MAINSTREAM media and broadsheet newspapers went into a frenzy last week reporting that Nike’s ZoomX Vaporfly Next% shoe was set to be banned by World Athletics.
Ultimately these reports were largely based on speculation and although WA says an inquiry is taking place, no such findings have yet been revealed.
If a shoe or shoes were likely to be banned, it would probably only take effect on models going forward and the likelihood of records or race wins being retrospectively erased or even “asterisked” is unlikely.
So, why the controversy? Since Eliud Kipchoge’s Breaking2
attempt in Monza in 2017, the world of footwear has been in a spin. Nike, the masters of marketing and creators of undoubtedly great footwear, launched a mainstream shoe on the back of the attempt, based on the prototype model that Kipchoge himself wore on the motor racing circuit.
The shoe – the Nike Vaporfly 4% – was so named after research suggested it effectively offers a 4% improvement in efficiency for a marathon runner. It was a great success and runners bought them in their droves.
The shoe was made up of a combination of a carbon fibre plate and revolutionary foam (see panel). But this wasn’t the first time carbon fibre had been used in a shoe. Paul Tergat’s marathon world record of 2:04:55 in Berlin in 2003 was set in the Fila Racer, a shoe with a carbon plate to provide a little extra spring.
The Nike shoe was then updated in early 2019 to the current model, the ZoomX Vaporfly Next%, which was given this name because it took things on a level, offering more of the ZoomX foam cushioning to provide even greater benefits.
By this time, though, other brands had begun to release their own models: HOKA One One releasing the Carbon X at an event in Sacramento resulting in a 50km world record from Jim Walmsley.
When Kipchoge eventually broke the two-hour barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna last year, again the focus was firmly fixed on his shoe, which was the new and yet-to-be-released ‘Alphafly’.
This prototype model included a multi-layered carbon fibre plate system and even more of the ZoomX foam, measuring around 50mm thick.
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Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
Need for speed
THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.
Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
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