The Race for Brands to Match Nike's Vaporfly | WSJ

[@deep.space.12]

It's not like Nike broke conservation of energy or put a motor inside the shoe or something...

[@krismine99]

Exactly, I think it does make sense to mandate the shoe be mass market and released by a specific time, but the rest sounds like an overreaction

[@kaz38]

I know right? I don't get it when they say it is unfair, I mean, it is, but not in a wrong way tho.

[@TraGamer1606]

But Nike has released a basketball ball shoe called the Adapt BB. It is a wireless charging capable, automatic lacing sneaker (yes like Back To The Future), that has completely adaptable Nike Zoom double stacked cushioning. A lot of NBA players are wearing it.

[@campkira]

they had patent on something and other conpany just want to play dirty....

[@joshuathorson8813]

Springs don't break conservation of energy either. There is a legitimate question of when does a shoe affect performance disproportionately. Unfortunately we have one company that A: has access to exclusive materials (mostly the foam, which is the true difference maker), and B: has an extreme amount of influence in the sport's governing bodies. It's tricky. I know I don't want running to become some weird NASCAR-esque scenario where the engineering team is just as important as the athlete.

[@jarvisc952]

2025: To ensure fairness, shoes are banned from sports

[@HieuChiLe]

El e run naked

[@mikemack7933]

2030 only people with certain feet can enter

[@raulfernandezg]

thats the problem always with "fairness"

[@ArielZab]

I’ve been saying this for years! All clothing should be banned from society. If the world was one HUGE nude party we’d never have wars

[@BT_Spanky]

Abebe Bikila won the marathon running barefoot so it’s possible.

[@leehchris888]

I'm with Nike on this one. Innovate or get left behind.

[@alasdairmacintyre9383]

Should the sport be about technology or about the athlete? Nike is innovating but its runners are not

[@leehchris888]

@@alasdairmacintyre9383 let's say my legs are longer than yours and I have a genetic advantage to run faster because of the longer legs. Should I have to get amputated so we can have an even race? I think not. The technological advantage of the shoe a similar advantage. It's also fleeting in the sense other Companies have a chance to spend money on R&D to develop competitive advantages too.

[@alasdairmacintyre9383]

@@leehchris888 its not a similar advantage, one is about the athlete's physical abilities and the other is about the technology that a company develops. So do you think a sport should be about the athlete or the technology?

[@alasdairmacintyre9383]

@@leehchris888 I'll also respond like this: if two top athletes with comparable running ability run a race, And the one who wins has on a pair of shoes that increase the runners ability by 5%, do we celebrate the runner who wins or the shoes that gave him the advantange?

[@meamzcs]

@@alasdairmacintyre9383 So you should run naked and without shoes?

[@jono601]

That’s it. Everyone must run in converse from on. The worst running shoe ever made.

[@thatlumberjack]

Fun fact: Converse shoes are technically slippers. They added that fuzzy fabric on the bottom to avoid import taxes since running shoes have higher tariff fees than slippers.

[@Cre8Lounge]

Which model are you referring to?

[@barfy-man3628]

Crocs have you beat.

[@bartn8801]

Fun fact: Converse is a Nike brand.

[@AshKetchhum]

Barfy-man362 steel toe boots

[@MGBYST]

It sounds like Nike is just making really good shoes and it's pissing other people off

[@williamglane]

Slight inaccuracy: it's not the carbon fiber plate that makes the shoes faster. It's the energy return from the newly-developed PBA foam, which is much more elastic than the old EVA foam. The carbon fiber plate is just a way to add enough rigidity to the sole so as to feel stable while running. The choice of carbon fiber is simply that it's both light and strong.

[@ghassankhan7728]

William Lane *the majority of the energy return from the Next % was from Nike’s zoom x foam. The carbon plate does still help increase running economy - it helps during the transition into the ‘push-off’ phase.

[@isse6790]

@@ghassankhan7728 Another aspect is the bending of the plating in the forefoot, which Nike has patented so that no other brand can currently compete.

[@ghassankhan7728]

Isse they’re plenty of carbon-plated racers on the market now actually, I guess the specific angle is what you’re taking about but it’s the zoom x foam most importantly for sure that separates them from each other imo

[@isse6790]

@@ghassankhan7728 Read the comment again.

