I wore gold, silver, and bronze on track… Nike’s unexpected ‘shoe doping’ controversy

There is one problem that came to mind with the start of the track and field events at the Tokyo Olympics on the 30th of last month. It’s the athletes’ shoes. In particular, Nike sneakers, which have evolved from carbon fiberboard as a core material, have been the center of controversy.

The Daily Mail reported on the 3rd (local time) that the ever-evolving sneaker technology has sparked a controversy over ‘technology doping’ this year as well. Technical doping refers to a phenomenon in which performance is improved under the influence of tools or equipment in sports.

According to this, Nike’s ‘Zoom X Dragon Fly’ and ‘Zoom X Vapor Fly’ are attracting attention this year. It is known that men’s 10,000m gold, silver, and bronze medalists in their first track and field event, women’s 100m gold medalists, men’s 100m gold and silver medalists, and men’s 400m hurdles silver medalists all wore these shoes.

These two products are considered to be Nike’s representative works that have raised the elasticity of the sole. The core technology is a midsole made of highly elastic foam (between the sole and the insole) and a carbon fiber board sandwiched between the soles.

Selemon Barrega (Ethiopia), who won the men’s 10,000 m at the Tokyo Olympics on the 30th of last month, is wearing shoes believed to be Nike’s Zoom X Dragon Fly. [AP=연합뉴스]

Carbon fiber boards increase rebound resilience, allowing athletes to generate propulsion with less energy as they run off the ground. In particular, the Zoom X series uses polyether block amide (PEBA) as a highly elastic foam material to increase elasticity compared to existing products. This technology has evolved into a ‘super spike’ by applying this technology to ‘spike’ sneakers with gongs to increase friction between the race track and sneakers.

The sneaker technology that focused on elasticity was first introduced by Nike in 2016. It has been evaluated to have changed the game of sneaker technology that focused on increasing floor traction in the past. According to a report published last year by Harvard Business Review, eight out of 12 major marathon winners in 2018 and five out of six winners in the 2019 Tokyo and Boston marathons all wore vapor flys.

However, it was pointed out that it could be an unfair game for players who did not wear these sneakers.

Usain Bolt (Jamaica), the ‘sprinter emperor’ who ran in regular spikes at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has always been in the opposite position. On the 2nd of last month, he demanded action from the Federation, saying that functional sneakers could cause equity issues. Karsten Barholm (Norway), who won the gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdles in athletics that day, said, “I don’t know why other athletes put things in their shoes. Adding elastic materials to sprinters’ sneakers would only take away the trust of athletics.”

Kenya’s ‘Zoom X Vaporfly Next%’ running shoes worn by Kenyan long-distance runner Elliott Kipchoge during the Vienna Marathon in October 2019. [EPA=연합뉴스]

On the other hand, Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), who was the first human to complete a full marathon course in less than two hours, said, “I train hard and get help from technology. Sports players also need to keep pace with the ever-evolving technology.”

As the controversy continued, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced the footwear rules for international competitions in February last year. It is a rule that the thickness of the sole should be less than 800m, less than 20mm for short-distance, 25mm or less for mid-to-long-distance, and less than 40mm for road use, and only one carbon fiber board is required. Giannis Pitsiladis, a professor at the University of Brighton in the UK, said, “Even if they wear the same shoes, there is going to be a difference in performance between players. necessary,” he said. Meanwhile, Nike evaded the IAAF regulations by launching a new product with a lower sole thickness of 0.5mm ahead of the Olympics.

Reporter Lee Min-jung lee.minjung2@joongang.co.kr