Nike Zoom Victory 3

9.0
9.0 score
(WalkJogRun) score (9.0)/10

Our WalkJogRun score is based on 3 different factors: Editor's rating after in-depth testing. User ratings submitted on this page Overall score from the "reviewmeter" based on reviews across the web the weight of each factor is: 40% editor rating 15% user ratings 45% reviewmeter.
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Editor rating: 8.8 / 10
User's rating: based on 10 user ratings
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Nike Zoom Victory 3 Review Facts

The Nike Zoom Victory is one of the most popular track shoes out for a variety of reasons. These shoes have been featured at a variety of popular events, the most popular one being at the Olympics. In order for the shoe to function as an effective track shoe, it must have a few necessary features; it must be lightweight, flexible, and provide a decent level of cushioning. This shoe has all of those features and then some, which explains the shoe’s vast popularity.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Slim cut
  • Breathable
  • Flexible
  • Amazing traction
Cons
  • Not a lot of support
  • Not that durable
See How
Reviews were analyzed here:
We read, analyze and sort reviews into positive & negative categories to give you the complete picture.
What are buyers saying?

We have spent 3.00 hours analyzing a total of 550 reviews.

These reviews are then categoried into "Positive" and "Negative" feedback.

Below you will read a summary of them:

Positive
  • I went for these for two reasons, they are affordable and the shoe performs very similar to the pegasus, love the cushion in the midsole, great traction and a nice light shoe with top durability, the bonus is the nice range of colors.
  • I got these for a competition and heard that these do not need time to be broken in, I can confirm that this is true, lots of comfort in the midsole, nice stable hold on my feet, very light, super grip and a very fast shoe.
  • These are super comfortable in every sense, they fit nicely, they run true to the size stated, they really do bite down for grip, the shoe feels light but has a robust strong feel, these are nice and certainly lend towards getting up speed.
  • I used these at a high school race right out of the box, the weather was damp but no rain, the ground was firm but a little wet, these are light, really fast, the shoe bites down and hold and lets me propel forward, I won the race because of these.
  • I like the level of comfort, the way the shoe holds for fit and the amazing grip on the track, I can feel a nice support from the mid shoe, the rest of the shoe has the right flexibility especially for lift off. These don’t cost too much and they perform exceptionally good on the track.
  • When I got these I noticed they are a shoe which performs very much like the Pegasus but without the forefoot issues, these might even be lighter, grip is magic and the shoe lets go at exactly right moment to ensure my momentum, I feel these have improved my style and my speed.
  • These look fashionable which is a plus and they are great for speed on dry tracks, though cheaper, I’m convinced these perform just as good as more expensive versions, had mine for 7 months now and they are durable, light, grippy and comfortable, nice choice of colors.
  • For the price these are the best I have had, not up to the features of more pricey shoes but these have not fallen far short of those shoes for performance. I suggest these as an affordable shoe for both training and competitions.
  • I found these are lighter than many other brands but cheaper, the fit is good, the grip is amazingly good, the comfort factor very nice, especially supportive in the mid shoe area, these let me pour on the power and give nice stability.
  • Got these nine months ago, I have ran in 7 races with these so far and these shoes are great, they really do live up to the standards which I expect. They don’t even need breaking in, these run from the word go.
Negative
  • It’s a really nice shoe but take care on wet sodden ground as grip or traction can drop and I needed to consciously focus on driving down the shoe to prevent slip, this does slow me.
  • I bought these 8 months ago, they are showing a lot of wear and minimal signs of tear starting, I put this to these not being durable enough for repeated running in wet conditions.
  • I found these stable with good grip for dry surfaces but the story changes when water and mud are around, these lose grip.
  • I like the shoe but why so narrow? Are these just for runners with narrow feet? I have not tried to run much in these as they don’t feel comfortable over the width of my feet.
  • Its either my feet or the shoe but I think the sizing is slightly out and that makes a heck of a difference when trying to sprint, watch out for sizing.
Reviewmeter
The Reviewmeter shows you an overall score that you can easily refer to. The highest rating is 10 (100% positive feedback)
Of the 550 reviews we found in total, 9% were negative, and 91% were positive.
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Outsole

The outsole of the Nike Zoom Victory has several features that allow the shoe to achieve a high level of functionality on the track. The shoe features a spike-plate, which enables it to grip the ground with a decent amount of ferocity. This is necessary for the track because it improves overall speed while running. On top of this, the shoe also has the addition of track spikes that allow it to achieve a high level of grip. The track spikes are essentially metal spike that have been inserted into the sole unit of the shoe. Despite the thin make of the outsole, it is still able to provide the wearer with the means necessary to get speed and traction in a sufficient manner.

