In 2020, Australian long distance running legend Rob de Castella sparked debate when he called for the ban of Vaporfly shoes.
His reason? The shoe designed for record-breaking tempo was giving some athletes an undue advantage.
New shoes, observers say, are produced for a simple assignment; to aid the tumbling of records.
Some shoes, according to major producers of sports apparel, are designed for an athlete to literally fly.
Zoom Vaporfly series, for instance, have all kinds of revisions that have made shoes lighter and increased stability, features credited for faster running and record-shattering in recent years.
De Castella, the 1983 world marathon champion, in his own words said “using the shoe is akin to running with springs on your feet.”
According to the legend, competing on carbon plate shoes designed to propel athletes to jaw-dropping paces was ridiculous and should be stopped.
Remember, 42km GOAT Eliud Kipchoge wore the same shoes en route to his sub-two hour in the marathon at the INEOS 1:59 challenge staged in Vienna in 2019.
“The concept of running with springs on your feet is just ludicrous. It definitely needs to be addressed. I’m not for technology where it is providing an unfair or unnatural advantage,” de Castella said.
And since then, and despite the question of whether shoe technology should be re-looked, professional running footwear has incessantly been advancing and continues to trigger controversy in sports circles.
Mid last month, when Ugandan superstar Jacob Kiplimo smashed the men’s half marathon world record in Barcelona, the question of shoe footwear featured.
The half marathon world record breaker wore Nike’s Alphafly 3, the same as two-time New York City Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor, who was second in the contest. But third-placed Samwel Mailu ran the race on Rocketx2 made by rival, Hoka.
Alphafly 3 were the same shoes worn by the late Kelvin Kiptum when he shattered the marathon world record in Chicago in 2023.
Brigid Kosgei destroyed the women’s marathon record (now a former fastest mark), also in Chicago while wearing the Zoom Vaporfly Next%.
Like their counterparts from across the globe, Kenya’s top athletes have taken part in the research phases during the production of the almost supernatural shoe technologies.
The Vaporfly 4, has already been tested on Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, the world record holder in 5,000m and 10,000m, a star who will be on a mission to bag his first marathon title at the London 42km race in April.
“Built for all runners and inspired by the best athletes — including Cheptegei and Mohammed Ahmed (Canada), who tested the shoe throughout production — the new Vaporfly is the most versatile Nike racing model on the market, setting the standard for distances ranging from the 5km to the marathon. The silhouette blends the stability of the Vaporfly 3 and the softness of its veritable predecessor, introducing a finely tuned balance of support and propulsion that serves runners of all abilities and intensities,” Nike said in their statement.
Ahmed, an Olympic 5000m silver medallist, told the manufacturer: “There are so many aspects I love about this shoe: It’s lighter than its previous iteration, more responsive, gives a comfortable ride, has a stable feel, and offers a great fit. Simply put, it’s the perfect combination of carbon to foam in this shoe to date. I love running fast in this shoe.”
According to the giant sportswear manufacturer, the latest shoe is boosted by a featherweight design, which makes it about 10 percent lighter than the Vaporfly 3 worn by Kiplimo and Kamworor in Valencia, and 20 grams lighter than the original Vaporfly of 2017.
The new shoe, Nike says, has been boosted with a flyplate which guarantees stability.
When Vaporfly Next% came under sharp scrutiny soon after Eliud Kipchoge wore it in Vienna, the former marathon record holder defended it.
In an interview with the The Telegraph, Kipchoge said there was no need for greater regulation on shoe technology.
“They (the shoes) are fair. I trained hard. Technology is growing and we can’t deny it – we must go with technology,” Kipchoge said.
He went on to say: “In Formula 1, Pirelli issues the tyres to all the cars but Mercedes are the best one. Why? It’s the engine. It’s the person.
“So for those that are against the shoe, it’s the person who is running, not the shoe. It’s the person driving, not the person making the tyres,” Kipchoge further stated.
Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics run in 2021, Kipchoge said: “The shoe (Alphafly Next%) helps an athlete to recover very fast especially after running a marathon.”
New Streakfly 2 is also a subject of debate. Users are praising it as another propeller.
Nike says it is a specialised racing innovation designed to help athletes deliver top performances in shorter races, such as the road mile, 5km or 10km, as well as fast intervals and tempo training sessions.
“Usually, I would need to switch from sneakers to spikes during interval training to condition my muscles and avoid injury… But the responsive, supportive design of the Streakfly 2 allows me to run all of my fastest reps without having to change into spikes, helping my feet and legs feel fresher the next day,” Australia’s Jessica Hull said.
A new running shoe, a flip-flop or sandals if you like has caused traction in recent weeks.
On Sunday January 19, a little known Kenyan athlete finished a marathon with sandals designed for professional racing, and to compete with other brands known to have helped long distance beasts deliver stunning victories.
Kenya’s Barnabas Kiplimo cut the tape at the 2025 Khon Kaen Marathon staged in Thailand, where the technology was designed.
Kiplimo ran the full marathon wearing white sandals, with ankle straps. He also wore white socks and finished the race in 2:18:55, a time that is considered slow for many Kenyan elite men.
The sandals are named Nirun, and they were designed by a Thai company, Ving.
Kenyan legends believe it’s the athlete’s hard work in training that will deliver the results in a race.
“Shoe technology should never be a lame excuse for not performing in a race. During my prime, I ran with the normal shoe and the results were impressive,” former 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Moses Kiptanui says.
Moses Tanui, a former world record holder, says you can only be propelled by a new shoe technology if you are in good shape.
“Technology is advancing and we have to consider it as a major factor in athletics,” he says.
Kenyan legend Tecla Chemabwai Sang, the 1973 African 400m champion and the first Kenyan woman to compete at the Olympics (in 1968) says running barefoot at international championships from 1960s to the1980s was common because shoes were not a concern.
“We ran without shoes even during international races. If we had today’s shoes and the modern coaching that I see today, we would have set records that would still be standing until today,” Chemabwai told Standard Sports yesterday.
She attributes the ever-changing shoe technology in recent years to commercialization of athletics.
“Athletics is now a major money-making venture and companies are coming up with new sports technologies to make more money. The advancement should however be regulated,” she said.
