© Copyright – 2020 – Athletics Illustrated
A few changes to footwear rules have been approved by World Athletics to limit the use of the controversial Nike Vaporfly shoes.
World Athletics approved the motion that any shoe that is not available to all athletes is prohibited. If available in the retail market they will be available for competition.
Perhaps this is a compromise to the more popular feeling that there should be an outright ban, rather than the world’s most elite having exclusive access. Perhaps all athletes may have access to the Alphaflys.
The Alphafly is now currently banned under the new rules. This is the shoe that Eliud Kipchoge has used to run 2:01:39 in Berlin as well as 1:59:40 during the October time trial that he ran in Vienna under great fanfare.
A review of the shoes found that “new technology in the soles of road shoes and spikes may provide a performance advantage and there is sufficient evidence to raise concerns that the integrity of the sport might be threatened by recent developments in shoe technology”.
A committee that includes biomechanical specialists and other professionals, will continue to research the advances which is going into the carbon-plated and similar shoes.
The changes come on the heels of a rapid increase in performance over a range of long distance races especially the half-marathon and marathon events.