Nike - ACG Ultrafly 2

I saw a photo on IG from @running_highest — Caleb Olsen and his teammates were wearing a new pair of shoes. From what I can tell, they’re the final version of the Nike Ultrafly 2! A Full Look at the Nike ACG Ultrafly 2 Trail Running Shoes – What I Think Is the Final Retail Version (Though I Have No Idea When They’ll Drop 😂) First off, the bright orange color really pops. The new upper material is lightweight and thin, combined with UV detailing, which makes the shoe much more visually appealing compared to the first Ultrafly model. The shape is still made to suit wide-footed runners, though not quite ultra wide or extra wide. The branding shift is another key change. Previously labeled under "Nike Trail", this version now falls under the "Nike ACG" umbrella. That move clearly positions this shoe as the top-tier competition model for Nike's outdoor category. Release Date — While there’s still no official launch date, based on all the news I’ve gathered, I’d estimate the earliest release to be around September 2025, and at the latest ... sometime mid-next year 🥲 Personally, I really believe it’ll drop next month. Can’t wait to wear them for real!

That’s a huge amount of time. 🥹 I really need them for this trail season.

I think they developed it based on feedback from athletes. Personally, I’ve used the Ultrafly 1 and I felt the shoes were very stiff because of the Flyplate. Especially on downhills, I experienced some painful discomfort. So it’s good news if they’ve fixed this!

Yeah I strongly believe we’ll see them at UTMB for sure! I also think the Ultrafly 2 is already approved for any competition.

I guess the UTMB results will answer that. What’s certain is Caleb Olson already wore them to win Western States 100.

Nike trails are awesome ! The new ACG ones look great ! I always had Pegasus trail

Nikes just work for my foot (US 14, narrower, high arch). Zegama 2 for trails and about to pull the trigger on UltraFly ACG’s for races. I use a chunk of Nike’s lineup as I can order online and know they’re comfortable. Peg +, ZF6, Vomero, VF2, AF3, and the Peg Trail as everyday shoes.

Nike generally designs their serious trail shoes for pros with perfect form. They want to show them winning. That’s all well and good, but most of their trail shoes don’t work for the average trail runner. Zegamas were so unstable that I felt broken after a 50 k and I’m used to longer than 50k distance. The ultra fly was made for buffed out California trails and not east coast technical trials. I don’t count on Nikes because they don’t design for the vast majority of use cases.

For dirt roads I picked up some Nike Ultrafly. Retired a pair at 615 miles and am about 400 miles into a second pair. Tried a pair of Nike peg trail 4’s in between, but they were a let down after the ultraflys. Most of my real running is on steep, rocky trails in the mountains, though, where I switch between Arcteryx Norvan SL3 for really fast efforts and VJ Maxx2 as my all arounder. Love both of these shoes. Edit: rocky trails in the mountains, not “Rocky Mountain” trails.

Nike Ultrafly Trail might make the cut

I have no experience with the peg5, but I did grab some peg4 trails after putting over 600mi into a pair of ultraflys. Took only a few runs (~40mi) to decide I much preferred another pair of ultraflys. Got them for less than $100 at that point. I have about 500mi on them now and hoping to see what/when the ultrafly2 will be. The peg4’s felt kind of stiff and boring by comparison. And I’m a person that typically runs in very low stack shoes on actual trails. Ultraflys and peg4 were for paved, dirt, and gravel roads. Hate the ultraflys on actual east coast trails.

One thing I will add is the ultraflys are significantly wider in the sole than most of my other shoes. I notice this when running through mud. They float like snowshoes on top instead of punching through. The tread is fine for mud, just the substantial surface area of the sole can make things a little squirrelly. That wide platform makes for a nice stable shoe otherwise.

I wear Nike Ultrafly on that type of terrain

My go-to gravel shoe has been the Nike Ultrafly Trail. I put 650 miles on one pair and just passed 500 on a second pair. Really well suited to hilly gravel and dirt roads. They’re expensive at full retail price but can be found on steep discounts. I hate them for technical trails though.

