[EDITORIAL]
Livestock - Run Club Review: Nike Next% w/ Jon Perdido [↗]For those of you who don’t know, Livestock Run Club (LSRC) is a running team created at Livestock sometime in the spring of 2012 to participate in Vancouver’s Sun Run: the largest 10km road race in Canada. For the most part, it’s all for fun but our roster contains runners of every level — from competitive, to experienced to novice alike. Since then, friends, family, photographers, graphic designers, creatives and more have joined the team and continue to test their abilities through camaraderie and athletic sportsmanship.

Pictured wearing the Nike ZoomX Alphafly and Vaporfly NEXT%, Team Captain Jon Perdido says the Livestock Run Club “exists because we run.” What started out as a team-building exercise transformed into a band of like-minded individuals looking to push themselves as runners. To get a better look at our inner workings, we spoke with our abnormally fatigueless leader to discuss running, the Club’s history, motivations; and to compare two of Nike’s NEXT% long-distance trainers — the Alphafly and the Vaporfly.

Having ran with the Club since day one, JP has had some fun with his LSRC teammates throughout the years. Looking back, he remembers pieces of every Sun Run, every post-race feast, every Half or Full-Marathon, and every new pair of runners. “At the 2018 marathon, some of us stayed and had an impromptu Thanksgiving at the Empress,” he recalls, emphasizing that the Run Club is a place to chill as much as it is for running. “It’s always a great time and we welcome all runners from rookies to pros.” Despite being team captain, he says he’s nothing without the team, considering himself somewhat of an intermediate runner, “somewhere between advanced and novice … I only run with the Run Club because it’s a great place to connect and grow,” he adds.
So, where does Livestock come into the picture? Well, the shop supplies the kits — from the collaborative Arc’teryx collection — down to a variety of speedy trainers like the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly and Alphafly NEXT%. When discussing the two new models from Nike, JP compares them simply by saying: “I feel like regular training in the Vaporfly fits my needs best. There’s ample cushioning and the shoes are responsive enough, but I’d be very down to use the Alphafly for race day.”
Out of the two NEXT% silhouettes, the only differentiating factor he notices is the Alphafly’s Zoom Air Pods underfoot. The ones that helped propel Eliud Kipchoge forward as the first person to achieve a sub-two-hour marathon on October 12, 2019. JP uses words like “fast” and “insane” to describe the shoes, noting that they’re both unlike any of his past favourites due to their responsive, comfortable and efficient design. Unsurprisingly, he presumes, because of their related design to some of his favourite bubbled Air Maxes. “It’s a weird feeling when you first put the Alphafly on. They’re not meant for standing around in. They have a noticeably thicker sole than the Vaporfly, and the upper being knit feels more form fitting and breathable. But yeah, the Pods in the forefoot are exposed, so you can’t not notice it.”

Comparatively, JP stresses both silhouettes are meant for those who love the sport and are looking to up their pace. The Alphafly — made with a woven Atomknit upper — and the Vaporfly — using a VaporWeave material like ripstop — each offer a contoured fit, breathability and minimal water absorption, while encapsulating carbon fibre performance plates for enhanced speed. That, plus their ZoomX cushioning systems, he says, “and you’re ready to set a new PR on your next 10k, or a quick foot race for the next round of post-run beers.”Wrapping up, we asked him which of the two styles he preferred, and he summarized as best as he could. “Both are dope, but for the average person, the only difference you’ll probably notice are those Pods on the Alphafly. So, they get a plus one for propulsion and response. Other than that, the Vaporfly is an amazingly comfortable day-to-day trainer.”

In itself, JP’s review embodies what makes the Livestock Run Club so much fun — its casual nonchalance. At the end of the day, the LSRC members who gather each week are here to socialize, to encourage one another, and above all else, to feel comfortable in their own skin and their preferred runners of choice. It just so happens that this time, JP laced up the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly and Alphafly NEXT%.