![]() The unusual, tapered heel of the Vaporfly Elite is intended to reduce drag. The curvature at the forefoot is to reduce any undue workload on the calf, which would cause fatigue over long distances. That sweeping configuration is designed to increase stiffness much like a track spike does, directing power over the big toe to reduce energy loss at push-off. The forefoot of the plate is curved, while the midfoot and heel slant upward and taper-imagine the footbed in a woman’s high heel shoe, to get an idea of its shape. Sandwiched between two layers of the foam is an extremely stiff carbon-fiber plate that runs the length of the shoe. What Nike’s Breaking2 Team Learned in Africa.Nike’s Sub-2-Hour Marathon Attempt Will Be Run on Formula One Oval.(For comparison, the Structure weighs 10.7 ounces.) Yet the Vaporfly Elite is expected to weigh somewhere around 6.5 ounces-the shoe is still being tweaked so an exact figure isn’t available. For comparison, the Zoom Structure 20, a soft, stable, everyday trainer, is just 2mm thicker in both locations. The stack heights (a measure of all materials that separate your foot from the road) for the Vaporfly Elite are expected to be 31 millimeters in the heel and 21mm in the forefoot. This is also how Nike has said it tested ZoomX to arrive at its 85 percent energy return measurement.īecause of the foam’s light weight, Nike is able to use more of it, too. Our measurements come from an impact test of a full sole unit, which includes rubber outsoles and layers of glue. In tests of running-shoe cushioning systems at the Runner’s World Shoe Lab, we typically see “energy return” (the percentage of energy input that is recovered the rest is generally lost as heat) in the 40 to 60 percent range, with Adidas’s Boost topping the charts near 70 percent. What that means is the shoe will feel bouncier and reduce the energy lost with each foot strike. It also delivers 13 percent more energy return-Nike reports ZoomX returns 85 percent. Nike says this new foam weighs roughly one-third as much as Cushlon-the midsole material you’ll find in the Pegasus-yet delivers more cushioning than that shoe. Pebax has a lower density than some thermoplastic alternatives (thus, it’s lighter), but is also flexible, resists impact, and returns energy. For example, Mizuno has used it in a Wave plate, and The North Face uses it for cradles to hold the heel in place. The company won’t go into details about the material, but Geng Luo, senior researcher at the Nike Sport Research Lab, tells us the “magic is in the processing of the foam to deliver this performance.” Previously we’ve seen Pebax used in running shoes more for plastic bridges and other molded parts. Rather than standard conventional midsole materials, the foam is made from Pebax, according to Nike. The Vaporfly Elite has a thick slab of lightweight cushioning to help protect the runners’ legs from the pounding of 26.2 miles on pavement, but it’s still resilient on push-off. In the past, you could choose either soft cushioning or responsiveness. Each features totally unconventional sculpting and radical design, and is built to the individual runner’s preferences, fit, and biomechanics.Ī key to the shoe’s performance is a new lightweight foam called ZoomX. Those shoes are Frankenstein-looking prototypes being built only for the sub-two effort. Unless your name is Kipchoge, Desisa, or Tadese, forget about getting your feet in a pair of the Vaporfly Elite. ZOOM VAPORFLY ELITEĪ new, light foam allows the Vaporfly Elite to have thick cushioning underfoot without adding extra weight. Here’s a look at what goes into each shoe. ![]() The Vaporfly Elite and Vaporfly 4% each get a carbon-fiber plate the Zoom Fly's plate is made of a less stiff carbon-fiber nylon. ![]() They'll do that with innovative new lightweight foams and with plates. (Both are expected to be available June 8.)Īll three shoes have an emphasis on reducing weight, maximizing aerodynamics, delivering extremely soft cushioning, and offering a responsive toe-off suited for running fast. The technology used in those exclusive pairs will trickle down to customers in the form of the other two shoes-the Zoom Vaporfly 4% and the Zoom Fly. Today, Nike unboxed a trio of shoes coming directly from research for its Breaking2 project, the company’s effort to train and equip three of the world’s top distance runners- Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, and Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea-to break the barrier.Įach will wear his own customized version of a new racing shoe, the Zoom Vaporfly Elite, in their attempts at the mark. What’s it going to take for the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours? Athletic apparel giant Nike is betting that, in addition to optimally trained athletes and ideal conditions, it will require finely tuned footwear with innovative new technologies unlike anything we’ve seen to date.
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