The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has become a thing of the past, but in this year’s Olympic track and field competitions, we were finally fortunate enough to witness the style of the new generation of super spikes. Compared with the competition of racing carbon plate running shoes in the past three or four years, the big PK of spike shoes does not seem to be that concerning.
Flyers are everywhere on the track and field, and major running shoe brands have also strengthened their presence as athletes cross the line, win championships and break records again and again. At this year's Olympics, Nike has undoubtedly once again become the dominant player in track and field. In the brand medal table, 73 medalists wore Nike, followed by PUMA with 16 medals and adidas in third with 15 medals. New Balance gained further exposure in track and field by sponsoring Sydney McLaughlin, Gabby Thomas and Femke Bol.
However, compared to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Nike's medal total dropped, from 89 to 73, a decrease of 16 medals. Medals, PUMA soared from 4 to 16. This may have a lot to do with Nike renewing contracts with athletes due to the postponement of the Olympics, while PUMA has attracted a group of athletes during this period.
Of course, while watching the Olympic Games, everyone found that the running shoes and clothing worn by many athletes were not from the same brand. It can be said that sportswear is provided by national team sponsors, and when players are sponsored by personal sports brands, the footwear is their own choice.
There are also many players who buy their own equipment. For example, New Zealand's Tom Walsh wore black Nike shoes in his shot put final, but in this season's Diamond League, his vest had "SPACE FOR RENT" printed on it. words. In order to perform better, some athletes will negotiate with personal sponsor brands and wear their running shoes in competitions. For example, British runner Josh Kerr sponsored by Brooks won the bronze medal in the men's 1500 meters. Throw in a pair of "white" Nikes. This is often the case when you see labeled sneakers during competitions.
In addition to these already famous sports brands, there are also some new star brands appearing. For example, the women's 400m bronze medalist Allyson Felix wears her own brand Saysh.
Running Track counted the medal winners on the track and field. In the 100-400 meter short distance event, Nike is still the dominant player. Of course, it is inevitable that new disruptors have emerged.
at 800 meters to 10000 meters In mid- to long-distance track and field, these high-end competition running shoes follow the new performance-oriented shoe design concept pioneered by the "super running shoes" in modern road running events in the past five years. These super running shoes combine a super-resilient foam midsole with a lightweight, stiff carbon fiber plate. Their models represent a push-forward evolution, similar to what road shoes for 10Ks to marathons have experienced since 2016.
While sprinting spikes have always been of steel construction, modern design has had the most significant impact on mid-distance and long-distance running spikes. A higher midsole height, ranging from approximately 8mm to 20mm, provides a level of comfort for 1500m or 10000m races, but more importantly, it also increases the efficiency of energy return with each step .
Nike and New Balance were the first to introduce super spikes at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, when their athletes wore their new models, briefly sparking a controversy that suggested athletes wearing these shoes were unfairly performing. Advantages - especially when the men's 5,000m and women's 10,000m records were broken.
At the 2019 Doha World Championships, Hassan won the 10,000-meter championship.
However, World Athletics has introduced new regulations twice and pre-approved regulations for shoes used in track and field competitions, stipulating the maximum midsole height of shoes between 800 meters and 10,000 meters. is 25 mm, and 20 mm for projects below 800 meters. In January 2020, the maximum midsole height for road racing shoes was set at 40mm.
Although not every brand’s development cycle coincides with the Olympic date, Nike, New Balance, ASICS, HOKA One One and adidas have all begun to launch high-performance mid-distance and long-distance running shoes for athletes in Tokyo.
PUMA’s new EvoSpeed Tokyo Future Faster+ and Nitro+ sprint spikes, both unveiled in Tokyo in partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, are still in development, but their 800m and longer super spikes are still in development.
The 50km race will be withdrawn after the Tokyo Olympics Olympics, so in the race walking event we only count the short distance of 20km for men and women. The ranking of running shoes in this event is relatively diverse. The women's gold medal and the men's second and third place won a total of three medals. Unexpectedly, Mizuno became the biggest winner in this event! adidas Boston 9 helped athletes win two medals.
Chinese player Liu Hong won a bronze medal in this event, putting ASICS on the podium.
The men’s players chose Nike without a doubt. There is a divide on the women's marathon track. Only silver medalist Kosgei is still wearing Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2; bronze medalist Molly Seidel just signed a contract with PUMA in January this year, allowing PUMA's new super running shoes to be used in the Marathon Elite. Win a place on the road.
As the champion crossed the finish line, the pair of Adizero ADIOS PRO 2 worn by adidas contracted athlete Jep Cheche became a veritable champion running shoe.
An Olympic Games is not only a venue for athletes to test themselves, but also a testing ground for major sports brands to win gold. Whoever can get the greatest exposure here and who can get the most attention here will be the biggest winner. .
024, Paris, who could it be?
