Should you care about the ideology of what it means to run in some erudite philosophical sense? Maybe not.Īt any rate, here’s what I thought about these maverick shoes. Am I nervous that shoes like these are slowly eroding that? Maybe. Running has always felt like the most simple, straightforward sport in existence. That’s because although they made me feel featherweight and speedy while I ran-and I think lots of runners would enjoy them-I’m apprehensive to tell you to run out and buy them (assuming you can find them). But I think it’s important to view the shoes in this context. So what does it mean to build a shoe that succeeds in making runners so efficient that it morphs running into something hybrid, something cyborg, something like running-but also not? Should technology and shoe innovation be hampered in order to preserve the essence of a sport? When is a win determined by a super shoe rather than a super athlete? I’m not the first person to think of these questions (see here, here, and here), and this review can’t answer them all anyway. They’ve issued modified guidelines on what is and isn’t allowed.Īrguably, the whole point of innovating new racing shoes is to make runners faster. Earlier this year, World Athletics (the group that governs races) said they believed shoe technology could be threatening to the integrity of the sport. The race-and Kipchoge’s time-is not recognized as a world record because of the artificial conditions that were orchestrated to give him the best possible chance of breaking two hours (runners who paced Kipchoge and created an aerodynamic formation around him, a flat track, time and place specifically selected for optimal weather-the list goes on).īut the race was a spectacle, a marvel-and wildly controversial. When Eliud Kipchoge did so last year ( running 26.2 miles in 1:59:40-an average pace of 4:34 per mile), he achieved a feat that was thought inconceivable. The quick history of these shoes starts several years ago when Nike made it its mission to break the two-hour marathon-something that had never been done before. They’re also not really intended for me-your everyday runner. They’re also nearly impossible to buy right now and very expensive if you can find them. They’ve helped set (unofficial) world records. They’re backed by years of research and have been worn by some of the most elite runners in the world. They cup the curves of my feet like a gentle hug and offer superior breathability. They’re lightweight, speedy, and have just the right balance of cushion versus responsiveness. So before we go any further, let’s get the basics out of the way: These shoes are flipping amazing to run in. Because each time I try to crystalize what I think, I come back to these existential, unwieldy questions: What does it mean to be a runner? Who gets to run in what shoe? And what does it mean when technology helps us surpass what we thought was humanly possible? I’ve tried writing this review a number of times and been unable to talk about this shoe-the multi-hyphenate Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%-without viewing it in context of something bigger than “just another running shoe.” Or even just another great running shoe. This is relevant because I’m about to do the same thing. Talk to a runner long enough, and eventually they’ll slip into a makeshift pseudo-poetry-describing cool air brushing their legs, the road rising up ahead to meet each stride, the hypnotic rhythm of their own inhalations and exhalations, the active meditation of solo running on an empty path.
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