[@ghassankhan7728]

Isse aaaa yeah I see what you meant there, I more so heard that the plate was suppose to actually reduce the amount of energy expended during the transition to push off which is why these carbon racers are stiff - meant to act more like a rocking chair (not a spring). I have zoom fly’s and endorphin pros myself for reference, I don’t think you can patent a carbon plate that bends specifically in the forefoot, that’s more so a uniform structural thing and I haven’t heard that anywhere else but your comment.

[@tiltheendoftim3]

I mean....assuming we even have olympics....

[@wellplayed9593]

I get what you mean, you're right. There is absolutely no chance of Olympics in 2020.

[@AlexMcDaniels]

I know it's a serious matter but i couldn't help to laugh at this

[@raulfernandezg]

i was thinking the same thing!

[@waahaah861]

It's a multi-billion dollar investment, no chance Japan will cancel it, there's just too much money in it.

[@theprophet_-__cxvii__-_8693]

They should have the Olympics this year honestly. It would be a bad idea.

[@elevenocean4471]

I love how Nike have caused so much commotion with one product. Everyone scrambling to make ends meet

[@kevindao1103]

Competition is good for the consumer. Compete or die is how it works in Corporate America.

[@ElverGalargaChupas]

Nike is true innovation

[@TheJudgingEye]

Nike has hundreds of Alphaflys at the qualifiers for any participating runner who wants to try them.

[@jwgest]

I hadn’t heard that. FairPlay and a smart pr decision cool to know. Thank You

[@jwgest]

Athletes used to be able to get away with doctoring logos of unsponsored gear they felt more comfortable with but in this day and age...

[@campkira]

just wiat until new shoe come out... this is company who discount the shoe after 3 month on the shelf...

[@nicholasfogale6835]

@@jwgest they gave away a pair to anyone who was racing

[@Renwoxing13]

That doesnt mean jackshit! These runners are sponsored by other companies, it would be considered sacrilegious if they even dared to think about using these shoes in a testing manner, let alone in the trials!

[@namelast6982]

I think being able to run fast will be important in the coming apocalypse.

[@asthenamesuggests9513]

Don't forget a lot of dry ratios and water-purification tools

[@bobbychase5616]

i would rather from a zombie than an asteroid

[@jwgest]

So they signed a bad deal to represent an inferior supplier and now they sore?

[@kennyma4904]

Other companies jealous that they can’t make a better shoe lol

[@hcumidelfart]

What is the issue, if Nike makes the best shoe that’s fine. Anyone who wants purchase it may go to the store and do so. Other competing brands shall endorse regulation which limits innovation. Competition greatly promotes innovation, companies shall therefore not be protected from it, but rather be encouraged to take part in it.

[@donewitheverything2292]

Best way this whole situation can be put

[@jaketyler7088]

Originally, only a few Nike-sponsored runners were allowed to wear Nike's fastest shoes as they were not sold on the public market, creating an unfair advantage. When Kipchoge wore the Alphafly's in October, the shoes were unreleased. Same thing happened with the 2008 Olympic swimmers wearing Speedo's LZR Racer. The solution to this would be to only allow shoes that are available to EVERY runner, which is what the recent World Athletics ruling said. No one is stifling innovation or competition here, rather creating a level playing field for all athletes because "anyone who wants to purchase it" as you said is completely false.

[@ChEeSeOnUrBuNs]

Have you tried to purchase vaporfly's? I can't find a pair in my size.

[@Amongus-mf3ho]

@@ChEeSeOnUrBuNs that's because everyone is buying them because anyone can buy them so they are popular.

[@ihateosu5483]

Space race

[@morganvon5664]

Being a runner for more than 20 years, shoe technology has been next to non existent. Shoes were light and had a really hard ride or the cushioned shoes were like running in sand. Nike develops a fast cushioned shoe and all the other shoe companies cry foul? Give me a break. It wasn't but about 5 years ago when all the shoe companies were developing shoes to make it feel like barefoot running. More power to Nike for making running better for everyone.

