Records are being rewritten
It seems like every week we’re seeing a new record shattered, national records are falling at a rate unseen at any other time in the history of running. What’s the cause? Are we seeing a physiological shift in training and recovery? Are we seeing athletes recovered and fired up to race post-quarantine? Is it the shoes?
From Personal Experience
In the last 8 years, I’ve tried on hundreds of prototype shoes and have wear-tested everything from carbon plate, nitrogen-filled pods, springs, and a litany of foams. Shoe design has moved in so many directions from when I started with wear testing a pair of New Balance MT100 Prototypes. This was an era of extremes - at the height of minimalist shoes in 2009 we saw the introduction of a weird and polar opposite to this minimalist shoe boom - Hoka. Hoka launched and it was the weird “moon boot” company that made these ridiculous cloud shoes but were instantly adopted by our local trail and ultra runners for the distinct advantage the foam offered. This advantage would drive 10+ years of rapid innovation. Foam, something so simple but revolutionary.
The Squeeze
It was the first pair of Adidas Adizero Boston Boosts that made me a believer in foams and performance shoes. I’ve written a piece on where performance shoes fit in everyone’s arsenal - it was 2011/2012 when I first picked up a pair of Saucony Kinvaras for tempo runs and racing. It was a little lighter, it made me feel a little faster, and it gave me a mental boost to “go-fast” in the final reps or miles of my workout.
The problem was simple - they just didn’t last. The first run was amazing - it had this great bounce and feedback that when coupled with a light breathable upper - you knew it was fast! After 200-300 miles this shoe just felt flat and compacted out. It simply had no life left in it. The uppers looked brand-new but the shoe was toast. Each revision improved the fit and foam but once Boost came along - it wasn’t even a fair fight.
Personally, once I had the Boston’s on my feet. I knew I had something special. A relatively light shoe, great outsole (Continental Rubber), and Boost foam broke it into a new and odd category - the lightweight trainer. How novel, a light shoe that felt responsive and lasted 500+ miles - unreal!
The Edge of Grate-ness
I have always been curious about how things are designed - the nuances and feel of things. I spent 5 years running in the Adizero Boston Boost for workouts, marathons, as well the Type A5 and A6, and NB 1500/5000 Spikes for track racing. The progression of foams and technology in shoes was all about light, measuring the standard of a shoe by its weight in grams is all that mattered. You know what you were getting into - you were going to feel everything but for those 5 years the equation was lighter = faster. This is when we saw new upper materials like FlyKnit and the era of mesh uppers take hold. Lord help you if you enjoyed running without socks - this mesh was a cheese grater to feet!
Speed Boats
With the exception of Mizunos “wave plate” - the idea of a carbon plate in a shoe just wasn’t on anyones radar. In mid-2017 I started testing for Nike and have since continued to test in various capacities on road, trail, and race shoes. While I can’t share a ton of what I’ve “seen” - I have worn some pretty crazy prototypes that can only best be described as a race boat meets F1 car.
It was one in-person test in particular that had us running a 1 mile loop with direct instructions to “avoid people at all costs” that I felt something insane under my feet. I never had moon boots as a kid (although I sorely wanted a pair) - this was something different. The suppleness and stability was a thing nightmares are made of but if you didn’t have to worry about cornering - this thing was all gas, no brake.
In 6 months, my next test was a black on black, on black 30 minute wear test. A simple - run in this and tell me what you feel. “we don’t care about the upper” , “we don’t care about how it’s laced or how you think it looks” - How does it feel?
My response was simple - “This is unreal” - “I don’t have to work nearly as hard to hit my marathon pace”, and when I’m at pace - it’s soft on my feet and easy on my legs.
Evolution
It was after that test that I knew the snowball effect was about to happen. The idea of an ultralight shoe was officially behind us once the 4% was released. Nike followed the Bugatti Veyron for function, design, and even the price tag. The shoe didn’t need to be ultralight if the plate provided the savings and mechanical advantage just like the Veyron - if you shove enough tech and horsepower into something - it will break records and go fast. Add to that plate a great foam you had the speed of a Porsche 911 GT3 with the comfort of Grandpa’s Cadillac Brougham (they corner about the same too).
In quick succession, we saw the 4% become the Next % and even now spikes with AirPods and carbon plates. This is why we’re seeing record after record fall - you’re getting to a true category-breaking shoe - it’s comfortable, light, and advantageous for nearly every runner at any speed.
Can it last?
With records falling - will we see a distinction between BV (before Vaporflys) and AV (After Vaporflys). I can personally attest that new technology and rapid forms of development are causing everyone else to play catch up. We will continue to see records fall and see other companies start to push the boundary that Nike has set for them to meet.
I do question if we are falling into a lull. After numerous workouts and one road race in a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pros - I can attest that we’re entering a time of “pick your flavor” - there is no clear leader for me. This is great to see for professional runners who aren’t sponsored by Nike; the gap in technology is closing but what’s up Nike’s sleeve next? I wish I could tell you…
To my readers
Are these new shoes ethical?
Will we see a new leap in tech or will the IOC stall that progress?
If you have a pair of “super shoes” - are you a believer?