Have a 1/2 marathon and marathon coming up in Dec and Feb respectively. This will be my first full marathon. I've always raced 10k and 1/2 marathon in the Vaporfly and I quite like it but I'm wondering if the extra forgiveness of the AF would be worth it over the full distance. The thing is I hated the Tempo Next% (namely the upper) so if the AF is a similar fit and feel I'll stick with the VF.
Have a 1/2 marathon and marathon coming up in Dec and Feb respectively. This will be my first full marathon. I've always raced 10k and 1/2 marathon in the Vaporfly and I quite like it but I'm wondering if the extra forgiveness of the AF would be worth it over the full distance. The thing is I hated the Tempo Next% (namely the upper) so if the AF is a similar fit and feel I'll stick with the VF.
The alphafly are definitely built more like the Tempo but they feel different. Personally I really like the tempo and the vaporfly, not so much the alphafly. I'd stick with the VF if I were you
Have a 1/2 marathon and marathon coming up in Dec and Feb respectively. This will be my first full marathon. I've always raced 10k and 1/2 marathon in the Vaporfly and I quite like it but I'm wondering if the extra forgiveness of the AF would be worth it over the full distance. The thing is I hated the Tempo Next% (namely the upper) so if the AF is a similar fit and feel I'll stick with the VF.
What kind of speed are we talking about / how big are you?
IMO, the upper on every Nike supershoe is pretty bad (OG Flyknit 4% excluded)--Nike skimps with lighter materials to save weight. As far as midsole goes, the Tempo N% felt like running on bricks, while the Alpha was more like running on one of those mini-trampolines you have inside your house--not as bouncy as a full-size tramp, but still plenty pleasant. Tempo was still a great workout shoe, since it was pretty much impossible to run slow in (unless you enjoy punishing your feet).
If the AF doesn't work out for racing, you can always use it for long runs/workouts--it's great at soaking up comfortable miles (much better than the Tempo at longer distances), as long as your midfoot is not pinched in it. It's a little narrow in the instep. YMMV.
Have a 1/2 marathon and marathon coming up in Dec and Feb respectively. This will be my first full marathon. I've always raced 10k and 1/2 marathon in the Vaporfly and I quite like it but I'm wondering if the extra forgiveness of the AF would be worth it over the full distance. The thing is I hated the Tempo Next% (namely the upper) so if the AF is a similar fit and feel I'll stick with the VF.
VF is a much better shoe. Stick with it.
I don't think that the VF is a "much better shoe" (and Kipchoge, Rupp, etc. would probably have a word on that as well) but I do think this is a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" situation. I liked both the Tempo Next% and the Alphafly Next% as well. It's pretty tough to split hairs, but push comes to shove recently I have been wearing the AF instead of the VF for races, and that one study that was done recently showed it to be a bit more efficient.
The AF is a much softer, more propulsive Tempo Next%. React foam just isn't great, and the nice part of the AF is the ZoomX. So I think they are different shoes, but there is still at least some part of the Alphafly that is a bit noisier/harsher when hitting the ground than the VaporFly due to the pods. It's not as click-clackety as the Tempo, though.
One more thing -- I don't really feel like the AF is all that more forgiving than the VF, to be honest. Anecdotal, but I have run 2 marathons, one in the VF1 and one in the AF, and I recovered a lot faster from the VF1 marathon. But it's hard to say if that was due to the shoes.