The engine's answer
Best running shoe with maximum cushioning for getting faster on gravel and forest paths, under €280
Nike Ultrafly
73% match
The carbon experiment for trail racing
Check the price
Live search for the Nike Ultrafly at retailers that carry it.
Why it wins here
The Nike Ultrafly wins this question with a 73% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €260, weighs 275 g and stands on a 40 mm heel stack with a 9 mm drop; its cushioning scores 82/100, its grip 80/100 and its energy return 85/100. The tightest constraint is the terrain: only 19 of the 78 shoes count as trail capability, and 19 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on terrain — Trail shoe, grip 80 /100, stability 60 /100; 19 of 78 shoes count as trail capability. The nearest runner-up, the Hoka Tecton X 2, finished 1 point behind.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.
- TerrainTrail shoe, grip 80 /100, stability 60 /100; 19 of 78 shoes count as trail capability
- Goalenergy return 85 /100, weight 275 g
- Cushioncushioning 82 /100, stack height 40 mm
- Budget€260, €20 under the €280 ceiling — 77 of 78 shoes qualify
What's good
- Race-foam bounce on dirt
- Surprisingly composed on hardpack
What to watch
- Plate feels odd on very technical ground
- Trail shoe at road-racer money
What the runners-up gave up
The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Nike Ultrafly.
- Hoka Tecton X 272%Carbon fibre, but make it mountainsHoka Tecton X 2 (72%) lost on cushioning: stack height 33 mm against 40 mm for the Nike Ultrafly. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Nike Zegama 270%ZoomX cushioning gone off-roadNike Zegama 2 (70%) lost on the goal: energy return 62 /100 against 85 /100 for the Nike Ultrafly. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Hoka Speedgoat 670%The benchmark for eating technical trailHoka Speedgoat 6 (70%) lost on the goal: energy return 58 /100 against 85 /100 for the Nike Ultrafly. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Nike Ultrafly within a €280 budget?
- Yes. At €260 it sits €20 under the ceiling, and 77 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €280 or less.
- Does the Nike Ultrafly suit gravel and forest paths?
- It is a trail shoe with grip 80 /100 and stability 60 /100. The question filtered for trail capability, which 19 of the 78 shoes are; for getting faster the ranking also weighed energy return 85 /100, weight 275 g.
- How much shoe is under foot in the Nike Ultrafly?
- A 40 mm heel stack with a 9 mm drop, a cushioning score of 82/100 and carbon plate — at 275 g on the scale.
Change an assumption
This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.
Answer for your own running