© Copyright – 2026 – Athletics Illustrated
Athletics fans may notice an increasing trend of athletes kissing their shoes after racing to a win, record or personal best performance. They are kissing their shoes for good reason. They help athletes run faster.
The World Athletics rule has undergone significant changes since 2020, and these changes have not been fully appreciated by many, as World Athletics has shifted away from the original “widely available to the public” language.
The original rule (2020), which emerged when the Nike Vaporfly controversy erupted, was the introduction of the famous retail availability requirement by World Athletics. The rule stated that a shoe had to be available on the open retail market, available to any athlete and available for at least four months before it could be used in competitions.
The purpose was obvious, and that was to prevent a shoe company from giving only a handful of sponsored athletes an unreleased performance advantage. There was an amendment to the language that same year.
Then World Athletics quietly made what, in hindsight, was a major philosophical shift. The organization created the category of “Development Shoes.”
Manufacturers could submit prototype shoes to World Athletics for approval before retail release. If approved, sponsored athletes could wear them in most World Ranking competitions. The shoes still had to comply with technical specifications (stack height, plate, etc.), meanwhile, they no longer needed to satisfy the four-month retail rule.
Initially there were important restrictions: not permitted at the Olympic Games and not permitted at World Athletics Series events.
The idea was that companies could test prototypes in real competition.
What the current regulations say (effective 20 April 2026). The newest Athletic Shoe Regulations continue the approach that
shoes comply with the technical specifications, have an identifiable model number, and appear on the approved shoe list.
The regulations no longer rely on a blanket requirement that every competition shoe be widely available to the general public before use. Instead, there is a formal approval pathway for development shoes.
Today, approval by World Athletics—not retail availability—is the key requirement for many competitions.
World Athletics still distinguishes between ordinary World Ranking competitions and its own championship events.
Its Shoe Check application specifically identifies whether a shoe is a Development Shoe and notes any restrictions. As of the latest guidance, development shoes are flagged because they cannot be worn at World Athletics Series events or the Olympic Games unless they meet the applicable approval status.
As there has not been much public discussion since then, and many journalists and fans still assume the original “must be available to everyone” rule remains in force. It does not.
How many major performances over the last two years have been achieved in Development Shoes that ordinary runners could not yet purchase? We do not know at this time.
Kenyan Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 during the 2026 London Marathon. He became the first person in history to break the two-hour barrier in an official, record-eligible race. The latest, quiet rule change, happened just six days before Sawe’s record run in London.
Over the weekend, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr broke the 27-year-old mile record (1609m) that was held by Moroccan Hicham El Gerrouj with his 3:42.66 performance in London. Yes, Kerr wore a shoe not yet available to the general public by Brooks.