[@vibhanshuchauhan3328]

What about nation which cannot afford them in Olympics they are already out of competition

[@patthonsirilim5739]

@@vibhanshuchauhan3328 nike will give out shoe free of charge if they ask for it and those level of competition there 250 dollars a pair pretty much evey athelete i see is using quite high end running shoe from many brands.

[@vibhanshuchauhan3328]

@@patthonsirilim5739 the shoes used by athletes don't cost just 250 dollar much more but it true that Olympics is not about fair chances it more about power projection first it was soviet and us now china in future it will be india or anyother country

[@antonschaefer]

I don’t agree with the opening statement. Runnings, as a means of fitness for everyone, is definitely not shaped by the technology in your shoes. I also don’t see everyday-cyclists complain about the aerodynamic and weight advantages of 10,000$ triathlon bikes. However, if you are racing anyone but yourself, of course the technology becomes relevant. But it ain’t a perpetuum mobile, it’s just clever mechanics. And for most of us, it won’t affect the joy we get from running!

[@m1tchm4c94]

To avoid all jurisdictions I run in vans or timberlands when I go out for my daily marathon

[@malinkajayasekera5506]

I use Timberlands

[@earlopinion2705]

Biased reporting evident. Science has improved foot cushion protection while improving speed. When such isn't given primary importance in reporting concerning running shoes the bias clearly shows.

[@derekbullard2049]

What’s wrong with a company competing with its other show competitors with better technology to gain profit?!?! They are also buying advertising space, what wrong with that!?!?

[@CAPAE]

Spike Lee: "Is it the shoes?"

[@latentspacex]

Although i'm Adifanboy, Congratulations to Nike on creating a world-breaking shoe. Others: get better

[@anubhavgupta774]

2020 is Olympics year Naah..... It's pandemic year😬😬

[@augustinefaithdefender]

Everyone just wears mask!

[@TakashiNippon]

Let Nike do what they want... this is gonna continue innovation!

[@lostinthelookingglas]

Running, like any sport, has ALWAYS been about more than just a contestant's "fitness". If they really want to even the playing field, all contestants should have to wear same gear...but they don't want to lose the money and sponsorships

[@paulop3730]

I think it’s that Nike have more top athletes wearing their shoes. Most of the athletes were at the top of their game prior to the new carbon fiber shoes.

[@MrBigcityal]

Golf went through this with square grooves, then eventually banned them.

[@garyomaany83]

Competitors complaining because they simply can't compete. They say they weren't given the same chance to develop the technology? Are they for real? It would literally be like teams in F1 turning around and saying Mercedes are too fast, can you punish them and make them slower please?

[@ken4yaya]

Nike - *Innovates amazing new shoe that can only be FULLY utilized if you're elite level fit* Professional runners not signed with Nike - NO! Nike - So you want me to *NOT* do my best so you can feel good about your old shoes? Pro Runners - YES! Nike - FOH (respectfully)

[@Vic4ful]

Taking that last sentence and moving it to an already happened innovation: "So if there is a phone which allows you the send emails and use a lot of interesting tools and apps people, not only business people and managers, will consider buy that phone..." May it be innovation, that thing that makes consumers better of? .-.

[@elnino7822]

A shoe so badass everyone is having a coronary. I definitely want one!

[@RetrogradeBeats]

We need innovation Also, thats too much innovation

[@robertojofre15]

the other companies were caught sleeping!!! zoomx foam is no joke, carbon fiber infused shoes are the real deal.

[@ApplicoInc]

Introducing disruptive technology into sport is a delicate procedure as all the athletes should be on a level playing field equipment wise else the validity of the competition can be brought into question. If a certain set of athletes (in this case, Nike ones👟) have a distinct advantage, why even hold the competition (or what really matters, why would anyone watch, pay to sponsor/advertise, etc.). You wouldn't watch a baseball game if one team was playing with mitts and the other with bare hands ⚾️. On the contrary, if Nike's shoes👟 meet the outlined regulations it's not fair to ban them just because they're technology is better 🤷‍♀️. Will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out!

[@kevin451s]

This comparison is wrong in itself because one team has mitts that are made of newer more technologically advanced materials while the other team is playing with mitts made out of leather. Both are the same product, just made out of different materials. It’s obvious Nike has the clear advantage with this shoe which is why they are banning it to let competitors catch up i.e copy Nike’s shoe and tweak it within regulation guidelines and then slap their logo on it

[@sugardaddy9176]

Nike-successfully makes a amazing shoe Authorities-nah!!!

