Test: Li-Ning Elite 2.0 vs. Nike Vaporfly Next% – which one is the fastest?

For a long time the Nike Vaporfly has been one of, if not the most dominating shoe on the market for racing - and for long-distance running the shoes has been proved to have a clear performance-enhancing effect. However, Li Ning has challenged that dominance and produced a very interesting shoe, the ”Feidian Elite 2.0”. We have tested if they have succeeded in producing a shoe which can challenge the Nike Vaporfly. Find the result in this article!

Revolutionizing the market for running shoes

Nike can rightly be said to have revolutionized the market for running shoes with the first Vaporfly, which had a profitable combination of amazing foam as well as a carbon plate in the sole. Since then the shoe has been updated a number of times but basically its still the same design - amazing foam with superb return energy and a carbon plate.

The result was simply that it was possible to run faster in these shoes compared to regular shoes. This has since been backed by several different tests from universities as well as various test labs around.

Most other brands have currently produced their own version of Vaporfly, but only few seem to have been able to perform at the same level even though research within this area has been limited. Li-Ning has now launched a shoe set to compete with Vaporfly, and we have decided to test it.

Method: How we tested the shoes

If we were to determine anything with a large portion of certainty, it would require a substantial scientific study. Nevertheless we decided to test the shoe within our own "research center". Consequently we tested the Nike Vaporfly Next% in comparison to the Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0.

Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0

Test protocol

We tested the shoes according to a fairly simple protocol.:

10 min. light warmup
5 min. with a 12 km/h speed (5:00 min/km)
5 min. with a 15 km/h speed (4:00 min/km)

The complete test was carried out with a 1% climb on the treadmill (Woodway-treadmill), and the oxygen consumption was measured by an oxygen sensor (Cortex Metalyzer). Generally a 1% climb on the treadmill was used to make up for lack of wind resistance compared to running outdoors.

Both shoes were tested on the same day. We did the test with Max & Emil, who are both able to run 100% ”aerobic” at both speeds.

If we tested the shoes at too high a speed, Max & Emil would run on a mixture of aerobic
and anaerobic systems, which would be a problem - you can not measure the energy
consumption of the anaerobic systems well enough, and therefore we would end up
having uncertainties about the results.

In addition this is usually the way tests are done when you test one shoe against another if you want to find out which one will save most energy. This is also the way it has been established that Vaporfly saves more energy than other running shoes - therefore it makes sense to go about it in the same way in our mini research experiment.

Emil on the treadmill in Nike Vaporfly Next%

If you want to read more about aerobic/anaerobic training you should check out this article:

”Aerobic and anaerobic training - what is the difference?"

To find out if one shoe was better than the other, we took a closer look at oxygen consumption; if the oxygen consumption was lower for one of the shoes, in practise it would mean that you could run faster because you would have "oxygen left over" which could be used for speeding up.

And since the aerobic systems (which use oxygen) are paramount for long distance
running, this is probably the best parameter to use in a test like this.

We could also have tested the shoes at higher speeds - for example 20 km/h
(3:00 min / km), but in this case neither Max nor Emil would run 100% aerobically,
and therefore the oxygen consumption wouldn´t tell the full story of the load.
Consequently, it was more straightforward to look at "aerobic intensities", so we would
get reliable data.

General info about the two runners, Emil & Max

Emil runs about 100-140 km a week and takes part in races to run as fast as possible.
He´s been running since 2018 and has previously played volleyball at the highest level
in Denmark. His personal record for a marathon is 2.30.38

Max has been running since 2014 and is as ambitious as Emil with his training. He runs around 100-130 km on a weekly basis and during his career he has done races on all distances from 800m to marathons and trail running (also up to the length of a marathon). His personal record for 1500m is 4:04 and his marathon PR is 2.35.38.

Max on the treadmill in Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0

We had two runners, who were level-wise very equal at our disposal which was evident from the subsequent set of data (see more under "results")

Max’ and Emils Vaporfly Next% had both done around 120 km. Max tested a brand new pair of Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0, while Emil tested a pair of Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0, which had done around 150 km.

Results

In our mini research experiment we got the following results:

12 km/h
	Oxygen consumption (Nike Vaporfly Next%)	Oxygen consumption (Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0)	Difference
Max	2,79 L/min	2,83 L/min	1,4%
Emil	2,78 L/min	2,9 L/min	4,3%

At 12 km/h it is evident that Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 has 1,4% and 4,3% more oxygen consumption than Nike Vaporfly Next%, and Nike Vaporfly, so Next% saves more energy than Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 at 12 km/h.

15 km/h
	Oxygen consumption (Nike Vaporfly Next%)	Oxygen consumption (Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0)	Difference
Max	3,51 L/min	3,35 L/min	-4,6%
Emil	3,51 L/min	3,46 L/min	-1,4%

At 15 km/h the outcome has been reversed – Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 has 4,6% and 1,4% lower oxygen consumption, and is therefore more energy saving than Nike Vaporfly Next% at 15 km/h!

So Max’s as well as Emil´s test has the same tendency:

At 12 km/t: Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 reveals a higher oxygen consumption and is therefore less energy saving
At 15 km/t: Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 revelas a lower oxygen consumption and is therefore more energy saving

Men
Li-Ning
Feidian 2.0 Elite Out of stock

Women
Li-Ning
Feidian 2.0 Elite Out of stock

Discussion: What do the numbers mean?

The differences between the shoes are small, so you should not expect to set any
world records by simply changing shoes. However, small differences can mean quite a
lot in practice, and in the past, Vaporfly has also revealed small advantages in comparison
to other shoes - typically in the range of 4% less oxygen consumption

The difference is not as big with Emil as it is with Max when it comes to fast running,
and if this is due to difference in running style, the lacing, the amount of kms
completed in the shoes or a fourth factor, cannot be determined.

Both for Max and Emil, the Nike Vaporfly Next% is the best choice (the fastest shoe) if they are doing a speed of 12 km/h.
Both for Max and Emil, the Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 is the best choice (the fastest shoe) if they are doing a speed of 15 km/h.

Many people will use this type of shoe for racing. In this connection you can ask if the effect of this type of shoe is as good at higher speeds if your race pace is 3:30 min/km (17,1 km/h).

Based on the data from our small research experiiment, nothing can be determined in relation to other paces - but based on the history from the latest years, it looks like this type of shoe has provided a clear boost for runners´ performances, regardless if we are talking world elite runners or excercise runners. Consequently one can expect that the effect of the shoes is also valid at higher speeds.

Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0

Conclusion: Li Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 or Nike Vaporfly Next%?

Our small research experiement reveals an interesting tendency as the Nike Vaporfly Next% performs better than Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 at lower speeds, but on the other hand Elite 2.0 performs better than Vaporfly at a faster speed.

On the background of our small research experiment, we can´t make a final conclusion that the Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 is faster than Nike Vaporfly Next%, but on the other hand there is nothing to indicate that the Nike Vaporfly Next% is better!

From our small research experiment, it seems as if the Li-Ning Feidian Elite 2.0 is as good for racing as the Nikes Vaporfly Next%, which means that you are now provided with another possible choice of running shoe. Li-Nings Feidian Elite 2.0 is a slightly more solid shoe than Nike Vaporfly Next%, however its still in the category of "super shoes" guaranteeing lots of comfort.

If you think that Vaporfly Next% is quite a soft shoe, the Feidian Elite 2.0 could be a great alternative which will make your finishing time just as fast!