We Tested Nike’s ‘Illegal’ Cushion Monster Runners That World Athletics Won’t Approve
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- Nike defies racing regulations with the ultra-plush, rule-breaking Vomero Premium trainer.
- Features 55mm stack height with ZoomX foam and dual Air Zoom units.
- Designed for recovery and training, delivering unmatched comfort and “anti-gravity” sensation.
- Endorsed by elite athletes Faith Kipyegon and Conner Mantz for recovery.
- Sold out instantly, proving bold, risk-taking design still drives innovation.
Sometimes, regulators fuel innovation, and other times, they stifle it. Nike’s latest release, the Vomero Premium (AUD$320), breaks the rules in the name of innovation and comfort. To do this, they’ve thrown the rule book out, creating a shoe not designed for raceday but for recovery and training. With an aim to create an “anti-gravity sensation” and mimic an anti-gravity treadmill, they’ve made the most comfortable pair of shoes we’ve ever put on our feet.
To better understand what Nike has done here, we must open the rulebook. The best running shoes on the market may appear different and unique, but they’re all governed by the same set of World Athletics Athletic Shoe Regulations. These were introduced in 2022, but have since been updated from 1st November 2024 with a new Sole Thickness Table to help wrangle the ever-growing outsole thicknesses that have trickled down from mountain and trail racing shoes into road runners (running and race walking). To keep things in check, World Athletics provides a list of approved shoes to ensure that what’s on your feet is within the rules.
Mountain and trail shoes can have an outsole of any thickness for racing, so you often see Hoka and New Balance sneakers with ridiculous cushion. However, the maximum thickness of the sole for road races is limited to 40 mm. Nike’s Vomero Premium combines plush ZoomX foam with responsive forefoot and heel Air Zoom units to create a sole unit with an unprecedented 55 mm stack height, the tallest road running shoe in Nike’s portfolio.
Despite the shoe’s premium price point of AUD$320, the response to it has been immense, and it’s already sold out online.
It helps that it looks excellent, with bold “AIR” branding on the back, dynamic linework, oversized graphics and a bold silhouette that appears to be glowing neon. We’ve had more than a few people stare at our feet this past week while wearing the shoes as a lifestyle sneaker and a recovery runner. Of course, this makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that people like (or question) what they see, but even more importantly, for Nike, it shows a genuine interest in a bold design that was never created to please everyone.
The press release states that internally, the design team, led by Charles Han, a 13-year footwear veteran, debated the boldness of the shoe but chose to “Just Do It” and embrace the idea that innovation means taking risks. Nike product line manager Ashley Campbell says they “pulled together all the best elements to craft the perfect running shoe, without playing it safe.” We think risk-taking design has paid off, and the sales and online buzz reflect that.
Before the shoe was given the green light, the Vomero Premium was given to the brand’s best athletes. Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon was one of the first to try the shoes out for validation purposes, using the Vomero Premium to train for her Breaking4 attempt, running 20 seconds faster per mile in her training runs while preparing for her goal of being the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes.
They were then put on the feet of long-distance runner Conner Mantz, the 2024 US Olympic marathon trials winner. He said the shoes “played a big role in me being ready to run the Olympic Trials marathon and, ultimately, qualifying for the Olympics post-injury”.
“During the transition period of going from anti-gravity treadmill back to running on the ground, this was the perfect shoe because it is super soft and over-stacked… it allowed somebody like me, coming from a bone injury, back to running. It helped me get the confidence back to start running and competing, just in time for the Olympic Trials marathon.”
“It just saves your legs. When you’re running 120 miles a week, your legs get pretty beat up and there is risk for stress injuries and bone injuries. Training in a softer shoe takes that pressure off your bones and your joints,” he continued.
We’ll never be elite, long-distance runners, but the shoe’s innovation showcases the future of elite recovery and training shoes.
Even with a 55 mm stack height, the shoe’s wide outsole provides surprising levels of stability. This stability does become an issue when you’re walking, but at a jogging pace, it’s less of a problem. We say that because if you intend to wear these as a lifestyle shoe, which many people will do, then consider that the stack might not be stable at a walking pace. We also noticed some instability on staircases and the like due to the width of the outsole combined with the stack height.
Of course, the trade-off for a bit of instability at slow speeds is unmatched comfort. We’re thick-soled obsessed, which means we’ve tried them all, from Hoka to New Balance. We can say with great confidence that nothing comes close to the cushion from this Vomero Premium.
While the innovation-limiting World Athletics Athletic Shoe Regulations remain in place, this sneaker will stand out as an answer to what a sneaker brand can achieve when they throw out the rulebook.
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