[@paudyo]

Ryan D'cruz *finally make a successfully. Previous shoes were all pretty inferior.

[@campkira]

well competion had rule otherwise F1 everyd year would had team that just keep win due to advance tech....

[@ethancushing3398]

Paudy O Malley dawg the pegasus line had been a classic and don’t forget nike track and cross country spikes are some of the best

[@paudyo]

Ethan Cushing specifically road running shoes, take the next %’s out of the equation & many people wouldn’t pick Nike. That’s just me, I wear VaporFly’s having left Asic’s and they are the business! Having tried Nike’s in the past, they never had the comfort the %’s have. 🤝

[@humanbass]

Funny, since I was a kid I remember shoes companies bragging about their designs increasing performance. So now that a shoe finally does that, they kinda admit they were lying all those decades.

[@jonesbbq307]

Why do they want to ban them? It’s not like the shoe output more energy than inputed. And it’s not like racers can’t just buy themselves vaporfly too.

[@meanmachine4392]

Colson Xu Almost all runners at the world level are sponsored by a brand. They have to wear the shoes of their sponsor, making Nike athletes have an advantage because Nike can give their athletes the Vaporfly

[@jonesbbq307]

MeanMachine4 I see. That’s a good point.

[@jonesbbq307]

MeanMachine4 Then I see this as a good thing then. Other manufacturers should step up their game.

[@mrmeeseeks123]

this is the best nike advertisement and WSJ is excellent at not letting the audience know their intention

[@mikejonp]

Technology has always played a role in sports. Standards are set, someone innovates around it, sets new standard and the cycle goes on and on.

[@mnlvill]

It’s not the brand faults, Olympic commission should’ve have done their research!

[@Carlomagnus333]

I understand shoes have to be regulated for elite runners. But for those of us who run local 5ks, just give us the fast shoes. Even the AlphaFly has been modified for the general public, and it's not the same as when Kipchoge broke 2.

[@RB-xv4si]

As a former elite amateur bike racer, it makes me laugh when I see people complain about a $250 piece of equipment that makes you a little faster.

[@aliamarieruns]

I'm glad Nike created these. It pushed Saucony and Asics to completely blow Nike out of the water with their carbon plate shoes. While Kipchoge currently holds the marathon record in the Alphaflys, I am absolutely certain that he would blow that record out of the water if he were to run in a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro 3's.

[@maxtheflashk]

Nike to all and other marathon shoe companies: "Just do it" ✔️ Hahaha 😂😂

[@pkpk5307]

"2020, Olympic year" running away from Corona virus

[@eliseerickson5994]

The marathon trials were run right outside my apartment today and almost all the top runners were wearing Nikes

[@Martha-fluterunner]

Not in the case of the women.

[@allesiosnens8152]

Best ad ever

[@CreatingCreations]

Seriously ridiculous! Nike makes a better shoe and competitors get mad. Lol

[@orlandobrown8190]

I know a lot of people joke about how all clothes are the same and you're just paying for the brand name but this just proves otherwise. This is what competition breeds, technological advancements. Nike deserves to be #1.

[@quinnrafferty4635]

You’re not going to run a 2:10 marathon in the Vaporfly unless you can already run a 2:15. This conversation is irrelevant to most runners.

[@V59971]

One of the most comfortable shoes ever ,track or out of track

[@marcoherrera244]

Best Nike Ad Ever

[@bobmarley-gy5tj]

I love the free market, with competition like this that produces the absolute best products

[@chiplevan6622]

I've never golfed before. The best golf clubs in the world won't allow me to beat the greatest golfer in the world. There is still a level of skill needed. As for running... Still a level of athleticism needed no matter what shoe is being worn.

[@AlexMcDaniels]

So Nike has a better product, others brands must catch up. Banning Won't Solve the Problem

[@davelouis9081]

Nike be on another level

[@matteovasta2326]

Just chill and embrace some pure innovation

[@cbskwkdnslwhanznamdm2849]

No need for all these regulations. Look at ice hockey, it’s awesome

[@N0rt]

Hear me out: *Give every Olympian vapourflys*

[@Skinnypole_clara]

But not everyone's foot are the same, some may prefer other brands

[@AlexMcDaniels]

Finally someone with common sense

[@jamielancaster01]

Johnny Norton The problem is money from sponsors which are the shoe companies.

