As well as fans of Formula 1 They are aware of what is behind the teams that win each award, the runners do the same with the tennis shoes that shine in the most important marathons. After all, the winner will have achieved victory because of his physical condition but also because of the technology that made him bounce better or the one that allowed him a greater impulse per step.
So what shoes did marathon champions like the ones in Chicago, Berlin, London and New York wear? And better yet, what makes these shoes special?
recent champions
Evans Chebet is 34 years old, he is from Kenya and since 2008 he has not let go of the victory in the Boston marathon. On April 17, the runner completed the 42-kilometer route in two hours and five minutes in which the cameras also focused on his long and fast legs, which wore the Adizero Adios Pro 3, the new shoes from the Adidas Adizero franchise.
But the shoes that go for almost $700,000 even up to $1 million in Colombia weren’t just the ones worn by the men’s champion.also by the Kenyan Hellen Obiri who stood out for its same edition in white.
But what is behind the success of these competitors? Beyond training and abilities, there is another factor that leads these athletes to the top: their tennis shoes, an everyday item that everyone uses and knows, but which has its standards.. In Colombia, for example, per capita consumption of tennis shoes, according to the Colombian Association of Footwear, Leather and Manufactured Industries (Acicam), is one pair per year, less than almost three for normal shoes.
And although Colombian consumption is less than at least four to five Americans, when a person buys, they invest a good average ticket.
Going back to the last Boston marathon, the Adizero Adios Pro 3 are an example of the innovation dispute between brands. Taking a step while running seems simple but you need support to do it better. In the case of these shoes, the previously separate carbon energy bars are now a single structure for key stiffness. Embedded in the midsole and parallel to the metatarsals, “they provide the runner with energy return” is the Adidas promise.
other champions
Just as in football there are companies that earn the most by dressing teams or clubs, in running there is clear competition in the big marathons, Adidas and Nike predominate according to the models worn by the champion athletes of this and last year.
For now, this season seems to lean towards the Adizero Adios Pro 3, model that made four of the five champions of Chicago, London, Boston and New York win.
Wilson García Gómez, sports trainer, indicated that “the footwear for a marathon runner is important to the extent that it directly affects sports performance,” he explained.
And, what is the ideal prototype? The expert indicated that it should “be a lightweight, lightweight shoe that adapts very well to the biomechanics of the foot. In the latter case, there is a variety of types of feet, That is why there are devices that measure the type of footprint of the athlete and thus manage to choose what is the appropriate type of footwear”.
The Adidas Adizero, the most winning
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 is the winning reference. He has triumphed in four of the five men’s competitions. Evans Chebet won with this one in Boston 2023 and New York in 2022; Amos Kipruto in London and Benson Kipruto in Chicago. They start at $799,000 locally.
Adizero Adios Pro 2 won in Berlin
This reference from Adidas, which is a smaller version than the one Kipruto won in Chicago, is characterized by its good cushioning and resistance, and an improved design with two layers of foam.
The one that Chepngetich won
The Nike Vaporfly Next% 2, very similar to the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2, with which Ruth Chepngetich from Chicago won, is one of the fastest options from Nike. They became popular for the variety in color designs.
On CloudTri also stood out in Boston
With this reference, Hellen Obiri from Boston won. It is characterized for being a shoe designed for triathletes, which caused controversy for being still unknown, however, it is included in World Athletics.
Nike Air zoom, the one that won in men’s
Nike won one of the five most important marathons in its last edition, the one in Berlin, with the reference Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Netx%. The model was used by the athlete Eliud Kipochoge.
Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2
This reference, with which the athlete Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the London marathon, has cushioning foam, a carbon fiber plate and weighs only 190 grams.
Under Armour Flow Velociti Elite
The Under Armor Flow Velociti Elite were worn by the athlete Sharon Lokedi, in the New York Marathon. This combines the Flow foam together with a carbon fiber plate that crosses the entire midsole of it.
Nike Air zoom, the one that won in men’s
Nike won one of the five most important marathons in its last edition, the one in Berlin, with the reference Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Netx%. The model was used by the athlete Eliud Kipochoge.
What is to come in Colombia
Looking to the future in competitions such as the Bogotá Half Marathon, the competition between Nike and Adidas is with upcoming launches or some recent ones, in the case of the German brand, this year there is the new generation of Ultrabost famous for its weight with ‘Ultraboost Light ‘ which are at $899,950.
In a first 10K training test, the new model feels soft and with the necessary comfort to combine rebound, momentum and acceleration.
This model was launched a few months ago and is the main bet for runners who are considering special routes like the MMB or some of its kind in Colombia. It highlights precisely the rebound that it has when hitting with the heel, causing the body to propel itself.
The developer brand explained that they are “made with recycled materials, the Ultraboost Light use Primeknit+ Forged technology to offer a comfortable fit, similar to that of a sock, that does not slip.”
