Nike Just Ripped Up Their Shoe Line Up | Nike Vomero 18

RIP Nike Invincible and ReactX Infinity…

Nike have pressed the big red button and gone nuclear with their running shoes for 2025. Say goodbye to some of your favourite shoes like the Invincible and Infinity models as Nike shakes up their entire running line up.

For years, Nike’s running division has been making headlines—not always for the right reasons. Despite its dominance in elite racing with shoes like the Alphafly and Vaporfly, the brand has struggled to compete with the likes of Hoka and On in the recreational and long-distance running markets. These brands have surged ahead, thanks to their focus on cushioning and everyday comfort. But Nike’s unveiling at The Running Event in Texas today suggests they are ready to play catch up but will it work?

The centerpiece of this shakeup is the Nike Vomero 18, but it’s part of a bigger picture. Nike is reducing its road shoe lineup, seemingly killing off the Invincible and Infinity line up to just three offerings:

• Vomero for maximum cushioning,
• Pegasus for everyday training, and
• Structure for runners needing support.

It’s a refresh the brand sorely needed. Simplified product lines, a strategy already adopted by Brooks and other competitors, help runners—especially newcomers—navigate their choices more easily. But that isn’t where they stop. They are simplifying it but then also making it more complicated in the same breath by having a premium, plus and icon version of each of the three shoes. The icon version being the “normal’ version. I feel like Nike have watched one too many Apple keynote presentations and thought; “hey if it is good enough for them…” and personally I feel it’s a strategy that risks overcomplicating things for consumers at exactly the time they are trying to simplify things.

The Vomero 18: Nike Goes Big (Literally)

The Vomero 18 is Nike’s most cushioned road shoe yet, boasting an enormous 46mm stack height. For context, that’s a significant jump from the 40mm stack of the Vomero 17—a bold statement of intent. The double-stacked combo of ZoomX and ReactX foams promises unparalleled comfort while maintaining durability, thanks to the signature rubber outsole Vomero fans have loved for years. With this setup, Nike has reimagined the Vomero as the king of max-cushioned trainers.

For long-time fans of the Vomero (like me), the updates are a mixed bag. The Vomero has always been a trusty long-distance shoe, but the 18 takes the concept of “max-cushion” to new heights—literally. The 18 is the chunkiest shoe that they have ever made using their ZoomX and ReactX foams to create double-stacked cushion with a 46mm stack height. This is a huge change from the 40mm of the 17s which I expect will be where the shoe will either live or die. But changing from the Cushlon 3.0 foam to ReactX foam is another pause for caution. Will the increased stack enhance the ride, or will it feel unstable? Time -and miles- will tell, but based on first impressions coming from The Running Event, it’s hard not to feel optimistic. One of the few things they have carried across is the very durable rubber outer which is one of the things I loved about the shoe because it meant that it lasted many, many more miles than Nike shoes stereotypically do.

We are very much in the era of max cushioned shoes with every brand now offering a chunky trainer but does more mean better? With some brands like New Balance and Hoka it is but will it be for Nike? Well we will have to find out when the Vomero 18 launches in February 27, 2025.

For me, as a longtime fan of the Vomero, I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s exciting to see Nike making bold moves, and while I won’t mourn the Invincible shoe I know many will but this overhaul feels like a long-overdue course correction. If Nike gets this right, the Vomero 18 could signal the start of a new chapter—not just for the shoe, but for Nike Running as a whole.