Super Shoes

Super shoes or carbon-plated shoes are a type of lightweight running shoe incorporating carbon fiber plates and thick foam soles. They are typically used in long-distance running, including trail running and marathons. Since their introduction on the road in 2016, and more recently on the track in 2019, super shoes have coincided with a series of record-breaking times in middle to long-distance running events.

History

The first shoes to incorporate carbon fiber plates were produced in 2016 by Nike. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the top three finishers in the men's marathon all wore Nike Vaporfly 4% shoes. These so-called "super shoes" began retailing in 2017. Other major brands soon followed suit, producing their own versions of super shoes.

The introduction of super shoes coincided with a series of record-breaking times in long-distance running events. As of late 2023, 15 of the 20 top times for the marathon were set since 2018. Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge wore the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, shoes classified as super shoes, when he completed a marathon in under two hours in 2019. During the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Nike's Vaporfly shoes proved controversial, leading to accusations of technology doping and changes in guidelines by World Athletics, the international governing body for running sports. At the 2021 British Athletics Marathon and 20 km Walk Trial, winner Chris Thompson wore Nike Vaporfly Next% shoes. During the 2022 New York City Marathon, Sharon Lokedi won the women's marathon wearing Under Armour Velociti Elite carbon-plated shoes. At the 2023 Chicago Marathon, both the women's and men's races were won by runners wearing prototypes of the Nike Alphafly Next% 3 shoe. Kelvin Kiptum set a world record of 2:00:35 in that race. In 2023, Ethiopian long-distance runner Tigst Assefa set a world record for the women's marathon of 2:11:53 while wearing super shoes. Beatrice Chebet's time of 28:54.14 in May 2024 for the 10,000 meters was also made in super shoes.

The impact of super shoes on race completion times has led commentators to suggest that record books should distinguish between the records created before and after their introduction. Runners such as Tim Hutchings have suggested that super shoes have diluted the currency of world records, which should be considered in their historical contexts.

Characteristics

Super shoes differ from other athletic shoes in that they are very lightweight, have a full-length carbon fiber plate beneath the footbed, and thick, resilient foam soles. The architecture or geometry of super shoes may also be distinct, for example including a rocker that enables a specific transition point. Some super shoes incorporate carbon fiber rods instead of plates. The uppers of the shoes tend to be minimalistic and thin. World Athletics set guidelines limiting soles of shoes used in competitions to in stack height.

Super shoes are more expensive than other running shoes, ranging from $200 to $500 for a pair. Prices in late 2023 for Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly shoes ranged from $260 to $285. Some super shoes are designed to be worn during only a single marathon race after a minimal breaking-in time and have drawn criticism for their environmental impact.

Shoes with carbon fiber plates have been shown to affect running economy. A 2021 paper examined the impact of super shoes on the performance of runners.

Context

Performance increases also translate into a better running economy for the general public. A New York Times study examining race results after the 2017 release of Nike’s Vaporfly 4% showed similar performance increases to the elite field. When compared to past years, the Strava study found people were likely to get a personal record and often had more to give in marathon performances while wearing carbon-plated super shoes. The benefits felt by the public added to the popularity of the carbon-plated running shoe, which made them hard to find in the year of their introduction in 2017. The popularity of the advanced shoe design has continued today, with notable shoes being the Nike Vaporfly, Nike Alphafly and the recent ON Boomstrike LS featuring ON’s Lightspray upper.

The increasing popularity and results garnered by super shoes have allowed companies to push technological boundaries, allowing athletes to continue pushing limits. Companies such as Puma have made banned super shoes that disregard World Athletics regulations, therefore, making them illegal to use in competition. The Puma Fast-RB (rule-breaking) earns its name and shows what companies are capable of without restriction.

Within regulation, companies have still made technological advances, with athletes finding results in the elite field and amongst amateur athletes. Both of Nike’s super shoes have dominated the carbon-plated market. It is almost guaranteed that you will see Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly on the starting line of a race, whether it’s the elite field or the public. Running companies have delivered super shoes that have proven to make an athlete faster. These gains are still called into question, and the use of technological doping is an ongoing debate. The results garnered by super shoes, however, are a proven result of the combination of advanced research, technology and physiology of an athlete.

See also

* Nike Vaporfly and Tokyo 2020 Olympics controversy

References

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Athletic shoes
Long-distance running
Sports technology
Sport of athletics terminology