Non-Nike Athletes May Be F**ked - Nike WILL Release Alphaflys and they WILL BE LEGAL for 2020 Tokyo

ya. so what . step up yer game non Nike teams .

If your sponsor forces you to wear inferior shoes, that's your problem. The rules cannot force Hoka, Asics, etc to make comparable shoes for their own athletes. They can only ensure that the best shoes are available to all, which they are.

VaporBoi wrote:

Rojo we need another emergency podcast so you can rant! It's unbelievable that Nike can manage to adjust the shoes to be legal over the course of a week (assuming they weren't already legal) while the other brands are years behind at this point. You should really start blaming the other brands for being incompetent.

I agree. And to think I had to beg Jonathan Gault to let me even talk Vaporflys on the regular podcast that just went up. HE said to me, "What else could we possibly have to say that we didn't say on the emergency podcast."

I was like , "Plenty."

Then this story hit right after we recorded.

I feel like this story is just getting started. What I didn't say today on the pod but would have liked tol was that when I talked to Geoff Burns last week, I was shocked about how he was far from convinced Kipchoge would be way better than everyone else without the shoes. I couldn't believe how negative he was about Kipchoge. Basically would Adola have beaten him? And others?

The old saying is, if you can’t beat them, then join them. Just look at Kevin Durant!

JustRunBaby wrote:

If your sponsor forces you to wear inferior shoes, that's your problem. The rules cannot force Hoka, Asics, etc to make comparable shoes for their own athletes. They can only ensure that the best shoes are available to all, which they are.

Wrong. The rules can do whatever they hell they want. Whatever you write is the rule.

And the rule said you can't have unfair assistance or advantage. I'd argue a 4% gain in running economy is an unfair assistance. Others might disagree.

track degen wrote:

I don't see how anyone could think that one shoe sponsor having a material performance advantage over all other competitors' athletes is good for the sport.

This is also applicable to those saying that any runner can run in the Nike shoes.

WHAT! Nike has added an Air Bag to their shoes? Unthinkable! What will happen next, Asics adding some kind of GEL capsule? This can only end in the utter ruination of the pure sportingness of our beloved sport!

My hell... Shoes in the 2020s are the equivalent to hair in the 80s. Uglier than Trump's face at climax.

As I said earlier, you can go over 40mm for the stack height. It's in the rules!

The rules say 40mm is the limit for a size 42 (US men's 9) and that they can increase "marginally" as the shoe scales to larger sizes. In another article today discussing the new shoes, a Nike VP is quoted as saying the Alphafly is 39.5mm (for size 9) but that since Kipchoge wears a size 10.5, his legal shoes are 45mm.

And this is not the start of pros having to live with inferior shoes or equipment. You think Skechers makes trainers or spikes that are better then everyone else's? Only a single company can make the best shoe for an event. Everyone not wearing that shoe is at a disadvantage. Same with the bobsleds in the winter olympics or guys wearing some crazy brand of shoes you never heard of in the NBA because they backed up the money truck.

You don't have to wear to the same shoes as everyone else for it to be fair and a level playing field. And WA has made sure that athletes have the opportunity to wear the best shoes available.

No longer will the Olympics be the ultimate battleground of new technology in custom prototypes for a handful of selected athletes. That's a great thing for the athletes and runners everywhere. Sucks for the shoe companies who now can't test any prototypes in competition and have to make their shoes available to anyone who wants to buy them.

No one is forcing anyone to wear inferior shoes - except for the inferior shoe company contracts. But hey, they are paying you to wear their inferior products. If you want to have the best, then get an apparel only deal or other sponsor or get your contract reworked. One of the worst things about track & field is that the shoe companies are almost the only athlete sponsors. Be like LoLo Jones or the Ingebrigtsen's and get sponsored by Red Bull. Hell, get RunGum to sponsor you. Get endorsement deals from sunglasses, autos, underwear, and water and health care companies. LeBron endorses over 12 different businesses. This is what it means to be a professional athlete. And if you don't like your sponsors products, maybe you shouldn't be hawking for them.

