Nike Apex
Nike's zero-drop carbon racer — four Air Zoom units, a stripped-back build and the maximum race-legal cushioning height.
Specs
- Weight (g)
- 176
- Drop (mm)
- 0
- Cushioning
- Max
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plate
- Carbon
- Surface
- Road
- Price
- Premium
- Lifespan (km)
- 300
- Released
- 2026
Lifespan is our editorial estimate — no manufacturer publishes one — as is any figure the linked source does not state.
Best for
The Apex is Nike's fastest racer yet, and at $360 it is priced as the extreme end of the line. Nike removed the sockliner and built a zero-drop midsole with the maximum cushioning height allowed in racing, around four Air Zoom units and ZoomX LT foam. An inverse wave carbon Flyplate and a wide rocker outsole drive it under a radial Flyknit X upper, at 176 g.
It suits you if you race marathons or half marathons and want every advantage the shoe can give. It is for the biggest efforts of your year.
It is not a trainer, and it is not forgiving. The zero drop asks a lot of your calves, and the thin outsole is built for speed rather than mileage.