Nike's controversial Vaporfly shoes ESCAPE a ban by World Athletics to leave runners free to use them at the Olympics... but Eliud Kipchoge's two-hour marathon Alphaflys are banned
by Jack Kinnersley For Mailonline- The Nike Alphafly shoes marathon specialist Eliud Kipchoge uses will be banned
- From April 2020, any shoe must have been available for purchase by any athlete
- The Nike Alphafly which Kipchoge used is considered to be a prototype
- Nike's Vaporfly will remain legal despite a panel of experts reviewing the product
The shoes Eliud Kipchoge used to run a marathon in under two hours will be illegal in the future, World Athletics have announced.
From April 2020, any shoe must have been available for purchase by any athlete on the open retail market for a period of four months before it can be used in competition.
The Nike Alphafly which Kipchoge used is considered to be a prototype and is therefore not permitted.
World Athletics have also stated that a shoe sole must be no thicker than 40mm in a number of rules outlined by the governing body.
They also must not contain more than one rigid embedded plate or blade that runs either the full length or only part of the length of the shoe.
Competition referees will have the power to request that an athlete immediately provide their shoes for inspection at the conclusion of a race if a referee has reasonable suspicion there is a breach of the code.
Nike's Vaporfly will remain legal despite a panel of experts reviewing the product and will be free to use by athletes in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
The experts concluded that new technology incorporated in the soles of road and spiked shoes may provide a performance advantage.
They believe there is sufficient evidence to raise concerns that the integrity of the sport might be threatened by the recent developments in shoe technology.