The Alphafly 3 marathon shoe by Nike
Sportswear brand Nike has officially launched the Alphafly 3, its latest running super shoe that was used to break the marathon world record in Chicago last month.
Following the competition success of Nike’s Alphafly NEXT% and Alphafly 2, the shoe is designed to cater for both professional athletes and everyday runners across a range of abilities.
The Nike Alphafly 3 is the third iteration of its Alphafly series of running super shoes
A prototype version of the Alphafly 3 was on the feet of Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum when he completed the Chicago Marathon last month in the world-record time of two hours and 35 seconds.
In line with World Athletics rules, a development version of the Alphafly 3 has been trialled among elite runners since December 2022 but it is only now being officially released by Nike.
According to the brand, the Alphafly 3 is a continuation of the original Alphafly shoe worn by Eliud Kipchoge when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in an unofficial event in 2019, with changes aimed at improving stability, comfort and propulsion.
The high-stack ZoomX solve is carved carefully to reduce the shoe’s material weight
Its primary configuration consists of a chunky ultra-light ZoomX foam midsole, dual Air Zoom cushion units to absorb impact and a stabilising carbon-fibre Flyplate embedded within the sole.
In a change from its predecessors, the high-stack midsole is extended as one continuous bottom connecting the heel and front of the foot, intended to create more seamless heel-to-toe transitions.
Nike prioritised comfort and containment in the Alphafly 3, introducing a redesigned lacing system and additional padding
Nike carved the ZoomX foam to reduce overall shoe weight and to concentrate foot load towards the Air Zoom units towards the front.
It also selected lighter Flyknit yarns in the upper and outsole to further reduce the Alphafly 3’s material weight, helping make it the lightest shoe in the series.
The shoe’s lacing system is redesigned for a softer top-of-foot fit and integrates more padding support into the heel and lower achilles compared to earlier Alphafly iterations.
Read:
The race to create the ultimate running super shoe
According to Nike, the Alphafly 3 is its most extensively tested super shoe and was informed by feedback from the largest pool of women athletes that the brand has ever used for racing shoe research.
The brand credits this increased gender diversity in the testing development with major improvements to the shoe’s arch support, toe protection and material comfort.
The Alphafly 3 is the latest product to emerge in the trend for running super shoes as brands to compete to see their sponsored athletes run the first official sub-two-hour marathon.
Kelvin Kiptum was wearing the Alphafly 3 shoes when he set a marathon world record time in Chicago in October
Notable previous super shoes have included the Nike Vaporfly Elite, which was the first time the brand used its ZoomX foam and carbon-fibre plate combination and was used for Kipchoge’s unsuccessful first attempt to run an unofficial marathon in under two hours in 2017.
In an apparent reference to Adidas’s most recent super shoe, the single-use Adizero Adios Evo Pro 1, Nike has sought to emphasise the Alphafly 3’s durability, claiming that the shoe is tested at a minimum of 200 miles (322 kilometres).
The prototype colourway of the Nike Alphafly 3 will be available from 4 January 2024.
Nike has also recently released a colourful Flyknit trainer for young children and explored “circularity and connectivity” in shoe manufacturing during Milan design week.
The photography is courtesy of Nike.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »