- Nike’s marketing pitch: A comfortable ride for everyday runs.
- Upper: Engineered mesh with a full sleeve.
- Upper fit: True to size, just-right fit.
- Midsole: React X foam with ZoomX top layer. 10 mm heel drop.
- Outsole: Regrind rubber under the forefoot, Carbon rubber.
- Weight: 325 gms/ 11.5 Oz for a half pair of Men’s US 10/UK 9/EUR 44/CM 27.1.
- Stack heights: 44 mm (heel), 34 mm (forefoot).
- Available widths: Single – D (regular).
- Recommended use: Everyday runs, tempo runs, marathon training, walking.
- Footstrike orientation: All types (heel/midfoot/forefoot).
- Median lifespan: 400 miles.
- Country of origin: Vietnam.
- Recommended paces: 4:30 min/km (7:00 min/mile) and slower.
- Recommended temperature range: Warmer than -5° C/23° F.
Pros
- Versatile for different use cases
- Rocker assists with smooth roll offs
- Neutral and stable ride
- Just-right cushioning
- Secure and plush fit
Cons
- No widths at this time
- Average grip on wet roads
- Runs warm due to full sleeve
- Low reflectivity
Also consider:
- Asics Nimbus 27
- Hoka Clifton 10
- Saucony Triumph 22
- Puma Magnify Nitro 3
- Hoka Skyflow
- Brooks Glycerin 22
- Use the Nike Vomero 18 for daily training and recovery runs
- Use the Nike Vaporfly 4 for 10K races and marathons
- Use the Nike Pegasus plus for tempo and threshold runs
In this review:
SUMMARY AND VERDICT
The Nike Vomero 18 is the first release in a three-shoe series, the other two being the upcoming Vomero Plus and Vomero Premium. Besides the images and marketing blurb found online, we don’t have much information about the Plus and Premium versions. For now, we can tell you all about the Vomero 18 – like how it fits, rides, and compares with other cushioned trainers, and most interestingly, the changes that make the Vomero 18 virtually unrecognizable from the Vomero 17.
Last year's Nike Vomero 17 felt like a premium version of the Pegasus 41 (pictured in the background), but little else.
Last year’s Vomero 17 was a decent running shoe, but not the kind that left a lasting impression. It was an upper-tier Pegasus of sorts, using a dual-density midsole with ZoomX foam over a firmer EVA base. Most of the forefoot stack used soft ZoomX, adding comfort to forefoot landings and toe-offs. The thick EVA rearfoot stack added support for heel landings. Despite its upmarket midsole, the Vomero 17 behaved like a traditional daily trainer, lacking in-trend features like a rocker forefoot or plate. The Vomero 17 felt like a classic Nike running shoe, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but far from a stand-out shoe that keeps competitors in its rear-view mirrors.
Other than the Invincible 3, Nike has been missing out on the high-stack midsole trend, the market segment that’s best represented by the Hoka Clifton and Bondi. The Vomero 18 is Nike’s belated entry into this segment. Its advertised stack heights of 44 mm (heel) and 34 mm (forefoot) make the Vomero 18 Nike’s tallest shoe to date. The midsole uniformly gains 5 mm of stack height over the Vomero 17 while maintaining the 10 mm heel-to-toe drop. Unsurprisingly, the Vomero 18’s midsole feels substantial under the foot – there’s this sense of standing on a tall platform. Most of the midsole is made of ReactX foam with a softer ZoomX layer closer to the foot.
Nike sells the Vomero 18 as a shoe with a ‘comfortable ride for everyday runs,’ but we think that’s underselling it. The newest Vomero has a couple of things that the previous versions lacked. Firstly, the midsole has unprecedented stack heights. Secondly, the addition of the forefoot rocker makes the Vomero 18 more propulsive than any of the prior models. The combination of the ultra-cushioned midsole and rocker make the Vomero 18 more versatile than Nike’s advertising gives it credit. Being an 11.5-ounce (328-gram) shoe with a tall stack, the Vomero 18 isn’t ideal for fast runs. What it does best is to be a mile-eating machine, tirelessly providing cushioning long after your legs feel like turned to lead weights. The Vomero 18 is an excellent shoe for everyday runs, marathon training, and long-distance races, provided your speeds are 4:30 min/km (7:00 min/mile) and slower.
