As a kid, any pair of Nike running shoes seemed to be the gold standard that other brands were trying to get to. It was the brand you wanted to have on your feet whether you were training, shopping, at school, etc. As I got to my teenage years though, I branched out and tried a pair of Brooks and beat out Nike for my preferred running shoe brand.
When I was in college though, I heard about how amazing the Nike Pegasus running shoes were. I saw top running athletes in them and doing incredibly well. I saved up for the next few weeks and picked up a pair. (And my goodness did these things look sharp.)
Jazzed to try them out I ran in them the following day and boy did they hurt my feet! I tried them on my next few runs, and the same thing happened every time. Fast forward a few more years to November 2024, and I decided to try a pair of Nike running shoes again; the Vomero 17s. Ones that I’ve read good things about and saw others run in at different races. How did it go?
- Ouch #1
- Ouch #2
- 3rd Times a Charm
- A 4th & Final Run
Ouch #1
My first run in these was at an indoor track and during that entire run I experienced some type of pain or tightness. For example, my calves started to hurt almost immediately and after 3-4 miles it eventually died down to a mild ache. But the aching never went away, it was there for the rest of the 8-mile run.
This was confusing given that they felt exceptionally soft and plush at the start. So much so that I would describe the foam soles as squishy for the first ¼ mile. The Vomeros gave a strong initial impression, but in reality, they’re far less comfortable than the Hoka Mach 6s after you get into a run.
Ouch #2
I thought “maybe I just need to run longer and give my body more time to adjust to them.” So, I decided to test this with a half marathon race on Thanksgiving.
The result?
The calf pain was gone… but about halfway through the race my left ankle developed a sharp pain. In the last 4 miles, irritation in my left knee set in and stayed around for the remainder of the race. By the end I was left with a slight limp because of how sore my left knee and ankle became.
3rd Times a Charm
At this point I really didn’t want to go on another run with these shoes. But since my parents have a top-of-the-line NordicTrack treadmill that cushions every step exceptionally well, I gave the Vomero 17s another chance.
8 miles later, I was stunned and relieved that nothing hurt, ached, or irritated. We finally got there! I just took 20+ miles in the shoes to get there?!
4th & Final Run
Just to make sure the 3rd run wasn’t a fluke, I went back to where it all started; an indoor running track for another 8-mile run. I’m happy to report that nothing eventful happened on that run either. It was completely fine.
The Recap
It’s probably no surprise that I sent the Vomero 17s back to Nike after that 4th run (over 35 miles). I know that’s still a relatively short amount of time and distance in a pair of running shoes, but I’ve never had this many problems with a $160 pair of running shoes. When the best thing I can say is that they’re “fine”, that’s just no bueno.
Going back to my gen one Altra Escalante Racers was like that moment when you get into bed after a long, exhausting day; your whole body relaxes, and tingles of excitement run from the bottoms of your feet to the top of your head. That’s what a great pair of running shoes are like.
However, everyone is different. If you’re someone that experiences what I feel with the Escalante Racers, but with Nikes, then the Vomeros could be a wonderful fit. The upper mesh is strong and should last a long time. The air flow is as good as the Hoka Mach 6, but with how plush the Nikes are then they might be even comfier for you.