Nike Winflo 9 Quick Review

With my son starting to train more (and seriously), I have to find a shoe to be on rotation between his tempo and racing shoes. All these while he is wearing and using the Asics Magic Speed 2 for time trail and racing, and the Brooks Hyperion Max for speedwork and everyday mileage. With mileage eating into the Hyperion Max, a replacement or rotation need to be considered. 

This is also to allow for him to find his own "feel" when it comes to shoe - as what works for me may not work for him. With a bit privilege to choose we took a detour to Nike at GPO after his Triathlon Camp last weekend.

Before I start the quick review, my son has tried at Nike GPO these models: Pegasus 38, Pegasus 40, Structure 25, Streakfly and FreeRN. He did not like how the P38 and 40 felt as he say they felt "dead".

Structure 25 was restrictive on the midfoot much similar to Streakfly which he say he don't like how it felt against his arch. FreeRN was a bit too unstructured and he felt his feet is moving everywhere. And the Winflo 9 was the one that suits him - balance of space, fitting and response (based on jumping on spot and rolling around the feet).

There were 3 colors to choose - white, greenish and black. He did not fancy the white as he say will be hard to maintain, the greenish is a bit similar to the white - and he went for the black. They are priced at RM329, with the black to be cheapest at RM309 with additional 30% off. So this Winflo9 in black cost us a very affordable RM216.30 with 2-years return policy with Nike App. I say that is a big bargain in today's world where shoes are expensive. Winflo9 retail for RM409 new. Cheaper now as there is iteration 11 in the market. 

Nike Winflo9 Quick Review

Coming in at 300grams for Men US11

Specification

• 35-25 Heel-Toe profile. 10mm drop
• Engineered upper mesh with breathable toe box area
• Cushioned EVA with air injected foam. Nike call it Dot Weld Air.
• Padded tongue and collar
• Full treaded outsole in waffle-design
• Inner midfoot strap for secure fit
• 300 grams for US11

The Nike Winflo9 looked like a basic trainer. Something that is suitable for all purpose use. Based on my limited experience with shoes, I would say that this shoe is suitable for easy runs not exceeding 10km and for everyday training. It's heavier than most trainers of similar specs (such as Brooks Launch series)

Clean cutting makes it even more basic

Normal width toebox

Neutral trainer suitable for all arches type

full length rubber outsole

My Son's Feedback on Winflo9

Paraphrasing what my  son told me about Winflo9, he says that the fit is good and secure. He do not feel there is any slip at the heel area and the tongue is "just nice" padded. The tie down is secure and he do not feel any part of his feet having pressure point when it is laced up. He like the slight rocker feel of the shoe but wished it is similar to the Hyperion Max that "makes me fall forward effortlessly". He feel that the midsole has some bounce, but not as plush compared to Hyperion Max and much firmer compared to Asics Magic Speed 2. He likes the flexibility of the shoe as it's similar to Hyperion Max. He do not feel "tall" and he did not felt unstable when compared to Asics Magic Speed 2. He likes that the shoe is slightly more structured (stiffer) on the upper than the Hyperion Max. He say this is definitely a daily trainer, and will go well in rotation with the Hyperion Max which he now can save for uptempo runs. 

This pair of Nike Winflo9 is purchased from Nike GPO at a price of RM216.30 after 30% discount. My son has not ran in it yet at the time of writing this. Expect follow up comments soon.