Elite runners like Eliud Kipchoge are not only a lot faster than the average runner but they may have differences in their gait. So we asked Bret Schoolmeester, global senior director at Nike, whether carbon shoes built for the best runners in the world deliver equal benefits to normal people.
“There’s some data to suggest that there is a difference here and there, but actually the exciting thing for us is that there are a lot of unknowns about how much people respond to the shoe,” says Schoolmeester. “Early days, looking at biomechanics studies and efficiency studies, [with the Vaporfly] everyone responded—it was just how much. We’re constantly exploring what dictates why someone might get a bigger response than others.
“The thing we take heart in is that these shoes have given a more enjoyable experience to all runners. If you compare it with running a marathon in flats, very few people could get away with it. All the studies we have show people are getting a benefit, just to varying levels.”