[@cy9987]

Bravo! Complete market monopoly achieved in one day

[@christianmesserschmidt5732]

Nike is offering free Alphas to every trials runner in Atlanta this weekend

[@zenith3031]

Equipment can improve performance but at the end of the day it all boils down to the athletes utilizing them. If the argument is about having different brands sponsoring athletes which forces them to use the shoes provided, then other brands should just keep up rather than getting butthurt over "game changing innovation". I could wear vaporfly kicks and still lose to seasoned athletes running barefoot.

[@ardi.wibowo]

Do these runners tied by brand contracts? If so, i could understand the complaints.

[@Supra_Mare_Cultro_Bloke]

Nike sponsor WSJ to keep reporting

[@brianlaibl]

WSJ didn’t discovered the story in justice. The controversy was about nike provided their lab grade elite shoes alphafly to their sponsered runners and break records of Marathon. Then, other brands runners or ppl who run open race said its not for them to get one pairs. Finally rules changed and keep nike providing commerical product with regulations being said in video. But the fact is runners still prefer nike vapourfly as their racing shoes. For elite who ran for others brand, they got sponsership for wearing a slower one. It’s fair game. same controversy of swimming suit...in 2009 i guess

[@kicapanmanis1060]

5:03 If someone made running shoes that make it easier and more efficient to actually run, then that can only be considered a good thing. Maybe these "other company" athletes should not be using these other products then, since they are being PAID to be ADVOCATING them without the actual preceived performance advantages. Maybe they should be advocating the products that are actually the best. Any performance advantages in one company design will be temporary anyways.

[@HockeyKCA]

People need to get with the times, be proactive and stay ahead of the game.

[@Nick-xc4fy]

They're making out like Nike did something wrong. To the other brands I'd say, instead of bitching about it conserve your energy and do something about it. Don't just copy Nike, but innovate. It's not Nike's fault they created a really great running shoe, it's literally their job.

[@persephone2706]

As someone who runs in their spare time for excercise, I'd really love to own a pair. It would help my knees a lot. But they're around $250 for the Vaporfly and double that or more for the Alphafly. I really wish I could try this technology out myself.

[@martinpattison8916]

I was thinking of buying some, but it will be for races only. Most racing shoes only last about 200 miles so I am not going to train in something that lasts half as long and costs twice as much.

[@talinrowe1147]

This is an example of Nike out innovating other companies. If athletes who are not free to purchase Vaporflys themselves due to contract obligations want to stay competitive, then they should ask those sponsorships to provide competitive shoes. Other companies need to innovate or lose that market space to Nike.

[@aarondavidson907]

The plate isn’t actually where the main benefit is happening. The foam is where the magic is, and the geometry of the shoe is just as crucial. And every company had the same chance. Nike spent tons of time and money creating these shoes and other companies were free to start doing the same thing and studying the same data at any time. They just didn’t.

[@idiom8461]

I like how the Wall Street journal made this video about the wrong shoe controversy isn’t around the vapor fly it’s about the alpha fly and the records were broken using the alpha flys not the vapor flys

[@KK-fh1ds]

Wall Street journal throwing marketing at us. And i even watched the whole thing. 😂😂😂😂

[@iinarrab19]

Shoes are controversial because they enable even a small competitive advantage to the wearer. Meanwhile, discriminating against trans-athletes is a no-no

[@PawelNiksa]

I believe that we should go back to the basics. The competition is about the performance of the human body against another human body. Instead of adding more technology to support the weaker body, we should be strictly controlling any extra added materials. In my mind all athletes should run barefoot (or in barefoot shoes), so only their feet' muscle and tendons are decisive factors of who has better adaptation for running. Wearing springy shoes is almost like running on the treadmill - it bounces you off the ground and gives you an unfair advantage - what's the point of that kind of competition?

