Nike Alphafly 4 Review | Race Gear Note

The Nike Alphafly 4 is for runners who want softness and return left late in the half and full. About 188g (men's 26.5cm), 8mm drop, 5% lighter than the previous generation. The official Japan site on Oct 13, 2026 says "coming soon," at JPY 39,600. The head office's announcement says wide release from Oct 29.

The Shoe Nerd's top pick

With the Alphafly 4, read "it got quieter" more than the 5% lighter. The official Japan site writes that the air parts were remade for the first time on an Alphafly, making it softer and quieter than the previous generation. To do that, the foam became 2 layers, with soft ZoomX LT placed both above and below the plate. More than the numbers for lightness and energy return, I read this repair that doesn't show in numbers as what's inside this generation.

Skip the reasoning and see the gear first ↓

Key points

The announcement says 5% lighter than the previous generation (men's 8.5). Working backward from the official Japan figure of about 188g, the previous generation is about 198g, a gap of about 10g
The new foam, ZoomX LT, is announced as up to 17% lighter than regular ZoomX with 8% higher energy return
The price gap from the Vaporfly 4 is JPY 9,900. In Jan 2027, the still-higher Apex arrives

Alphafly 4 release date and price: official figures

On the day I checked, the Alphafly 4 still couldn't be bought in Japan. So first, I write when and for how much, exactly as the official site shows it.

On Oct 13, 2026, Nike Japan's official product page showed "coming soon." What's there is a "get notified" button. A price of JPY 39,600 is shown.

There are 2 head office announcements. The Sep 17 announcement says it went on sale first in limited quantities the same day at nike.com, with wide sale at nike.com and some stores from Oct 29. The Sep 30 announcement says "October." The date in Japan has not been announced yet.

From the Nike Japan official display of Oct 13, 2026 (tax included, weight per shoe). The page that opened on the official Japan site was the women's one, and it also lists the men's 26.5cm weight. The drop is the official term "offset."
Item	Official numbers
Release date	Early on Sep 17, wide release on Oct 29 (head office announcement). The official Japan site says "coming soon"
Price	JPY 39,600
Weight	About 188g (men's 26.5cm, women's 27cm), about 157g (24cm)
Drop	8mm
Plate	Yes (carbon Flyplate)
Distance the official site gives	Half marathon and marathon
Colors	1 color on the page that opened

Since weight is listed at 2 sizes, you can see the size difference. The gap between 24cm and men's 26.5cm is 31g (188 − 157). 31g over 2.5cm is about 12g per 1cm (31 ÷ 2.5). From this you can estimate the weight at your own size.

Nike Alphafly 4

Before release: available from Oct 29

How it differs from the Alphafly 3: about 10g from the last generation, and 2 foam layers

The changes the Sep 17 announcement gives in numbers are that it's 5% lighter than the previous generation (men's 8.5) and has 10% higher energy return (the return of the force you put in).

Men's 8.5 corresponds to the 26.5cm whose weight is listed on the Japan product page. If about 188g is the number "after getting 5% lighter," the previous generation is about 198g (188 ÷ 0.95 = 197.9). That works out to a gap of about 10g.

From Nike's Sep 17 announcement and the descriptions on the official Japan product page. In both cases the numbers are what Nike wrote.
Part	What changed in the Alphafly 4	Official numbers
Foam	2 layers: ZoomX with the new ZoomX LT stacked on	LT is up to 17% lighter than ZoomX and 8% higher in return
Air parts	The 2 forefoot Air Zooms were remade for the first time on an Alphafly	—
Plate	A wide carbon Flyplate. The scooping shape carries over	—
Upper fabric	Atomknit with no seams. A cable at the midfoot, the heel in one piece	—
Whole shoe	Softer and quieter. Added cushioning under the forefoot rocker	5% lighter, 10% more return

What I want readers to know is how ZoomX LT is placed. The announcement explains that this new foam is stacked alongside ZoomX both above and below the plate. In the official Japan wording, it's "dual ZoomX."

By adding a material up to 17% lighter than regular ZoomX, they made the whole shoe 5% lighter without reducing the number of parts. Getting under 190g with 2 air parts, 1 plate and 2 foam layers is the result of changing materials.

The other is a change that doesn't show in numbers. It's softer and quieter than the previous generation. Based on athlete feedback, stability was revisited, and the main parts were all readjusted.

How it differs from the Vaporfly 4 and the Apex: siblings below and above

On Sep 30, Nike re-announced its racing lineup. The Alphafly 4 is positioned as the shoe that carries more runners to marathon speed. Above it sits the Apex, releasing in Jan 2027.

