By: Youheng Zhong
The crowds are cheering. The fans are yelling. Athletes line up at the starting line, thinking only about claiming first place. The gun sounds. And eight pairs of bright pink, green, orange, and white shoes shoot off, about to set another world record.
But what are these shoes? They are super shoes, introduced by Nike first in 2016 with the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. With several features like the carbon fiber plate in a specific scoop shape that helps rebound the energy when a runner pushes off, these sneakers gave such an advantage to runners that World Athletics, the governing body of track and field, started limiting the height of a shoe’s mid-sole in 2020. Now, all major shoe companies have their own super shoe models with hundreds of thousands of everyday runners wearing them.
Super shoes have sparked a debate in the running community about whether they should be banned. Some argue that these shoes provide an unfair advantage to runners, but others argue for recognizing the technological advancements and potential benefits they offer athletes.
In any case, these shoes do work well. On the professional circuit, three world records were shattered within a week in Paris in June: Faith Kipyegon from Kenya set a record in the women’s 1,500m and 5,000 meters, and Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia set a new mark in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Then on Friday night, Kipyegon smashed the women’s one-mile record by a whopping five seconds, stunning track fans who are accustomed to improvements by mere tenths of a second.
“The big benefit for me is that I recover faster in super shoes,” said Bill Salazar, a 77-year-old runner who ran a 4:22 marathon in Berlin last September.
The faster recovery also has been reported by many other runners. Runners could finish with more power and strength because their leg muscles aren’t as tired.
Many athletes have started to use these shoes for training. “Since I’m going to be wearing super shoes in races, I want to get a good feel for them in training,” said Lindsay Flanagan, one of three women running for the US in the World Championships marathon in August. Meanwhile, some practice without them to build up strength and use them as a boost in the race so they will run faster than they did in practice.
In conclusion, super shoes have revolutionized the world of athletics, providing athletes, both professional and non-professional, with the ability to push their limits on the track and road.
Sources:
https://theconversation.com/super-shoes-explaining-athletics-new-technological-arms-race-156265