The Nike Ultrafly: Speed and Grip for Trail Racing

Inspired by a passion for serving the needs of all runners, Nike Running designers have created the Nike Ultrafly, the company’s pinnacle trail racing shoe. Following more than two years of rigorous testing and development with elite Nike Trail athletes, the Ultrafly is tuned specifically to the needs of trail runners who want to race, chase FKTs and navigate the trails at a rapid pace. 

In 2021, Nike Running footwear designers began working closely with elite Nike Trail athletes to create a pinnacle trail racing shoe, taking learnings from Nike’s world-class road running innovations and tuning them to the unique needs of the trail runner. Nike Trail athlete Tyler Green was the Nike team’s original muse for the innovation. He logged more than 1,000 miles in the shoes throughout training and raced in three consecutive top-five finishes at the prestigious 100-mile Western States Endurance Run in the shoe.

“I’ve put the shoe to the test across rocky terrain, hard climbs, fast descents and tough workouts,” says Green. “It’s exciting to see my perspective and feedback directly inform a product that will help all runners chase their goals on the trails.”

The Ultrafly joins Nike Trail’s extensive offering of running footwear and debuts many firsts for Nike Trail. Recognizing athletes' need for exceptional grip and traction on rough terrain, the Nike and Vibram designers joined forces to incorporate their expertise into an all new and exclusive sole design on the Ultrafly. The Ultrafly’s outsole features Vibram's Litebase technology, offering trail runners a proprietary lightweight, agile outsole design with Vibram Traction Lug technology and Vibram MegaGrip compound.

Also for the first time in Nike Trail, the Ultrafly features a carbon Flyplate, positioned between the ZoomX foam and a fabric-wrapped midsole. A Vaporweave upper combined with classic collar construction, counter and fit system ensures lightweight comfort and reliability for miles of racing on the trails. Learn more about the Ultrafly technical details here.

The Nike Ultrafly releases in limited quantities in Europe beginning July 27 and will be available for all runners to purchase starting in August at nike.com and select specialty retailers.

Explore the Ultrafly’s development with Tyler and fellow Nike Trail athletes Brittany Peterson and Nienke Brinkman in the photo captions below.