The Vaporfly 4 and Alphafly 4 are from the Nike Japan official display of Oct 13, 2026 (tax included). The Apex is from the head office announcement of Sep 30, which says the thickness is 40mm at both heel and forefoot. There is no announcement in Japan yet.
	Vaporfly 4	Alphafly 4	Apex
When you can buy	Available now	"Coming soon" in Japan	Jan 2027
Official price	JPY 29,700	JPY 39,600	Not announced
Weight	About 190g (28cm)	About 188g (26.5cm)	Not announced
Drop	6mm	8mm	0mm
Air parts	None	2 in the forefoot	2 sets of 2 stacked tiers
Distance the official site gives	10K, half, marathon	Half, marathon	Marathon

The price gap from the Vaporfly 4 is JPY 9,900 (39,600 − 29,700), about 33% more (9,900 ÷ 29,700). Converted per gram, the Alphafly 4 is about JPY 211 (39,600 ÷ 188) and the Vaporfly 4 about JPY 156 (29,700 ÷ 190).

The weight numbers look nearly the same, but the sizes differ. The Vaporfly is at 28cm and the Alphafly at 26.5cm. Applying the earlier about 12g per 1cm, at the same size the Alphafly is on the heavier side. The JPY 9,900 is money paid not for lightness but for the air parts and the 2-layer foam.

You also use it at the 10K, or a 6mm drop suits you → Vaporfly 4
Your races are the half and marathon, and you choose a sole with Air Zoom → Alphafly 4
You want the top shoe with a 0mm drop → Apex (Jan 2027). But 8mm to 0mm is a different shoe

Image: Rakuten Ichiba

Nike Vaporfly 4

The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 23,980 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 31,000 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.

What I like

It got lighter without reducing parts. This is the main point. To make it lighter alone, they could have removed the air parts. They didn't; they renewed the foam material itself and got the 5%.

Second, how they chose what to fix. The announcement says the goal was for runners to run with confidence deep into the distance. Beside the easy-to-grasp number of 10% more energy return, modest items like stability, softness and noise are lined up. The direction of not making it a shoe only for fast people is clear.

Third, the way the official Japan site writes. It lists weight in 2 ways: men's 26.5cm and women's 27cm, plus 24cm. The Vaporfly 4's page lists only 1 weight, at 28cm.

Things to watch

The main thing is that you can't buy it in Japan yet. Oct 29 is the head office's announcement date, and no Japan release date is out. Planning to buy it for a race in October or early November is risky.

In the new year, the higher Apex arrives. The announcement says it's more than 10% lighter than the previous Alphafly. For someone who wants the top shoe, there's a reason to wait until the new year.

Who is it for?

A good fit for: runners who want to keep cushioning and return through the late half or full. The 2 layers, with ZoomX LT (up to 17% lighter, 8% more return) stacked on ZoomX, can push through long distances
A good fit for: runners who find the 8mm drop, a little higher at the heel, easier to run in than the Vaporfly 4's 6mm
A good fit for: runners who found the previous Alphafly stiff or noisy. What got fixed is exactly there

If you want 1 pair that also races the 5K and 10K, its sibling the Vaporfly 4 fits better. Its use is road racing, so leave daily jogs to another pair.

Price and where to buy

The official price is from the Nike Japan official display of Oct 13, 2026 (tax included).
What to buy	Official price	Rakuten price range
Alphafly 4	JPY 39,600 (coming soon)	—
Vaporfly 4	JPY 29,700	JPY 23,980–31,000
Alphafly 3 (previous generation)	Doesn't appear in the official Japan search	Shop stock only

From Oct 13 to Oct 29 is 16 days. If the head office's date holds, the wait is a little over 2 weeks. The official Japan product page has a "get notified" button.

The previous generation, the Alphafly 3, didn't appear in the official Japan search on the day I checked. When I read it in our 10 max-cushion carbon shoes article, the product page also showed as unavailable. The move of "a cheap last-generation pair from the official site" isn't available.

When you search on Rakuten, look at the generation number in the product name. Before release, most of what lines up under the Alphafly name is the 3 or earlier. The button below is set to exclude older generations.

Nike Alphafly 4

Before release: available from Oct 29

FAQ

When does the Alphafly 4 come out in Japan?

The Japan release date hasn't been officially announced yet. As of Oct 13, 2026, Nike Japan's page shows "coming soon." The head office's announcement says wide release at nike.com and some stores from Oct 29. Other releases waiting to come out are lined up by release date in our upcoming releases article.

How does the Alphafly 4 fit?

The weight conditions the official site gives are men's 26.5cm and women's 27cm and 24cm.

The upper is Atomknit with no seams, laced with a cable around the midfoot. Nike's size chart says to measure your foot length and, if you're between 2 sizes, to choose the bigger.

What's the difference between the Alphafly 4 and the Alphafly 3?

The head office announced it as 5% lighter than the previous generation with 10% higher energy return. Working backward from the official Japan figure of about 188g, the gap is about 10g. The foam becomes 2 layers stacked with ZoomX LT, and the forefoot Air Zoom was remade as well.

What's the difference between the Alphafly 4 and the Vaporfly 4?

It splits by race distance and drop. For use from the 10K, the Vaporfly 4; for the half and marathon only, the Alphafly 4. The drops are 6mm and 8mm, a 2mm gap. The table of Nike's 10 shoes is in how to choose among Nike's 10 running shoes, and the whole picture of this year's releases is in the article on Nike's 6 new 2026 shoes.

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Ads and images: Rakuten Ichiba