Jesus this site is full of petulant children. Just shut up and buy them, or move on. Nobody is sullying the good name of running as a sport you babies.

My question is about the Nike 2020 line. How will it look?

Air Zoom Alpha Fly Next%

Air Zoom Tempo Next%

Pegasus Turbo 3

Zoom Fly 4

Pegasus 37

I think there have been leaks already for ZF4 and Turbo 3, but with the Tempo Next% I'm not sure what they can bring to the table.

U know nothing Jon Snow wrote:

The rules say 40mm is the limit for a size 42 (US men's 9) and that they can increase "marginally" as the shoe scales to larger sizes. In another article today discussing the new shoes, a Nike VP is quoted as saying the Alphafly is 39.5mm (for size 9) but that since Kipchoge wears a size 10.5, his legal shoes are 45mm.

Hmm, so you are saying that size 14s can be 61 mm in the heel then? That rule needs some revision.

zzzz wrote:

U know nothing Jon Snow wrote:

The rules say 40mm is the limit for a size 42 (US men's 9) and that they can increase "marginally" as the shoe scales to larger sizes. In another article today discussing the new shoes, a Nike VP is quoted as saying the Alphafly is 39.5mm (for size 9) but that since Kipchoge wears a size 10.5, his legal shoes are 45mm.

Hmm, so you are saying that size 14s can be 61 mm in the heel then? That rule needs some revision.

I mean, 45mm in 10.5 for a 39.5mm spec size 8.5 is closer to what I'd call proportional rather than marginal. The example I gave for 14 would be proportional.

rojo wrote:

JustRunBaby wrote:

If your sponsor forces you to wear inferior shoes, that's your problem. The rules cannot force Hoka, Asics, etc to make comparable shoes for their own athletes. They can only ensure that the best shoes are available to all, which they are.

Wrong. The rules can do whatever they hell they want. Whatever you write is the rule.

And the rule said you can't have unfair assistance or advantage. I'd argue a 4% gain in running economy is an unfair assistance. Others might disagree.

Hey Rojo, I would also focus on the notion that being made available to a small number of Nike's athletes/employees equates to being available to the general public at large. That is a mockery of the rule...

KAV wrote:

Hey Rojo, I would also focus on the notion that being made available to a small number of Nike's athletes/employees equates to being available to the general public at large. That is a mockery of the rule...

They aren't available to only a small number of athletes or employees. They will be available to anyone who is a member of Nike Run Club, which is free and available to literally anyone.

+1

I think people are being way over dramatic about all of this.

Especially with the AlphaFly compared to the Next %.

The only main difference is the use of Zoom Air. Freaking Zoom Air people. Nike has had this in their shoes for how long now? No one gives a damn when it's in the Pegasus, but now that it's in the Next% and they're calling in the AlphaFly, everyone loses their minds.

So you all want Nike to just stop making new shoes? Stop innovating? They should just quit? We've reached the maximum a running shoe can do? That's ridiculous.

It's not Nike's fault that other companies haven't done much at all to be on the same playing field.

At least World Athletics has put boundaries in place. They aren't going to get much better (or worse if you're one of the naysayers) from here in terms of performance gain. Stop whining.

dressysweats wrote:

the Nike App says it's launching 2/29/20 and you can sign up for a text notification when available.

Where do you find the shoe in the app? I can't find it by searching for next %

So basically nearly every running shoe on the market will soon have a carbon plate in it?

Maybe the bargain basement under $50 shoes wont have one. Maybe they will even market them as 'non-cheater' shoes.

I'd rather these shoes weren't invented, but if in a couple of years literally 90% of even Parkrunners are wearing them, then I guess you have to go with the flow at some point.

Northener wrote:

dressysweats wrote:

the Nike App says it's launching 2/29/20 and you can sign up for a text notification when available.

Where do you find the shoe in the app? I can't find it by searching for next %

Nevermind, US only of course...