For me, these strike a perfect balance between cushioning and responsiveness. I have never once felt inclined to label these as such, which is something I occasionally struggled with on the old Streak 5. A true speedster, especially those with an extensive or recent track background, might prefer a thinner or lighter shoe for shorter races like the 5k and 10k, but I doubt he/she would ever complain that these are squishy. If I were going out for a long run at moderate paces, I’d still choose the LunaRacer, but if I am going to do a real workout or a race (anything from 5k to marathon), the Streak 6 is easily the better choice. It’s without a doubt protective enough for a marathon, but when you really want to get after it and run your most aggressive paces, the Streak 6 feels like a much better tool for the job. I like the increased firmness relative to the other two Nike racers. I’ve had a lot of success with both the LunaRacer (half marathon PR) and Streak 5 (marathon PR), but the Streak 6 really feels more dialed in for aggressive running. Relative to the Streak 4 and 5, the Nike Streak 6 is much less squishy in the heel. These babies can get up and go! Compared to the LunaRacer, the Streak 6 feels much less removed from the road. It is approximately the same, maybe ¼ of an ounce heavier, than the New Balance 1400v3. At 7oz for my men’s size 10.5, they are ½ an ounce lighter than my LunaRacer or Streak 5 and a little over an ounce heavier than the New Balance 1600 or Streak LT2 (I haven’t weighed my LT3). I weighed them on the same non-digital food scale that I’ve weighed my other shoes on. The feeling of lightness was so convincing that I actually had not even weighed them until writing this paragraph. I’ve also done six road sessions in the Nike Streak 6 (paces ranging from 5:17 to 5:25): 5k tempo, session of 3M/2M/1M/1M, 5M tempo, session of 1M/4×400/1M, 4M tempo, 8k road race. I’ve done five track workouts in the Nike Streak 6 (paces ranging from 4:00 to a little over 5:00): 16×400, combo session of 800s & 200s, 8×200, 10×500, 10×800, and another 8×200.

It is minimal enough to allow some very fast running, but substantial enough to let you relax a bit so your pace is more sustainable. Being that the Nike Streak 6 was designed based on the input and needs of some of the best marathoners in the world, it is made to be both fast and protective. It seems there is always a compromise of some sort.

I’ve experimented with a lot of racing flats, and here’s what I’ve learned…no shoe is perfect.

Nike zoom streak