While John Korir and Sharon Lokedi’s gritty wins headlined the 2025 Boston Marathon, the real gearheads were busy eyeing the shoes that carried the podium finishers to glory. From unreleased prototypes to $500 record-breakers, the brands left it all out on the course.
Here are the shoes that made the 2025 Boston Marathon podium.
ASICS Development Prototype (MZ-Type 1)
Worn by John Korir, 1st Place Men’s — 2:04:45
ASICS pulled a major flex at Boston, putting John Korir in a hush-hush prototype that’s reportedly a next-generation Metaspeed.
While they haven’t officially announced it, early insider reports suggest this shoe features an evolved version of their FF Turbo+ foam — even lighter and more resilient than the one in the Metaspeed Sky Paris. A full-length carbon plate is paired with strategic decoupling grooves to fine-tune the forefoot “roll,” helping marathoners conserve energy late in the race.
Importantly for Boston’s rolling hills and downhills, the shoe seems tuned for stability without feeling blocky — a critique runners had for earlier ASICS racers. Expect this prototype to formally launch around the Tokyo World Championships.
The Deets
| Price | N/A (prototype) |
| Weight | Estimated 4.3 oz (Men’s Size 9) |
| Heel Stack | Estimated 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | Estimated 34.5mm |
| Drop | 5mm |
On Cloudboom Strike LS
Worn by Hellen Obiri, 2nd Place Women’s — 2:17:41
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.
The brand announced last year 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.
The Deets
| Price | $330 USD |
| Weight | 6.0 oz (Unisex) |
| Heel Stack | 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 35.5mm |
| Drop | 4mm |
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2
Worn by Alphonce Simbu, 2nd Place Men’s — 2:05:04 and Cybrian Kotut, 3rd Place Men’s — 2:05:04
Adidas doubled down on its extreme, minimalist racing approach with the Adios Pro Evo 2 — and it paid off big time, with two podium spots. This ultra-light weapon features a single-use mindset: the Lightstrike Pro foam is so featherlight that Adidas itself warns runners it’s only good for one, maybe two, marathons.
Instead of traditional plates, the Evo 2 relies on carbon EnergyRods 2.0 — updated rods that move independently to match the runner’s footstrike pattern, optimizing energy return across the race. The paper-thin upper practically disappears on foot, but the improved outsole grip — a major fix after criticism of the Evo 1’s wet weather issues — likely helped on Boston’s tricky, sometimes damp roads.
The Deets
| Price | $500 USD |
| Weight | 4.9 oz (Unisex) |
| Heel Stack | 39.5mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 33mm |
| Drop | 6.5mm |
Nike Alphafly 3
Worn by Yalemzerf Yehualaw, 3rd Place Women’s — 2:18:06
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. This shoe now holds both marathon world records.
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 |
Under Armour Development Prototype (Velociti Elite 3)
Worn by Sharon Lokedi, 1st Place Women’s — 2:17:22
Sharon Lokedi made history for Under Armour, taking Boston in what insiders say is a “Version 2” evolution of the Flow Velociti Elite series — though this model isn’t available yet, but is estimated to be released in 2026.
Reports indicate UA’s prototype builds around a Pebax-based midsole compound that’s significantly lighter than anything they’ve released before, paired with a stiffer carbon plate for maximum responsiveness.
Unlike some brands chasing softer, bouncier rides, Under Armour seems to be emphasizing ground feel and midfoot propulsion — a smart move for Boston’s notorious Newton hills. Lokedi’s late-race surges suggest this shoe strikes a balance between cushioning and “snap,” especially when form starts to falter around mile 22.
The Deets
| Price | N/A (prototype) |
| Weight | Estimated 7.7 oz (Unisex) |
| Heel Stack | Estimated 39mm |
| Forefoot Stack | Estimated 37mm |
| Drop | Estimated 2mm |
