When Sabastian Sawe tore through the streets of London on April 26, 2026 and became the first man in history to run a marathon in under two hours, he instantly entered the pantheon of distance-running greats.
Yet almost immediately, debate followed.
How much of Sawe’s historic performance came down to talent, training, discipline, and mental toughness — and how much was driven by the supershoe on his feet?
Sawe’s coach said the Kenyan logged as much as 241 kilometres during peak training blocks. Years of sacrifice and preparation had led to the breakthrough.
But the carbon-plated shoe he wore became a central talking point, at times overshadowing the athlete himself.
That tension captures a growing debate in modern athletics. Advances in shoe technology have transformed long-distance running, but they have also raised difficult questions about fairness, performance, and the limits of innovation.
In today’s marathon races, critics argue it is becoming harder to tell whether victory belongs to the strongest runner or to the athlete with the most advanced equipment.
“That’s why the debate has become so heated,” athletics analyst Martin Keino told TRT Afrika.
“The conversation has shifted from asking, ‘Who is the best athlete?’ to asking, ‘Who has the best combination of athlete, foam, geometry and carbon technology?”
The debate accelerated in 2016 when Nike introduced the Vaporfly, a shoe that dramatically improved running efficiency.
It marked the beginning of the “supershoe” era: footwear built with lightweight, energy-returning foam and carbon-fibre plates designed to propel runners forward.
Since then, nearly every major sportswear brand has developed its own version. Similar technology has also transformed track spikes, now commonly referred to as “superspikes.”
The results have been extraordinary. According to World Athletics, athletes wearing advanced footwear technology have broken every road and outdoor track world record from 5,000 metres to the marathon since 2020 — an unprecedented concentration of record-breaking performances.
Engineered for Speed
Modern supershoes are carefully engineered to improve what scientists call “running economy” — the amount of energy required to maintain a given pace.
Most combine three core elements; carbon-fibre plates that help propel the foot forward, specialised foam that compresses and rebounds efficiently and a curved rocker shape that smooths stride transition.
The foams are considered the most important component. They absorb impact while returning energy with every foot strike, reducing fatigue over long distances.
Some models also incorporate air pods or similar cushioning systems for additional bounce.
But soft foam alone would make shoes unstable. To counter this, manufacturers sandwich rigid carbon-fibre plates or rods between layers of foam, creating a balance between cushioning and propulsion.
The result is footwear that is not only highly responsive but also exceptionally light. Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, released in 2023, weighs less than 140 grams in some sizes.
Scientists say lighter shoes reduce the energy cost of each stride because weight carried at the foot requires disproportionately more effort to move than weight carried closer to the body’s centre of gravity.
Research has also shown that stiff carbon elements can reduce muscular strain in the feet and calves, further improving efficiency.
For many athletes, the benefits extend beyond the clock. Supershoes can also reduce impact stress on the body and speed up recovery between hard training sessions.
The Rise of “Illegal” Shoes
As the technology evolved, so did concerns about regulation.
“The shoe technology has evolved so much so that now there are ‘illegal’ shoes”, Keino quips, adding, “because of how good they are,” Keino quips.
