Shoes in London. What were they wearing?

Nike Zoom Streak 6's. Don't get released to the public till June though.

What shoe did he use in Berlin? I wonder if the shoe falling apart cost him a full minute or more? This marathon seems to indicate that.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/how-on-earth-does-an-elite-marathoners-insole-fall-out

Same shoe, they just made sure that the adhesive held the insoles in place this time. The Streak 6 will be available to the public on June 1st.

nikeman wrote:

Same shoe, they just made sure that the adhesive held the insoles in place this time. The Streak 6 will be available to the public on June 1st.

Thanks! It looks like a great shoe. I might have to try it.

When do the new zoom victory elite 2's come out? Is there also Matumbo 3's and Vic 3's?

Is June 1st the US release date? Anyone know the UK date? Pretty hard to find anything about it online!

New spikes won't come out till after the olympics. Probably in the fall sometime before indoor season.

The streak 6's have been found on a few places online already but sold out. There is a pair currently on ebay.

nikeman wrote:

Same shoe, they just made sure that the adhesive held the insoles in place this time. The Streak 6 will be available to the public on June 1st.

I would avoid - if they can't get it right for the best marathon runners in the world what chance do we have

I have never understood why Nike and Adidas continue to make their top racing shoes with 6-8mm drop. Not conducive to smooth fast running, especially if you're a forefoot striker. If they would make a version of the shoes with 2mm drop or less I would buy.

If you're a forefoot striker and your heel never hits the ground, does it matter what the heel to toe drop is as you'll only notice it when you're standing still?

dc wonk wrote:

I have never understood why Nike and Adidas continue to make their top racing shoes with 6-8mm drop. Not conducive to smooth fast running, especially if you're a forefoot striker. If they would make a version of the shoes with 2mm drop or less I would buy.

You´ve read "Born to run" too much. If it had been better for Kipchoge and the others to run with 2 mm drop, they would have run in custom made shoes.

Nobody runs a marathon without touching the ground with their heels, even if you are a "forefoot striker". The drop protects the calf muscles.

Just because something is "natural" doesn´t mean that it´s better.

Re Nope,

I said nothing about "natural" running or any of the other stuff you mentioned. I don't care what other people wrote about it. No elite marathoner needs the volume of heel cushioning that Nike puts on these shoes, unless they are heel strikers, which would be rare. If running a hilly course, the the extra heel might help in the latter miles of a race like Boston if you were tired and losing form.

I don't think the elites would have any "calf" issues if they wore low drop shoes. Many would probably not even notice the change. Nike could improve the shoes with more forefoot cushioning and less heel.

dc wonk wrote:

Re Nope,

I said nothing about "natural" running or any of the other stuff you mentioned. I don't care what other people wrote about it. No elite marathoner needs the volume of heel cushioning that Nike puts on these shoes, unless they are heel strikers, which would be rare. If running a hilly course, the the extra heel might help in the latter miles of a race like Boston if you were tired and losing form.

I don't think the elites would have any "calf" issues if they wore low drop shoes. Many would probably not even notice the change. Nike could improve the shoes with more forefoot cushioning and less heel.

And yet here we are, in 2016, years after the minimalist craze took off then fizzled out, and the top athletes in the world are still running in "traditional" running shoes and racing flats. Why could that be?

Most of these top runners are midfoot strikers, but if you slow down the footage of their strides, you'll see that they strike with the midfoot, roll slightly back to the heel, then push off with the forefoot. It sounds counter-intuitive, but that's what's happening. A higher heel, like the other posters have pointed out, saves the calves during long runs and races.

If there is a performance advantage to be gained by wearing zero drop shoes, you'd better believe that all of the major shoe companies would be sending them to their elites. There is nothing to be gained by sending them "slower" shoes.

Saving their calves, seriously? If you run in low drop shoes the whole time you toughen up, just like heel-strikers quads do.

I should also like to point out that elite athletes don't dictate which kind of shoes are sold. They are probably just running in heels because that's what their used to and because it doesn't really matter. Heel offset is just one factor among many that changes gait. Flexibility, weight, cushioning and flares can all change how the foot strikes as well.

I believe I saw the Adios Boost 3 being used quite a bit.

Lets get this thread back on track for all the shoe nerds out there

Zoom Streak 6

http://niketalk.com/t/529470/nike-air-pegasus-all-new-models-30-31-32-and-up/450

elite athletes weak calves? wrote:

Saving their calves, seriously? If you run in low drop shoes the whole time you toughen up, just like heel-strikers quads do.

I should also like to point out that elite athletes don't dictate which kind of shoes are sold. They are probably just running in heels because that's what their used to and because it doesn't really matter. Heel offset is just one factor among many that changes gait. Flexibility, weight, cushioning and flares can all change how the foot strikes as well.

I believe I saw the Adios Boost 3 being used quite a bit.

They don´t dictate what shoes are "sold", but they choose what they are going to run in. If they would benefit from lower drop shoes, they would tell the shoe companies to make custom shoes for them (all field athletes have custom made shoes).

World class runners are not interested in "toughen up", they are more interested in staying injury free. That is just the silly argument that the minimalist crowd used. Why don´t they just run barefoot then, to "toughen up" their feet too?

nikeman wrote:

Same shoe, they just made sure that the adhesive held the insoles in place this time. The Streak 6 will be available to the public on June 1st.

Looking closely it doesn't appear Kipchoge has the same upper pattern is EK wearing the flats Galen, Cragg, and Flanagan wore at trials? If so what are they, specs, release? Also while we are on it do you have any idea about the Zoom Elite 9? I actually like the firm and curved last of the current 8 for everyday Thanks Nikeman!

Point was that calves can be just as robust as the quads. They may not be interested in toughening up, but some muscles they use already are.

I assume you mean the soles of ones feet? Not a muscle, no point in toughening up. Don't mistake me for some minimalist nut, but elites don't run in heels because there is less chance of injury or because it's faster, it's just what they do.

Kipchoge wore the Streak 6 in London, not the same shoes that Rupp and Cragg wore at the Trials. Those were prototypes, no idea on release date or what they're doing with those.