without being overly bouncy, supportive without being clunky and heavy, and speed-inspiring.”

The versatile platform dampens impact when going long and provides pep when picking up the pace. “It’s livelier than most,” says an impressed tester. “Now that I’ve tried this shoe, I wonder if maybe I’ve been running in shoes that are too cushioned. Maybe those sink-in cushioning shoes that don’t offer as much responsiveness are the real reason why I’ve been getting slower.” She may be onto something.

While many highly cushioned shoes sacrifice flexibility—it’s difficult to bend massive amounts of foam—the Vomero 17 remains flexible thanks to a 9.5-millimeter drop to a thinner forefoot, the malleable ZoomX foam, and the absence of a plate. That flexibility not only makes the shoe feel fast, it also affords a natural-feeling stride. Testers found their toes and arches engaging, particularly during uptempo training—which makes the Vomero a healthy balance for alternating with a plated trainer or racer. The sporty overall design of the Vomero also made us feel downright nimble.

The fit of the slightly stretchy, engineered mesh upper worked for a range of foot types, from the super narrow to the wide. A secure heel cup, bolstered by molded sidewalls, gives way to a roomier toe box, allowing wriggle room without sloshing about. A nicely padded heel collar and gusseted tongue, plus a soft, gently supportive insole adds to the plush step-in feel.

“I loved everything about these shoes,” said one tester. “The sleek look, the cushioning, the lightweight nature of the shoe… everything except the laces.” About that last point, we agree. We have to point out that the laces are slick and come untied, even occasionally when double-knotted. Consider swapping them out for less slippery ones.

Though not toothy like a trail shoe, the high-abrasion rubber outsole with small, waffle-patterned lugs, gave us great traction, even on dirt paths. On roads, smooth dirt, and gravelly paths, we felt like we could push off easily when increasing turnover, and were able to corner like Lightning McQueen.

We think the Vomero 17 is a fantastic daily trainer, one that can both ease the miles on long runs and turn over quickly and lively on shorter efforts, making running in it fun—and isn’t that the point?