[@tedpiano]

Yeah but maybe most normal people don't want you to slow them down by regulating their shoes - They just want to go as fast and far as shoe technology allows. This is an elite problem; it's an interesting one for us plebs to observe, but it's not a normal people problem. Like I'd happily buy one of those banned 2008 full-body sharkskin speedo suits in 2020 just for the fun of swimming faster. I'm a normal person, so I don't have to care about anything more than that: It's Nathan Adrian and Ryan Lochte's problem, not mine.

[@f.p.5410]

Well, you're not banned from purchasing that. You just can't compete using banned tech.

[@hamzaamer5873]

The same thing happens in swimming(my sport). a new swimsuit called sharkskin was released, just to simplify us swimmer have something called technical suits, which are specifically designed to help u race fast... Really fast. Sharkskin in and a few other went too overboard and we're soon banned in I think 2 or 4 years and by that time 140 world records were broken

[@joenolasco3231]

Since the 70’s Nike has been the only shoe company that has made it a point to be the tip of the spear in research and development of running shoe. They do not rest on their laurels they retire more good shoes to make the brand better. All the other shoe companies got caught flat footed and now they are all crying. Nike owns the lion share of the running shoe market and that will never change good or bad. The carbon plate is the real reason for the success of Nike’s new shoes and again they beat everyone to the punch.

[@JaydonTobler]

I’ll never understand why, for years, competing brands didn’t make their own competing shoes. I suppose it’s easier for them to just complain to try and get Nike banned rather than spend the R&D money, but that’s the exact reason I’m not sympathetic.

[@lorenzo.t.674]

The innovation allows for an unprecedented level of energy transfer. The problem is that it will likely be more beneficial to those that lose lots of energy in their stride, making performances unbalanced. If the best runner could still place first if they, and all of their competitors, were running with the shoe, then that’d be largely fine. However, if the 3rd best guy suddenly rises up the ranks because their main shortcoming is their energy transfer, then you have unequal and unfair results.

[@AnotherDustSpec]

whats the verdict.is it getting banned in olympic or not

[@KoshyGeorge]

The Olympics are going to be cancelled anyway because of the coronavirus fears.

[@paudyo]

You still have to have the fitness, endurance & time dedicated to completing a long distance race. Shoes are one thing yes but all the best athletes have the best gear in any discipline.

[@michaelstevenson181]

Paudy O Malley well said

[@josephpickard3108]

If they made the Vaporfly as durable as their other shoes, it's over for everyone else. Never worn a running shoe like it before.

[@Better_Call_Bulba-Saur]

It's not a weapon... it's a high tech prosthesis.

[@99nypd75]

a majority of japanese people opposed the Tokyo olympics given humid and scorching summer temperatures, already-densely-packed areas, and extremely high costs to host the olympics. now the virus has been threatening the olympics, actually people are happy to see the olympics flat-out cancelled!

[@rgurung351]

As a member of public what I took from this controversy is that Nike makes insanely good shoes and I should probably buy one. I think this controversy is free publicity for Nike, the executives must be having a good laugh over this.

[@hsvr]

Great way to stifle innovation

[@klipklapklop3359]

Go to a Nike store and try out the Vaporfly it feels insane

[@thewholehealthlab]

The new regulations seem arbitrary and fear-driven to me. Manufacturers have always been trying to put out new innovations in running shoes, it's just that Nike blew everyone out of the water with this one. Either be consistent and have everyone wear the same shoes OR allow brands to compete to make better technology that can beat Vaporfly. But this middle-of-the-road solution is a cop-out

[@jestinedoor515]

This shows how technologically advanced Nike is. If they could pull of a shoe that caused soo much controversy and Commotio so much so that other sports companies are racing to get to that level. I would say well done Nike. I would be biased.

[@edwardfoy3968]

You can't really put any blame on the nike sponsorship since its the athletes choice to get paid for the representation. It's not like nike are trying to convince the athletes to accept any unfair shoe features sice it's ultimately their decision to wear the nike brand.

[@skylineXpert]

As an athlete you want to use the best gear. But in the end its training training and proper restitution. The shoe only does half the work.

[@baehno4052]

What I don’t understand is why their are restrictions on shoes in the first place. Unless the shoe has a spring or something else that that enhances an athletes performance beyond their training and natural talent; and the shoe being available to the public. Why does it matter? It’s a shoe...

