As part of Breaking2, Nike‘s effort to enable athletes to break the two-hour marathon barrier, Nike designed a high performance shoe called the Nike ZoomX VaporFly Elite.
On May 6, 2017, in Monza, Italy, runners Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), Zersenay Tadese (Eritrean) and Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia) made their attempts to break the barrier. According to Nike press, Kipchoge finished with a time of 2:00:25, 2:32 faster than the current world record and 2:40 better than his own personal best of 2:03:05. Tadese ended with a time of 2:06:51, beating his personal best by 3:50. Desisa crossed the line with a time of 2:14:10.
The shoes they wore during the event weren’t sold at retail, but Nike has followed up with the release of a shoe inspired by the prototype, called NikeLAb Zoom Fly SP. The shoe is marked by its cushioned midsole, which Nike describes as a “10 millimeter offset designed to minimize Achilles strain, plus a 33 millimeter stack height to ensure impact protection mile after mile.”
Offered in men’s sizing, the striking NikeLab Zoom Fly SP will make its debut at retail on June 8th on Nike+, nike.com and at select retailers.