The true-to-size upper pampers the foot with high levels of foam padding in the tongue and heel. In true Nike fashion, the Vomero 18 employs a full sleeve inside the upper, which provides wearers with a consistently smooth fit but compromises air circulation. That said, this is not as typically narrow as most fully-sleeved Nike running shoes; it is relatively accommodating inside the forefoot and toe-box.
THE RIDE EXPERIENCE
We could say the Vomero 18’s ride is ‘deeply cushioned’ and leave it at that, but the dual-density midsole has a nuanced character that’s not found in trainers of comparable stack heights. For example, popular trainers like the Asics Nimbus 27 and Hoka Clifton 10 feel relatively one-dimensional in their cushioning delivery, which is understandable given their single-density construction. While not necessarily good or bad, a dual-density midsole foam behaves more interestingly than single-density foam.
Case in point is the Vomero 18’s ZoomX and ReactX midsole. The plush footbed is the first part to come in contact with the foot, providing that initial soft feel. The ZoomX foam is situated a level below, followed by the firm ReactX casing. Nike’s other dual-density midsoles (ZoomX + React, Pegasus Plus) and (ZoomX + EVA, Vomero 17) make their ZoomX layer’s presence felt through the higher stack share. The Vomero 18’s midsole behaves as if it’s mostly made of React foam, with ZoomX playing a minor supporting role. This makes the large ‘ZoomX’ emblazoned on the side of the midsole somewhat misleading, as the foam under that callout is ReactX.
The React part of the midsole has a firm density. For comparison, it’s firmer than what the Nike Infinity 4 used in its midsole. When benchmarked against competing brands, we’d say the Vomero 18 is firmer than the aforementioned Asics Nimbus 27 and Hoka Clifton 10. We’d place the Vomero 18’s cushioning between the Hoka Skyward X and Skyflow. Specifically, the Vomero feels like a firmer Hoka Skyflow with a taller heel. The Hoka Skyflow, like the Vomero 18, has a dual-density midsole. The Brooks Glycerin Max is somewhat comparable, except it has a taller midsole with a softer rearfoot. Like most React-based shoes, the Vomero 18’s hardens in the cold while turning marginally softer during summers.
Except for the rearfoot cavity, the React part of the midsole doesn’t compress easily, so not 100% of the Vomero 18’s cushioning is accessible all the time. The plush softness of the footbed is felt immediately, but unlocking the full potential of the dual-density midsole takes greater speeds and loads. For this reason, a lightweight runner may experience the Vomero 18 differently from a heavy runner. Landing at 4:30 min/km (7:00 min/mile) is also going to elicit a different cushioning response than at slower 5:30 min/km (8:50 min/mile) speeds. While the firmness doesn’t change, the foam reacts accordingly.
The ReactX midsole base responds better under higher loads, which are defined as faster speeds, greater bodyweight, or a combination of both. This is because the extent of compression and the rebound that follows depends on how hard the React midsole is pushed in the first place. This is of greater relevance for heel strikers than forefoot strikers because of the midsole design. The negative space under the heel creates a trampoline effect, but just like a real-life trampoline, the quality of pushback depends on how it’s loaded.
The Vomero 18’s cushioning is a story of two halves – the forefoot and heel. Under the forefoot, the firmer ReactX base accentuates the ZoomX foam’s softness. Under the heel, the trampoline effect causes most of the softness, and it’s hard to tell the ReactX and ZoomX apart. That means forefoot strikers and rearfoot strikers will experience different versions of the Vomero’s cushioning. Forefoot landings are more planted with more give from the ZoomX layer and a muted response from the React base. Runners who land heel first will activate the trampolining effect of the midsole, an experience that many will describe as a rubbery-soft bounce. The outsole design is 2012-era gimmicky, relying on fancy-looking lugs under the forefoot with wide spacing. The traction isn’t bad on dry roads, but is average on rained-on surfaces. We mentioned the year 2012 in particular because that was the year when the Nike Lunarglide 4 was released, and it had a similar forefoot outsole as the Vomero 18.