Midsole

The midsole of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 is somewhat non-existent. The shoe features a lightweight foam midsole, that gives the wearer a very small amount of cushioning. The thin midsole allows the shoe to bend to the will of the runner and gives the shoe a decent range of motion. This is necessary for the field that the shoe is designed to be worn on because of the general speeds that runners need to achieve. The minimal midsole of the shoe also does very little to add to the weight of the design, another necessary part of a shoe such as this.

Upper

The upper of the Nike Zoom Victory is also designed to be extremely lightweight and flexible. The shoe features an upper designed from Nike’s fly mesh material. The fly mesh material is known for both its breathability and overall comfort while being worn. The thin cut of the material takes away from its durability but is made up for by the features of the shoe that it enhances. Another thing that should be mentioned is the utter lack of protective features included in the shoe design. This is necessary because of the shoe’s intended purpose but should be mentioned. Nike also cut away any coverings from the shoe, adding to the minimalist effect achieved by the shoe.

Weight

The design of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 is one that promotes a lightweight overall feel for the wearer. The shoe features an extremely minimal midsole, sole and upper units. The midsole unit is designed from an extremely thin layer of foam, which allows the shoe to retain a level of flex and adds very little weight to the overall design of the shoe. The outsole of the shoe itself is designed to be relatively thin as well and adds very little weight to the overall design of the shoe. The fly mesh upper of the shoe also allows the shoe to be lightweight and is designed from a relatively thin cut of the material. Overall, the shoe weighs about 3.5 oz.

Breathability

The fly mesh upper of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 allows for an outstanding level of breathability to be achieved by the shoe. The upper of the shoe is relatively thin, allowing the shoe to maintain both it’s lightweight design and provide the wearer of the shoe with an amazing level of airflow. This means that the shoe while being worn, is porous enough to prevent the accumulation of sweat. The design of the shoe as a whole, including the sole unit, discards of the shoes need for a high level of air circulation while being worn, mainly because of the shoe’s overall lightweight design. This means that the lack of an extremely heavy sole unit gets rid of the shoe’s need for an overwhelming amount of breathability, primarily because of the lower amount of work that will be done by your foot in general.

Comfort

The Nike Zoom Victory 3, while being worn feels almost non-existent. The minimal sole unit that is on the shoe coupled with the material that makes up the upper of the shoe allows the shoe to provide a high level of comfort to the wearer. The upper of the shoe, being designed from a fly mesh material, allows for an extreme level of comfort to be provided to the wearer. This is mainly because of the material’s thin cut and porous nature as well as the sole unit of the shoe providing a decent level of comfort because of its minimal presence on the shoe.

Style

The style of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 when compared to other track shoes is honestly nothing special. They feature the same cut, mostly the same material, and the same level of flexibility. What differentiates these shoes from their competitors is the technology that is present in the shoe and the layout of the materials within the shoe. The spike plate that the sole unit of the shoe holds is relatively new to the scene when considered among these types of shoes, but not in a typical way. Also, the colorways provided by Nike allows the wearer of the shoe to add a bit of their own touch to their outfit while the shoe is being worn.

Durability

Nike didn’t make the Nike Zoom Victory 3 as durable as the other shoes in their general line. The sole unit and upper of the shoe are both well crafted, but the purpose for which they were made doesn’t really allow for many durability enhancements to be added to them. For instance, the thin sole unit of the shoe is necessary for the majority of track shoes mainly because of the lightweight effect that it has on the shoe. The need for a thin material means that Nike can’t do much to that material outside of the patterning. The same goes for the mesh upper for the shoe. Since it is relatively thin, the design of the shoe doesn’t really allow for many durability enhancements.

