This weekend, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola became the first man ever to complete the New York City Marathon in two hours and five minutes, winning the race by more than two minutes and breaking the all-time record at the event that has stood for 12 years. And he did it with the help of a new “super shoe” from Adidas.
Tola set a new all-time record while wearing the new super-light Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 which retails for $500 and is recommended for optimal use in only one marathon, according to The Telegraph.
The carbon-plated “super shoe” went on sale to the general public at the end of September but sold out of its inventory almost instantly. The shoes are now being sold the resale market for more than $1,200 a pair.
Based on the results, it’s pretty clear that the shoe provides a clear advantage to runners. Six weeks ago, Tigsit Assefa wore the shoe as she beat the women’s world record at the marathon in Berlin, Germany by more than two minutes.
Last month, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum became the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours and one minute while wearing a pair of Nike prototype shoes that similar in design to the Adidas shoe, which will go on sale to the general public next year.
It’s clear that for elite runners, these types of shoes can shave off a lot of time.