The Vomero 18 is bigger and fatter, but it is not sluggish or unstable. If you find shoes like the New Balance 1080V14 and Asics Novablast 5 too soft for your liking, this is the shoe for you. The firm ReactX layer is good at not letting the foot sink into the midsole while you run. Despite its 44 mm tall heel, the Vomero doesn’t throw you around. The midsole supports runners weighing up to 200 lbs while controlling the rate of pronation. The rocker rolls the foot forward to make the ride mildly propulsive. It’s a late-stage rocker with a relatively flexible forefoot, so it’s unreasonable to expect a plated-shoe level of performance. When it comes to rocker performance, the Vomero 18 is certainly no Zoom Fly 6.
After all the changes, where does the Vomero 18 fit in Nike’s current running shoe line-up? While the Vomero 18 is by no means a single running shoe to do it all, it’s certainly more versatile than softer shoes like the Invincible 3, while offering more value than the $140 Pegasus 41 and $180 Pegasus Plus. The Vomero 18’s $150 price is competitive, as it’s only $10 more expensive than most trainers designed for everyday training, which the Vomero excels at.
RECOMMENDED ROTATION
The Nike Vaporfly 4 and Pegasus Plus rotate well with the Vomero 18. The updated Vaporfly is a reliable plated racer for 10K, half-marathons, and marathons. The Nike Pegasus Plus and adidas Adizero EVO SL are excellent for tempo workouts, mile repeats, and threshold runs.
THE UPPER DESIGN AND FIT
At the time of publishing, the Vomero 18 is only available in a single width. That being said, a missing 2E (extra-wide) width shouldn’t bother most runners, as the standard fit is quite accommodating. Despite its full sleeve, the true-to-size Vomero doesn’t have a tight fit. The toe-box is roomy, with the all-mesh upper construction creating the space for the toes to move around.
Nike has improved the interior plushness by generously padding the tongue and heel with foam. The midfoot and heel (which has a stiff counter) wrap the foot in secure comfort. The roomy toe-box and just-right forefoot also help the Vomero 18 run cooler than expected, but it’s still warmer than a shoe without a full sleeve – like the Hoka Clifton 10, for example. However, a full-sleeve is a net positive as it makes the fit smooth and secure.
The Vomero 18 adds a pull loop to the heel, but it’s not as practical as it appears. Slipping the index finger through the loop is a struggle, so having a larger diameter should have helped. Asics has mastered the art of a heel loop, so Nike should look towards the east for inspiration.
IS THE NIKE VOMERO 18 DURABLE?
The wear and tear will be most visible on the outsole because of its lug spacing and geometry. Heel strikers should expect the wearing down of the waffle lugs on the edge, with some wear under the forefoot. The firm React midsole limits the ‘telescoping’ effect of the rubber lugs, meaning that rubber lugs take on a greater burden of landings and transitions.
As with any blown foam insole, the footbed cushioning will gradually wear down. ReactX foam, despite its temperature-dependent behavior, has proven to be durable over the years. The Vomero 18 should last at least 400 miles once the initial wear and tear has tapered.
SHOES COMPARABLE TO THE NIKE VOMERO 18
The Nimbus 27 is also a great pick as a cushioned marathon shoe.
Standard daily trainers like the Asics Nimbus 27 use a hard heel counter.
If you’re looking for a dual-density midsole construction with a cushioned ride, the Hoka Skyflow is worth trying. To be clear, the Skyflow doesn’t feel the same as the Vomero 18 because of the difference in materials, construction, and stack heights. However, the alternatives serve a similar purpose as the Vomero, which is to make everyday training and long runs comfortable. The following options aren’t exhaustive; also worth consideration are the Puma Magnify Nitro 2, Brooks Glycerin 22, and New Balance 1080V14.