Yeah. Couple factors in that mileage. For one, you are a lot heavier than me, so that would likely accelerate the wear rate. A second factor is that the running I really like to do is technical trails and mountain running where i use very minimally cushioned shoes. So even after pounding on the ultraflys for 500+ miles they still offer significantly more cushion than my typical shoe. Note that I avoid using the ultraflys on technical terrain at almost all costs 😀 In my case I retired them because I had completely worn through the tread and into the midsole in the heels. This is because I use them almost exclusively for runs up and down a local mountain on fire roads and a paved auto road to the top. So they saw a lot of heel striking when descending steep pavement. This is pretty abusive for a trail shoe. Contrast this with my typical technical trail shoes where I wear out the tread under the forefoot long before the heel. Anyway, I’m just starting to wear through the tread into the midsole on my current pair. I can feel the foam being a little dead, squishy, and unresponsive back there now, but still plenty of cushion for me. I will add that I tried out a pair of Nike Pegasus Trail 4 shoes between the two pairs of ultraflys, and they really felt like a letdown compared to the ultraflys. They just felt kinda dead by comparison. Ultraflys really do soak up gravel nicely. And they’re a nice wide and stable shoe which has been awesome for recovery runs and such on milder terrain.

Nike Ultrafly Trail would get my vote

I use Nike Ultrafly for the exact scenarios you describe. It’s not a lightweight shoe, though. But that hasn’t bothered me. And I’m someone who seeks out light shoes because I run a lot of steep technical ascents where weight really is noticeable. For example, I wear Arcteryx Norvan SL3 a lot, and I don’t think you can find a lighter trail runner on the market right now.

I really don’t think the ultrafly is a “super shoe”. I think the plate just helps stabilize the foam. I use it almost exclusively on easy runs on gravel and dirt roads up and down a mountain. I generally run in almost minimalist shoes on very technical steep terrain. Then I switch to ultraflys for off days and they’re a dream. Super cushioned but not spongy. Perfect for gravel and conditions the OP is asking about. At full retail they’re stupid expensive, but I’ve got my last 2 (of 3 total) pairs for around $100

I use Nike Ultrafly on that terrain. Absorbs it nicely, but they’re not light

I avoid asphalt as much as I can and I don’t think I shuffle too much. I’ve put a decent amount of miles into my Zegama 2s, north face vectivs, Salomon’s, and ultrafly before retiring them and they held up pretty well. This is the first pair of trail shoes that looks like they took a beating early on. It is a great shoe though

Great question. Road Running Adidas Evo Sl - White (344mi) Black (202mi) - fanstastic daily shoe that totally match the hype, bouncy without feeling squishy. Having two on rotation lets the foam recover. Best travel shoe to handle any type of run. Smitten. I ran over 500 miles last year in the Puma Mag Max, the SL is like that level of comfort without the weight. Nike Vaporfly 4- Blue (16mi) newest shoe for fast days. Feel great, so light and nimble. I replace my Puma Nitro 3 (322 mi) with these. Really like the lacing and upper. So excited to see what I can do in these. Trail Rotation Nike Ultrafly (85mile). These shoes don’t get much talk. But I love the plated trail shoe, these 85 miles have been hard miles. We have lots of rocks in Colorado and these glide over them and don’t squish. Only down side is they get and stay very dirty. I’ve ran everything from Moab to Jungle with these. Lots of summer hiking in them too. Bonus points is these are the best mountain bike shoes I have ever owned. Nike Pegasus Gore Tex - (250mi). My winter snow workhorses. Not to sweaty, durable as hell. Excellent grip. We are lucky to have such great shoes available.

I have wide and flat feet, I raced a trail half in the Nike ultrafly yesterday, awesome shoe

I like the Nike ultra fly a lot. Used it for a 100m this past year without a single blister. If it's a bit muddier the LA sportiva prodigio pro would be my pick

I'd use my nike ultra fly or LA sportiva prodigio pro. Both great for hard packed trail ultra fly faster and nicer fit for me personally but LA sportivas are the better option if there's slightly trickier terrain

I love the Tecton X3s and like others said if it’s working for you then maybe don’t mess with it. That said, $275/pair adds up quickly when you’re doing a lot of miles. For gravel / fire roads I usually run in Nike Ultraflys which have a plate and more or less the same foam, but go on sale for $160. I also do a lot of miles in whatever Tecton X2s I can still find for sale and actually feel more comfortable in them on single track.