[@f.p.5410]

Because technically every shoe is a spring. The question isn't whether the shoe has a spring or not (they all have) but how much of a spring is allowed.

[@MichaelLoweAttorney]

The top two women finishers in Atalanta were not wearing Nike. Only woman in top 3 was Kipyego wearing AlphaFly. She was far behind the others.

[@oliverreed8594]

Nike is to the IAAF what Ferrari is to Formula 1 and the FIA. Abolishing their influence over the governing body will definitely have some positive impacts for the other brands and probably the sport as a whole. But taking those first few steps aren’t going to be easy.

[@oliverreed8594]

Also to be fair to these other brands, if they were aware of this issue 2 to 3 years ago, they should’ve had a shoe designed in response to the Vapor fly, not bank on Nike’s model being banned. That’s entirely up to them to match their competitor.

[@georgebulbakwa9017]

Running those in entry level, as the end suggests, is not a good idea. The elite's who need every advantage they can get to compete need them but if single digit percents don't do any meaningful difference to your time, don't shell out for the outrageous prices of top end gear. Too many people thinking it's the gear instead of the work that gets them to the goal then getting disillusioned by their results. Gear helps but not drastically. I've run full marathons bleeding from my inferior gear and it was in the single digits percent of a decrease in performance to my preferred gear. Marketing makes you think gear is a massive advantage but it isn't. It is tiny and the training is what gets you there. If you aren't competing for single digit percentile changes in your performance, top end gear is a waste.

[@russelramos8688]

then why do they all use vaporfly? the only debate here is that the other brands cannot counter the product yet, they have limited time before the olympics.

[@AGC828]

A tough race for the other companies. SInce Nike already has the top runners sponsored. Not only do the other companies need to have comparable shoe TECH they have to some how get the right runners to wear their shoes. Maybe get some of the top elite runners to jump ship when possible (I'm not sure how long Nike has their runners locked in to a deal). There's also all the biased press on KZbin from reviewers.. If most KZbinrs with popular shoe review channels are talking about Nike race shoes more....or talking about Eliud Kipchoge/Nike runner....that makes it even harder for the toher comanies to gain market share. Asics has good race shoes in the Metaspeed Sky and Edge. But are any of the top runners running in these shoes? Are they being sponsored by Asics? New runners coming up in the ranks...non-elites....wanting to be....will logically reach for a pair of Vaporfly 2's or Aslphafly's. They are the IT shoes. And were the shoes Eliud Kipchoge wore to get his record times. If Nike has EK....the other companies would need to know when EK's contract is almot jup with Nike and be standing by his door in Kenya to get him to sign with them...then they have hope.

[@DonLee1980]

Anyone can wear the Nike shoes to compete... so it's completely fair. it's just the athletes who signed with other brands that are butthurt that they used to be able to say "oh my sponsor brand shoes are the best, and allow me to achieve my goals". Now simply isn't true, and they know that. Every shoe company tells you to wear the best running shoes for your own sake, then charge you a lot for them. Now they complain someone has made a shoe too good? So much for ignorant haters saying all Nike shoes are made in labor exploting sweat shops and stuff. I didn't know sweat shops produce carbon fibre.

[@1SuperD1]

This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Companies are mad because their shoes are not as good as Nike. Whose fault is that. This is so ironic because most runners I’ve met have criticized Nike saying they have the worst running shoes. I bet they aren’t saying that anymore lol.

[@adachan7589]

1SuperD1 i have always thought that Nike makes the best running shoes! Maybe I just haven’t tried all the options out there. But Nike is real good!

[@DragonDoFogo]

Brands: We are all about innovation Nike: *innovates* Brands: That's too much innovation, it's not fair!

[@DragonDoFogo]

It reminds me of Atlas Shrugged of all things, lol.

[@muzzmilk2606]

Nike has always put athletes ahead of fashion designers. That is why Adidas is light years behind as they have been too focused on musical artists and not athletes

[@4p4k]

They got the best marathon runner to run the fastest marathon in these shoes, that’s why people are so hyped about it and think it’s the greatest thing ever. He could have run with an Adidas and produced the same result, people would have been hyped about that. It’s the runner that’s driving the hype not the shoe technology!