Air Zoom Maxfly 2 vs Air Zoom Victory 2

The Nike Air Zoom Maxfly 2 is a pure sprint spike, built for one job: getting you down the track as fast as your legs allow. This is not a distance racer or a road shoe you loosen up in. It is a rigid, aggressive carbon racing spike aimed at 60m through 400m, the kind of tool you see under athletes on the world-record stage. The stiff FlyPlate and forefoot Zoom Air pods work together to fire you off your toes, and the whole shoe wants you up on the front of your foot and driving. In our view it is one of the most complete sprint spikes on the market, but it demands a lot in return. You need real forefoot strength, clean sprint mechanics and a track to use it on. Get all three and it is exceptional. If you are a distance runner, the Nike Air Zoom Victory 2 is the stablemate you actually want.

The Nike Air Zoom Victory 2 is a middle-distance track spike built for one job: turning a fast 800m to 5000m into a faster one. This is Nike's plated distance racer, and it sits at the sharp end of the market at £200. A full-length carbon Flyplate runs under a forefoot Air Zoom unit, so instead of the dead, bare feel of an old-school spike you get a real pop off the plate and a hint of bounce as you load the front of the foot. At 135g it is featherlight, and the 19.9mm heel and 19.3mm forefoot stack keep you low and connected to the track. In our view this is a racing tool, not a session shoe. If you run anything from the 1500m to the 5000m and want the most return per stride at the line, the Victory 2 belongs on your shortlist. For pure distance reps the lighter, plate-free Nike Dragonfly 2 is the calmer option.