Nope.
I sure hope they do. If not, then every athlete needs to wear them.
The shoe wars will cast a shadow over the first sub 2 marathon, and it will be a real shame. Only Nike would be so pompous about the controversy as to limit the colors to bright volt(green) and pink.
The article says that, if true, they will set the stack height limit to 36 mm, so as not to render the 4% and the Next% illegal, so that the WR books don’t need to be rewritten. So, it seems that other brands can move ahead with their Next% knockoffs, and runners can keep bouncing along the roads. Boing boing!
LoneStarXC wrote:
The article says that, if true, they will set the stack height limit to 36 mm, so as not to render the 4% and the Next% illegal, so that the WR books don’t need to be rewritten. So, it seems that other brands can move ahead with their Next% knockoffs, and runners can keep bouncing along the roads. Boing boing!
One of the issues I see here is that the Alphafly is set to be on the market by Spring. That means it's either in production or near production. Nike might be able to release it before a ban takes place, further complicating things.
Since Nike has a lot of sway in global athletics, I'd say that a ban may come, but not exclude the Alphafly or it's stack height.
Absolutely no
The 36mm is so irrelevant. I work in product. We'll just innovate below that threshold. Completely arbitrary.
They'll ban Chuck Taylors first... lol
If the height is arbitrary, then why the higher stack height?
LoneStarXC wrote:
The article says that, if true, they will set the stack height limit to 36 mm, so as not to render the 4% and the Next% illegal, so that the WR books don’t need to be rewritten. So, it seems that other brands can move ahead with their Next% knockoffs, and runners can keep bouncing along the roads. Boing boing!
They will not erase any records regardless. The shoes were legal when used for the records.
The problem with the Alphafly is the ugly visible teeth. That is a crime against fashion.
Stack height was solely based on geometry of the shoe. That can be adjusted, as it did from 4% to Next% to AlphaFly, etc., etc., etc..
The ban, if approved, will limit the thickness of the midsole. There's nothing about banning particular shoe models. Banning a particular model would be pointless since other shoe companies would just come out with their own version of the Alphafly. Limiting the midsole thickness would apply to all shoe models.
This is as dumb as when swimming banned the LZR, half the sport is about trying to cover a distance faster than anyone before. I hate when people talk about championships. With Worlds and Olympics you basically have a new champion every year that they blend together, do I remember who won the 1500 in 2015, no? Do I know El G has been the WR hold for the last 20 years? Yes.
Les wrote:
The ban, if approved, will limit the thickness of the midsole. There's nothing about banning particular shoe models. Banning a particular model would be pointless since other shoe companies would just come out with their own version of the Alphafly. Limiting the midsole thickness would apply to all shoe models.
If they limit the midsole thickness to 36mm then that would effectively be a ban of the Alphafly
PIK wrote:
If the height is arbitrary, then why the higher stack height?
The entire concept is arbitrary. The only reasoning involved is whether the public is ready once again to bite on the fantasy that running fast is about bouncing up and down off your heels, and that a shoe can make you bounce better. This has been going on for decades.
All that has really happened is the distance road racers have gotten faster over the years, as they naturally do, so the gimmicks their sponsors happen to have been pushing seem like they're working.
My guess is that Nike is begging and pleading and maybe bribing World Athletics to ban the Alphafly.
Think about it. The new midsole is even more complicated than the Vaporfly, so the manufacturing is going to be complicated and expensive. They'll have to sell at some unholy price point like $400 if they come to market. A lot of serious runners are already sold on the Vaporfly and unlikely to be in the mood to buy even more expensive shoes right now, especially with any advantage over the Next% being theoretical. The Vaporflys are already earning Nike money and notoriety.
With a ban on stack heights above 36mm, Nike can:
- Win notoriety for having a shoe so fast that they had to be banned
- Avoid setting up production and distribution
- Avoid competing with its own existing models
- Stifle competition and innovation at a moment when it's at the top of the heap
- Continue to cram all kinds of stuff into 36mm of midsole
- Screw over Hoka (the Bondi would need a redesign to be legal) and possibly some of its competitor's prototypes
wud luv for it to happen but aint nike too big of a company for it to happen???
LLOWL wrote:
The 36mm is so irrelevant. I work in product. We'll just innovate below that threshold. Completely arbitrary.
“I work in product” selling shoes at footlocker doesn’t count. If you really did work in footwear innovation or product development you would understand that the thickness increase is not irrelevant. 36mm is still crazy thick. Kimetto (the last legit WR) was run in shoes that had 10mm midsole thickness and total 14mm if you include insole and outsole.
Stack height doesnt mean crap.
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
2024 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion
adizero Road to Records with Yomif Kejelcha, Agnes Ngetich, Hobbs Kessler & many more is Saturday