The Shoe World Meets Biomechanical Engineering!

On May 6th, 2017, Eliud Kipchoge, a Kenyan distance runner, attempted to break the 2-hour barrier in the marathon. That’s running 26.2 miles before the timer hits 2:00:00. That’s fast. Like really, incredibly, insanely fast. Imagine a typical middle-aged man jogging. Now imagine this middle-aged man running twice as fast. And now for over 26 miles. Yeah, pretty freakin’ crazy. The race was held on a specialized track called the Formula One Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy, and throughout the race, Kipchoge had a pacing car in front of him—showing him exactly how far off the 2-hour pace he was—and at various points in the race, other professional runners would hop in, and form a V-formation in front of Kipchoge to help block off the wind and pace him for a few miles. And most importantly, Kipchoge wasn’t wearing any regular ole’ running shoes. He was wearing something special.

Kipchoge asbolutely TEARING. IT. UP. in Italy (source)

While Kipchoge did not end up breaking the barrier—he finished with a measly 2:00:25, only 2 minutes and 32 seconds off of the previous world record, and not the full 2 minutes and 57 seconds—the race did exemplify our potential to reach an extraordinary feat with the help of new biomechanical research.

The human body is pretty dang cool (source)

Before I digress any further, let's quickly go over what biomechanics actually are. Essentially, the field of biomechanics looks at the overlap between biology and body movement with physics, and, more specifically, mechanics of how things move. This covers everything from the structure and function of our bones and muscles, to the mechanics of interior processes in our bodies, like blood circulation and renal (kidney) function. Biomechanics extends across the domains of life, too. Other animals, plants, and more can be better understood by studying biomechanics. But in regards to this article, we're focusing on biomechanics and sports science, and how studying the human body can influence the development of equipment to maximize human performance. And a huge step in biomechanical research came in Italy on this fine day in May (hey that rhymed!).

The race was almost like a giant advertisement for Nike’s new shoes: the Vaporfly 4%. *insert people saying "OOOOO AHHHHHH"* These new shoes, debuted by Kipchoge in the race, were said to make you 4% faster. 4%!!!! That might not seem like a huge difference, but in the long run (haha, see what I did there? Didn't like my dad joke? I'm sorry, I won't do it again) it changes things dramatically. Of course, breaking the world record by over 2 minutes is reason to believe that these shoes give you a slight advantage. But one person is not enough.

The 4%'s themselves. Woah. (source)

A study from CU Boulder recently came out to see how and why the shoes makes runners faster. The shoe has a unique foam, which Nike calls “ZoomX”, which is extra soft, while also being bouncy like a trampoline. Paired with a carbon fiber plate in the midsole, to add extra propulsion and stiffness, it makes a killer combination. In the study itself, several runners were placed on a treadmill and were instructed to run for 5 minutes at a 6 minute-per-mile pace. The runners repeated the trial two more times, once with another racing shoe from Nike, and once with a competitor shoe from Adidas. The study came back to show that while running in the 4%’s, less exertion of muscular torque on the runners’ ankles was required, decreasing the amount of work their calves had to do. Also, the carbon fiber plate made the shoe stiffer and less flexible, allowing for an easier stabilization of the runners’ toe joints. So while the shoe might not make you exactly 4% faster, it certainly does you a few favors while running.

Amazed how Phil Knight's company went from using waffle irons to make track shoes,
 to sponsoring a race that nearly broke the barrier of what was thought to be humanly impossible (source)

This shoe is only the latest in the next big boom of sneaker technology. Since Phil Knight, the founder and former CEO, developed the first Nike shoes, sneaker designers have worked tirelessly to create shoes that make athletes jump higher, run faster, and perform at a higher level. From the development of Air Max—the air bubbles in Nike shoes—to the latest Adidas Ultra Boosts, sneakers have always been adapting. But with the newest introduction to Nike’s lengthy history of pushing boundaries, actual biomechanics research and intense studying of the body and foot has been combined to create a product that isn’t just a gimmick. The Vaporfly 4% has shown us just a glimpse of what we can do when we combine sneaker culture and biotechnology research. Since the release of the Vaporfly 4%, running companies, including Nike itself, have upped their games and released sneakers that are mimicking a lot of the features and ideas behind the research that went into developing the 4%. Even basketball shoes have become more advanced! (Click here for more on this) Hopefully some day we get shoes that help us fly, because hey, you never know!

Before we gain the ability to fly with our shoes, Nike has blessed us with shoes that might....wait for it....make you EVEN FASTER!!! If you want to check it out, click here.