Nike Air Max 90

Author: Ferenc Soma Kovács (middle-distance runner of the SVSE national team, World Championship participant and European Championship bronze medalist)

About the shoe itself in a nutshell

The Vomero series is one of Nike's most popular product lines after the Pegasus. I personally first used the 14 version in 2019, which has undergone quite a few changes since then. Most runners usually buy the Vomero because, although it is not an outstanding model, it still performs reliably as a kind of "workhorse" on our everyday runs. The Vomero 17, which is relatively affordable from the start, can be obtained at a discount in most cases. But now let's see what this shoe can offer beyond reliability and a good price!

Specifications:

• Sole thickness at the heel: 39.5 mm

• Sole thickness at the forefoot: 30.0 mm

• Drop: 9.5 mm

• Weight: 286 g in men's EUR 42.5 size

• Category: everyday trainers, fartlek

The upper part is 8.5/10

The Nike Vomero 17's engineered mesh upper feels almost like knit fabric, and the well-padded, fixed tongue makes it extra comfortable. The last time I felt this level of comfort was in the Nike Pegasus 34 and the Asics Novablast. I wore these shoes all of August and September in 2024 and didn't experience any irritation. The downside is that they're made of a comfortable upper. They're made of multiple layers of engineered mesh and have a thick tongue, which means the Nike Vomero 17 is both warm and incredibly water-resistant in rainy conditions. So the fall-winter timing is a winner! In cold weather, they'll probably keep your feet warm all the time thanks to their good heat retention. However, in the summer heat, it became common for my feet to get really stuffy in the shoes, even with the thinnest socks.

The midsole is 9/10

The ZoomX upper layer provides a soft, cushioned feel upon impact, while the Cushlon 3.0 lower layer is also comfortably soft (similar to React), but also provides extra stability that ZoomX alone cannot provide. I specifically need the most cushioning possible, which the Vomero 17 midsole only partially satisfies. Because of this, I normally only wear the Vomero for soft forest trails or concrete sections, but never for asphalt/concrete endurance runs, for example. Surprisingly, although the Nike Vomero 17 is designed for general training Designed for men, it's great for fast pace. Intervals and tempo runs were a breeze. This versatile midsole elevates the Nike Vomero 17 to the list of everyday trainers that are also great for faster runs.

The outsole is 10/10

The Vomero 17 features a nearly full rubber sole, complemented by a consistent white pattern. Despite the significant use of rubber, the overall weight of the shoe is still manageable. Honestly, the rubber outsole is my favorite part of this shoe. The rubber sole covering the entire sole surface gave me good traction on a variety of surfaces, especially in the rain.

Usage recommendations

As I wrote above, this shoe is a training shoe. You could also say that this shoe is a premium Pegasus. It surpasses the Pegasus line in both cushioning and outsole design. And, more importantly: it is a surprisingly fast shoe. I can recommend it for fartlek training, for example.

Final Judgment

If Are you looking for a general training shoe or are you planning to buy the latest Pegasus, in that case I highly recommend the Nike Vomero 17. It is a reliable, generally good training shoe. However, if you want to buy extreme cushioning footwear for the long term, e.g. for ultra races, then the Vomero 17 is not the right choice for you. In that case I would consider the Invincible 3…