The Nike Apex "Black/Bright Crimson-Volt-White" Releases January 2026

Nike is taking marathon racing to a new level with the Apex, a competition shoe that introduces more Air Zoom units to the forefoot than any previous running model in the brand's lineup. Rather than iterating on the Alphafly, the Apex brings together a new foam formula, a rethought carbon plate, and a platform geometry that marks a clear departure from where Nike's racing footwear has been.

Four Air Zoom units are packed into the forefoot as two stacked pairs, working in tandem with ZoomX LT, a race-specific foam engineered to be softer and lighter than standard ZoomX while delivering greater energy return. Nike claims the Apex returns up to 40% more energy than the Alphafly 3 while weighing over 10% less in a men's size 10. A redesigned carbon-fiber Flyplate runs through the shoe in an inverse-wave shape, helping load the Air units and promoting forward propulsion. Both the heel and forefoot reach a 40mm stack height, putting the Apex in a zero-drop configuration while remaining within current competition limits. The upper is built with Flyknit X and eliminates the traditional sock liner to shed additional weight, and GOATEK and Fast Shot rubber cover select areas of the outsole rather than spanning the full contact surface.