The Nike Zoom All Out Flyknit will make you forget what you knew about traditional footwear

The Nike Zoom All Out Flyknit is another curious and alluring offering from one of the world’s leading sports brands. The All Out looks like a hybrid of an Air Max and the LunarEpic FlyKnit. Like the latter shoe, the All Out reveals that Nike is still game to push the envelope in shoe design. But how does it feel?

Fast Facts:

Release date: June 10.
Weight: Men: 9.8 oz (size 9); Women: 8.7 oz (size 8).
Retail: $265.
Colourways: Four.
Kilometres tested: 200 (trail, crushed gravel and road)

The Nike Zoom All Out Flyknit’s full (and beautifully visible) Zoom Air midsole is springy, but firm, and responsive. Just as with the LunarEpic, our testers found that the high collar was remarkably snug and comfortable, without feeling constricting.

The toebox is wide and very breathable, and the All Out could almost be worn without laces, but its stiffness means you’ll definitely want to wear socks to give feet that extra protection. That was something that was more optional with the Free lineup and the LunarEpic.

When testing the shoe on loose surfaces including crushed gravel and trail, the high collar prevented any debris from getting in the shoe. That’s something to keep in mind especially when running on dusty or rocky terrain. The fitted upper also gives an additional feeling of stability as it reaches higher than the traditional cut.

RELATED: 26 photos of what’s in store for Nike’s summer footwear collection.

Canadian Running tested the Racer Blue/Obsidian/Blue Glow/Blue Glow colourway (pictured at the top), one of four options for the newly-released Nike shoe. The volt colourway (pictured below) is exclusive to the Olympics. If ordering on the Nike.com website in Canada, shipping is free. The colourways are the same for both men’s and women’s models.

The Flyknit integrated with the lacing system also allows for a complete fit around the top of the foot through to the midfoot which runners can better modify so that it fits their own foot shape exactly. A closeup of the lacing system is pictured below. The Flyknit wrap tightens with the laces and stretches to fit. Runners will notice that it fits extra snug and therefore, there is less of a chance that feet will slip inside the shoe when in motion.

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Note that the shoe has a relatively narrow fit though the Flyknit material is flexible enough to accommodate may different shapes and sizes. The upper is breathable because of the Flyknit technology. In fact, if you look closely, you can see through to a runner’s sock– that illustrates how breezy they will feel especially on hot summer runs.

This aggressive new offering should attract those who love the look of the LunarEpic but found the midsole too soft. All in all, this one is a firm, fast ride.