The Nike Vomero Premium sits at the pinnacle of Nike’s range of cushioned daily trainers, offering more comfort and bounce than the Nike Vomero Plus and Nike Vomero 18, albeit for a higher price.
It’s the most cushioned sneaker we’ve ever tested, with a towering stack of foam in its midsole, and one of the best running shoes available for those seeking the last word in comfort and protection from the impact of running.
There are drawbacks to the design — it’s a heavy shoe and far from agile — and it’s expensive, but these cons are overwhelmed by the joyously bouncy ride of the Vomero Premium. Tom’s Guide fitness editor Jane McGuire and I have been testing out the shoe over the past few weeks, and we’ve both been charmed by its uniquely bouncy ride.
Nike Vomero Premium review: price and availability
The Nike Vomero Premium went on sale in October 2025 and costs $230 in the U.S. and £210 in the U.K., making it one of the most expensive cushioned shoes on the market, and significantly pricier than the Nike Vomero Plus ($180 / £155) and Nike Vomero 18 ($150 / £135).
Despite the high price the launch colorways of the Vomero Premium quickly sold out, but new pink and black designs of the shoe are set to go on sale in mid November.
Nike Vomero Premium review: design
The Vomero Premium’s standout feature is its high midsole stack height, which hits 55.5mm at the heel and 45.5mm at the forefoot in the men’s shoe. That’s 10mm higher than the Vomero Plus, which is already a very cushioned running shoe.
All that foam does mean the Vomero Premium is pretty heavy — it weighs 12.5oz in my US men’s size 10, almost 2oz more than the Vomero Plus. I’m not sure I’ve tested any road running shoes that weigh more in fact, but the bouncy midsole materials do make up for that weight on the run.
Upper
Like everything else about the Nike Vomero Premium, its upper is built for comfort. It has a lot of padding around the collar of the shoe and on the tongue, and this creates a plush step-in feel.
I was concerned about the high collar at the back of the shoe, which I feared could irritate my Achilles tendon, but this didn’t happen even on longer runs.
Another concern with the upper is that it might run warm if you’re running in hot conditions — this wasn’t a problem for us running in fall in the UK — but things might get sweaty on sunny days because of the amount of padding on the shoe.
Midsole
The midsole is made from two materials on the Vomero Premium. There’s a huge stack of springy ZoomX foam with two large Air Zoom units in the middle, one under the heel and one under the forefoot.
These Air Zoom pods are firmer and provide more energy return than the ZoomX foam alone, and help to ensure that the shoe isn’t too soft and squishy underfoot. You do sink a long way into the midsole, but then bounce back quickly with each stride.
Outsole
The Vomero Premium has a waffle tread outsole with rubber covering most of the bottom of the shoe, with the exception of two cutouts that show off the Air Zoom pods in the midsole.
I’ve had no problems with the grip of the shoe in wet conditions, and there are no signs of wear and tear after about 60 miles of running, which has included some spells on off-road paths.
Nike Vomero Premium review: fit
JM: The Vomero Premium fit me true to size. I do find that Nike running shoes come up a little bigger than other brands — a UK 5 converts to a US 7.5, whereas in other brands, a UK 5 is a UK 7. I had a good amount of room in the toebox, yet could still get a decent, locked-in feel in the shoe.
NHF: The Vomero Premium fit me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I use across Nike’s line-up. I had a good amount of room in front of my toes, and my midfoot and heel were held securely in place — this is important given the high stack of the shoe, because any lateral movement could have made it feel unstable.
Nike Vomero Premium review: running performance
JM: I love a max cushioned shoe, so I have been eagerly awaiting the Nike Vomero Premium. It lives up to the hype — it’s big, bouncy, and seriously fun to run in. It’s definitely best suited for long runs and easy recovery miles — the high stack height and heft of the shoe mean this isn’t designed for faster running.
I was a little worried about the stack height here — I tend to overpronate in the final miles of a long run, especially as my legs get tired, but I was pleasantly surprised and didn’t find the Vomero Premium unstable. That said, I wouldn’t recommend wearing this on uneven terrain.
This is a shoe designed for comfort — it had a plush, sink-in feel from mile one, and I didn’t have to spend time breaking in the shoe. I mainly kept this shoe for easy runs and recovery miles on tired legs, but I was able to wear it for a progression run, and it handled well.
NHF: I was a bit wary of the Nike Vomero Premium because the last time I tried a top-of-the-range Nike shoe with a high midsole stack made up of a variety of foams, it was a disappointment.
That shoe was the Nike Pegasus Premium, but fortunately the Vomero Premium turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Unlike the Pegasus, it’s a shoe with a clear job, which is to make your daily training runs as comfortable and fun as possible, and it succeeds at that job and then some.
It’s the perfect shoe for protecting the body during high mileage weeks, and I especially enjoyed using it for easy runs, where the extra bounce and cushioning on the Vomero Premium compared with other shoes were welcome.
I also found it more versatile than I expected, and was able to do a couple of easy-to-steady progression runs in it comfortably, finishing at just under 6min/mile pace.
It’s by no means a speed shoe, though, and the large size makes it feel a bit cumbersome at any kind of faster paces, even if the high amount of bounce and smooth rocker profile means the Vomero Premium feels lighter than it is.
Despite the high stack of soft foam, I didn’t find the Vomero Premium to be unstable on my runs, with the wide base of the shoe helping to provide enough support that it doesn’t feel wobbly.
Should you buy the Nike Vomero Premium?
JM: The Nike Vomero Premium is a seriously fun shoe — I’ve been wearing it for a couple of weeks, and don’t want to wear anything else. If you’re a fan of a max-cushioned, seriously bouncy shoes, this one ticks all the boxes.
That said, I’d say if you’re on a budget, or you’re a runner who tends to overpronate, the Nike Vomero Plus is a more solid choice. It offers more stability underfoot, and it’s still a plush, comfortable shoe to run in.
NHF: The Nike Vomero Premium aims to deliver the last word in comfort, and it does exactly that. If you just want the most cushioned shoe possible on your foot for easy runs in particular, it’s worth looking at, even at its high price.
However, more affordable shoes like the Nike Vomero Plus, Asics Novablast 5 or Brooks Glycerin Max also offer enough cushioning and protection, while being lighter and a bit more versatile. I’d say they’re more practical picks for runners looking for a daily trainer to do all their runs in.
If you have a running shoe rotation, then the Vomero Premium pairs well with a lighter, faster shoe for workouts and races. If the price doesn’t put you off, it’s perfect for the job of protecting the legs and making easy runs more fun, before switching to a speedier shoe when required.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.