Eliud Kipchoge's Nike shoes erupt controversy of 'Technological Doping'

Both the runners, Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei who created world records were wearing modified versions of Nike’s Vaporfly shoes

Everyone was awestruck and saw something last week which was thought to be humanly impossible when marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge finished off 26 kms in 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds and created a world record in Vienna. Along with him, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei also became the fastest woman running in a mixed-sex race, with a time of 2:14:04 that happened in Chicago. The achievements are above par but along with this came to a very flashing controversy. Critics have raised questions over the lack of strict rules that can define the legal running shoes for a marathon.

Though Kipchoge is now referred to as the Essence of Progress but how is that progress being achieved by him or the other successful marathon runners like him? It is definitely the hard work that they put in to get to the highest point, but coincidently everyone's also talking about the kind of shoes that these players were wearing during the marathon. Two players who participated in two different races on two different tracks and to top it all on two varied continents, but the questions raised had just one common factor and that was nothing but the revolutionary specially designed Nike shoes that they were wearing. According to Reuters, the critics are arguing that it comes with a "spring-like mechanism" that aids performance. Those extraordinary performances have sparked a debate that continues to rage.

The shoes that have caught all the attention are the high-end versions from Nike which are tailor-made for such kinds of long runs. Both the runners who created world records were wearing modified versions of Nike’s Vaporfly shoes. Nike's Zoom Vaporfly 4% delivers an average of 4% improvement in running economy and Nike's next version of Next% is modified to give the runner to cross the finish line much faster.

What do The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules say?

According to the IAAF’s 143.2 rule regarding shoes states that “the shoes must not be constructed so as to give athletes any unfair assistance or advantage”. The rule is simply fair and looks non-negotiable, but what Nike has done over here is that it has created Vaporfly in such a way that it might be giving runners an upper hand during the competition but without violating the prevailing IAAF rules. The debate has sparked with the point that the shoe is playing with the boundaries of physiological and technological performances and many are demanding exclusive rules and regulations in this regard.

One fact needs to be considered here is that Kipchoge wore the yet-to-be-commercially released version of the Vaporfly Next% series. And according to Nike, they want to imbibe a sense of belief among the marathoners that they can wear nextgen shoes and it can act as the biggest difference if they want to catch up those lost seconds during the race and even the minutes when it comes to a race like 42.195 kilometers.

Technological Doping?

Regardless of what kind of shoes the player was wearing during the marathon, undoubtedly, Kipchoge is the best marathoner in the world right now. But then the kind of Nike shoes he was wearing may have helped him win the marathon, then can we call it a kind of technological doping? Because that may have changed everything. But there is one more point to notice here, like we all know change is the only constant, then obviously, the shoemaking companies, especially the elite ones who sponsor big players like Kipchoge will surely look for bringing out a new product for the players which high-end technological advancements just like the Vaporfly Next% series.

And when Nike introduced the Vaporfly series back in the month of April, it literally came with a tagline, “A racing shoe that breaks records” and looks like it was not just a marketing stunt rather it was meant to break the records for real. And an investigation of these shoes from Nike is undergoing to "consider the issues". In a recent statement, IAAF mentioned, “Recent advances in technology mean that the concept of assistance to athletes has been the subject of much debate in the world of athletics. The IAAF has established a working group to consider the issues.” This controversy reminds me of a controversy that took place during the 2007 Cricket World Cup when the former Australian captain Rickey Ponting was alleged to be playing with a bat with a spring inside that made him hit easy sixes. The MCC was concerned that Ponting's bat was being strengthened by a thin strip of carbon graphite, giving him what they felt was an unfair power advantage. It was like a storm at that time among all the cricket fans and players. The situation is similar right now.

So what’s different with Nike’s Vaporfly 4% and Vaporfly Next%? Interestingly, if the right amount of material and a thicker sole is used then the player will get more spring while running. So Nike’s Vaporfly versions have a midsole of 36-millimeter which is 5 millimeters more than the usual sneakers. Also, the midsole contains a new foam named Pebax which is extremely lightweight that you feel like you are running barefoot. In previous times when the technology was no so advanced, the marathoners used to run barefoot for better results and Nike has tried to give that feeling to the marathoners with an added advantage, Pebax also gives 30 percent more energy return. Along with Pebax, Nike shoes have also inserted a carbon fiber plate in the midsole. The plate successfully increases the energy return. Though the Pebax is already doing the same function, the fiber plate is like the cherry on the top. It also helps in improving foot functioning while running for long miles. Nike also has a patent application for the carbon fiber plate.

Technically, there shouldn’t be any controversy just because Kipchoge wore those shoes and he created a world record. Nike is not saying that the other marathoners cannot wear these shoes. In fact, such kind of shoe cannot be named as technological doping, it is indeed a technological advancement that will increase the overall speed of the players and they can cover more distance in less time.

Keeping in mind the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, these shoes by Nike can be a gamechanger for all the players as it will not just elevate the level of competition among the players, but it will also create excitement among the fans given the increased competition. But if IAAF makes rules regarding shoes more stringent then it may hamper creativity and innovation in the shoes and that should not happen.

If IAAF rules to have a particular midsole height than that would be fine, but if it comes up with other limitations then it will not support the creative side of the shoemaker. Considering that no other elite shoe company has come up with such variant types of shoes yet, a rule regarding the availability of these shoes to other runners will also be a welcomed move. But many players prefer to use a certain brand that they have been using for years, therefore, it becomes difficult for them to switch to other brands and make changes to their running patterns.

Therefore, in order to have a “fair” competitive footwear, it would be wise to keep a standardized level of the midsole thickness as it would also take care of all the complexities of the game of running and no one will have the objection.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)