Although most of our attention was on who crossed the line first during the 2024 Paris Olympic marathons, we couldn’t help but also notice what shoes were crossing the line first.
With shoe tech being one major player in the plummeting of marathon times in recent years, we’re all eager to see what shoes the best of the best are wearing, to see if they can help us reach a personal best.
We compiled a list of the six fastest shoes from the Paris Olympic marathons, who wore them, how fast they ran, and all the key details you need to know.
#6: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
This year, New Balance released the FuelCell Supercomp Elite V4: the latest iteration of their popular Supercomp line (or SC, for the New Balance stans). Redesigned with ultra-responsive foam, they labeled this version the best road racer they’ve ever made. Consider this huge, transformer-like super-shoe New Balance’s proprietary weapon for the upcoming Olympic marathon in Paris this summer; where bragging rights for world’s top shoe will be up for grabs. Nike has the AlphaFly 3, ASICS has the Metaspeed Paris, Brooks has the Hyperion Elite 4, and New Balance has, well, this: a plush, powerful, robotic-looking sneaker that has yet to make huge waves at major races since its release.
Results:
- 6th Akira Akasaki – Men’s Marathon – 2:07:32
The Deets
| Price | $250 USD |
| Weight | 8.4 oz (Men’s); 6.6 oz (Women’s) |
| Heel Stack | 40mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 36mm |
| Drop | 4mm |
#5: Nike Vaporfly 3
The Nike Vaporfly 3 is the third version of the shoe and has surely been as popular as ever. While the shoe gains much of its attention from marathon records, it’s much more versatile and indeed a great option at any distance from 5k to marathon and even beyond. The shoe sticks to the same basic design principles of the first two models, but now has a little more cushioning and a new upper design.
Results:
- 5th Deresa Geleta – Men’s Marathon – 2:07:31
The Deets
| Price | $275 USD |
| Weight | 7.0 oz (Men’s size 10); 5.8 oz (Women’s size 8) |
| Heel Stack | 40mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 32mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
#4: On Cloudboom Strike LS
On Running, the fast-rising Swiss footwear and apparel brand, has a novel, jaw-dropping way of potentially minimizing excess production waste: web-spinning robots. It recently announced that it has developed an innovation that promises to redefine how we make shoes with what it’s dubbed LightSpray technology, which is essentially super light, super responsive spray-on shoes. The shoe itself is slipper-like, with no laces, and appears as one continuous creation. It’s constructed in two successive phases: a single, continuous application of the filament for the upper, which takes about three minutes. Then, the outsole is bonded to the upper using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) without the need for any glues
Results:
- 🥉 Hellen Obiri – Women’s Marathon – 2:23:10
The Deets
| Price | $330 USD |
| Weight | 6.0 oz (Unisex) |
| Heel Stack | 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 35.5mm |
| Drop | 4mm |
#3: Asics Metaspeed Paris
The Metaspeed Paris is the fourth iteration in Asics’ Metaspeed line: the family of sneakers that pulled the company out of the darkness and thrust into the thick of the shoe wars with Nike and Adidas back in 2021. Asics has dubbed the Paris as the best super-shoe they’ve ever created; it’s also the lightest available road racer on the market (save for the one-use-only Adidas Pro Evo 1, which is nearly impossible to find.)
Results:
- 🥈 Bashir Abdi – Men’s Marathon – 2:06:47 (Edge)
- 7th Delvine Relin Meringor – Women’s Marathon – 2:24:56 (Edge)
- 8th Stella Chesang – Women’s Marathon – 2:26:01 (Edge)
- 9th Clayton Young – Men’s Marathon – 2:08:44 (Sky)
The Deets (Edge)
| Price | $250 USD |
| Weight | 6.6 oz (Men’s); 5.2 oz (Women’s) |
| Heel Stack | 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 34.5mm |
| Drop | 5mm |
The Deets (Sky)
| Price | $250 USD |
| Weight | 6.6 oz (Men’s); 5.2 oz (Women’s) |
| Heel Stack | 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 34.5mm |
| Drop | 5mm |
#2: Nike Alphafly 3
The Alphafly 3 is hailed as Nike’s most technologically advanced race shoe to date, boasting a combination of Air Zoom units, ZoomX foam, and a carbon fiber Flyplate. Bret Schoolmeester, Nike Running’s senior product designer and one of the key stewards of the super shoe era, describes the Alphafly 3 as a “have your cake and eat it, too” moment.
Results:
- 🥇 Sifan Hassan – Women’s Marathon – 2:22:55
- 6th Yuka Suzuki – Women’s Marathon – 2:24:02
- 8th Conner Mantz – Men’s Marathon – 2:08:12
- 9th Lonah Chemtai Salpeter – Women’s Marathon – 2:26:08
- 10th Eunice Chumba – Women’s Marathon – 2:26:10
The Deets
| Price | $300 USD |
| Weight | 7.6 oz (Men’s Size 10); 6.1 oz (Women’s Size 8) |
| Heel Stack | 40mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 32mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
#1: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 is a cutting-edge racing shoe designed for elite runners. It weighs just 138 grams (4.9 ounces) and features advanced Lightstrike Pro foam and carbon-infused EnergyRods for exceptional propulsion and energy return. Its minimalist mesh upper and streamlined outsole enhance speed and breathability, making it ideal for marathons and half-marathons. As a premium, limited-availability shoe, it combines ultra-lightweight construction with state-of-the-art technology to help athletes achieve personal bests.
Results:
- 🥇 Tamirat Tola – Men’s Marathon – 2:06:26
- 🥈 Tigst Assefa – Women’s Marathon – 2:22:58
- 🥉 Benson Kipruto – Men’s Marathon – 2:07:00
- 4th Emile Cairess – Men’s Marathon – 2:07:29
- 5th Amane Beriso Shankule – Women’s Marathon – 2:23:57
The Deets
| Price | $500 USD |
| Weight | 7.6 oz (Men’s Size 10); 6.1 oz (Women’s Size 8) |
| Heel Stack | 40mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 32mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
