Highsnobiety

The World Athletics commission will not be imposing a ban on Nike’s record-breaking running shoe, the Vaporfly Next%The Guardian reports that the sports governing body is instead expected to announce a temporary halt to all new shoe technology ahead of the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Nike's premiere running shoe sparked controversy last year for being "too good", following complaints by non-Nike-sponsored athletes who claim the shoes gave Nike athletes an unfair advantage in competitions. Last year Brigid Kosgei and Eliud Kipchoge both historically broke separate marathon records wearing the shoe, although Kipchoge's attempt was not under official conditions as he used a group of rotating pacemakers.

World Athletics' official decision will be announced Friday, but for now it seems the Vaporfly has escaped a blanket ban. There will, however, be "a temporary suspension of any fresh shoe technology" until after the Tokyo Olympics. According to The Guardian, the commission will launch a deep dive into examining the model and plans on introducing a tighter set of regulations for new shoes in the future.

Currently World Athletics' rules say running shoes can’t confer any "unfair assistance or advantage" and have to be "reasonably available" to everyone. Studies have shown that the Vaporfly increase athletes' energetic efficiency by 4% or more. However, the shoes don’t fall within regulations because they are not “available to all.” According to Business Insider, World Athletics is reviewing the wording of the rule.

We Recommend
  • 10 of Our Favorite Gum Sole Sneakers to Shop Right Now
    • Selects
  • The Most Iconic Outdoor Basketball Courts Around the World
    • Culture
  • Basketball, Business, and Billions: Inside LeBron James' Net Worth
    • Culture
  • China's First Jordan Store Gets the Good (Luxe) Stuff
    • Sneakers
  • The Best Sneaker Brands to Turn to When in Doubt — a Complete List
    • Sneakers
What To Read Next
  • Thom Browne's First Time in Milan Was a World-Class Snooze (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Style
  • New Balance's Most Classic Shoe Quietly Became a Rugged Trail Sneaker
    • Sneakers
  • XL EXTRALIGHT® Takes Us Behind The Scenes
    • Design
    • sponsored
  • The Tables in Our Milan Design Pop-Up Are Literally Unstable
    • Design
  • No Comment, Only Justin Bieber's Insane Double Sweatpants Outfit
    • Style
  • EX NIHILO's Perfume-Customizing Robot Will Make You Fragrance in a Flash
    • Beauty
*If you submitted your e-mail address and placed an order, we may use your e-mail address to inform you regularly about similar products without prior explicit consent. You can object to the use of your e-mail address for this purpose at any time without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic tariffs. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. Alternatively, you can object to receiving the newsletter at any time by sending an e-mail to info@highsnobiety.com

Web Accessibility Statement

Titel Media GmbH (Highsnobiety), is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its Website, www.highsnobiety.com. Titel Media GmbH strives to ensure that its Website services and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology. To accomplish this, Titel Media GmbH tests, remediates and maintains the Website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also bring the Website into conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the Website as accessible as possible some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.

Contact Us

If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage on this Website, please contact us at accessibility@highsnobiety.com, +49 (0)30 235 908 500. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the web page and nature of the issue in your email and/or phone call, and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or the information contained therein accessible for you.