Protection

The thin overall design of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 doesn’t really allow for much, if any, protection to be provided by the shoe. The upper of the shoe has no protective layering’s and is thin to the point that it bends quite easily; this means that the wearer of the shoe is open to an extensive level of damage if they were to use the shoe in a capacity outside of what the shoe was designed to used for. The designs of the sole unit of the shoe, being cut as thin as it is, also doesn’t do much to provide the wearer with much protection. The thinness of both parts of the sole doesn’t allow the shoe to have much stopping power, meaning that the sole can’t prevent the entrance of materials into it.

Responsiveness

The Nike Zoom Victory 3 is extremely responsive. The upper of the shoe being cut from a fly mesh material bends to the will of the wearer’s foot while running, providing the shoe with a highly natural overall feel while being worn. On top of this, the thin sole unit of the shoe allows the shoe and the thinness with which it was designed, gives the wearer decent amount of rebound while the shoe is being used. This, coupled with the spiked on the outsole of the shoe, allows the shoe to provide the wearer with a decent amount of responsiveness.

Support

The Nike Zoom Victory 3 doesn’t have many supportive features incorporated into its design. The thin design of the upper of the shoe doesn’t provide much support for either the heel or the outer portions of the wearer’s foot. On top of this, the wearer doesn’t have much cushioning from the sole unit of the shoe. The thin cut of the sole also takes away from the support provided to the heel and the outer arches of the wearer’s foot.

Terrain

The sole of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 was designed for use on the developed terrains, mainly for a track. This is one of the main reasons why the shoe was designed with the level of durability that it has. The use of a thin material on both the upper and the sole unit of the shoe allows for it to be as lightweight as possible and to achieve a high level of airflow. On top of this, the addition of the spikes on the outsole allows the shoe to grip the surface of the tracks with relative ease.

Price

The Nike Zoom Victory 3 provides the wearer with an insane amount of functionality and comfort. The technology included in the shoe, when compared to the price of the overall shoe, definitely makes it worth it. The use of spikes and the flexibility that is provided by the upper of the shoe aids the wearer when worn on the terrain that it was designed for. All in all, the price of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 is relatively insignificant and actually quite average when compared to both the technologies and the comfort provided.

Traction

The sole unit of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 s one that allows the shoe to attain a high level of grip when used. The use of metal spikes on the sole unit allows the shoe to bite into the ground with a high level of ferocity. This is mainly because of the surface that the shoe is worn and the malleable nature of it. When the shoe is worn on other surfaces, the grip achieved by the spikes is highly diminished because of this, which also explains the design of the shoe a bit.

Flexibility

In terms of flexibility, the design of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 allows for a great amount of it to be achieved. The upper of the shoe and it’s use of fly mesh allows for a greater range of motion mainly because of the thinness of the material. On top of this, the lack of coverings on the shoe allows for a great amount of movement to be achieved by the shoe while being worn. The sole unit of the shoe is also relatively thin, enabling the shoe to achieve a high range of motion while being worn.

Stability

The Nike Zoom Victory 3 has little if any features that allow for stability in the shoe. The thin layer of both the sole unit and the upper doesn’t provide any security in movement for the wearer. The lacing of the shoe provides the shoe with a snug fit and the spikes of the sole do something to give the wearer a decent amount of cushioning but the material overall, is somewhat flimsy. Again, this is one of the necessary features of shoe of its caliber, it's designed to be lightweight.

Drop

The drop on the Nike Zoom Victory 3 is relatively non-existent as well. The shoe features heel-to-toe ratio of about 3 mm allowing the shoe to provide smooth transitions for the wearer while in use. This is also enhanced by the shoes’ overall comfort levels and the spikes that were included in the sole unit of the shoe.

Key features

• Spike plate in sole
• Fly mesh upper
• EVA foam midsole

Verdict

Overall, the design of the Nike Zoom Victory 3 is one that allows for a maximum amount of comfort to be provided to the wearer of the shoe. The thin cut of both the sole unit and the upper of the shoe allows for a high level of flexibility to be provided by the shoe. All in all, Nike did a great job with the design of this track shoe.