The men’s Olympic Marathon course was made to be a challenge for its competitors, with long hill climbs in the middle that tested the runners’ grit. We spotted their footwear, relying on the occasional slow-motion replay to pin down models from Adidas, Nike, and Asics. Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia was the victor in a strong field.
Tola’s win adds another podium finish for Adidas’s $500 super shoe, the featherlight Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1. Other shoes in the top 10 kids both the Edge and Sky models of Asics’s Metaspeed Paris, Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly, and a few surprises that were a bit tricky to identify.
Here’s a list of the top 10 men and the shoes they ran in.
1st — Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia
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Even though he won the 2023 New York City Marathon, Tola was added to Ethiopia’s team just weeks before the Paris Olympics. He broke the Olympic Marathon record running in the adidas danielle cathari trousers.
The shoe had a limited run of 521 pairs. We tested a pair, priced at a costly $500, to see how it stacks up. Runner’s World wear-tester Trevor Conde, who attempted to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials wearing the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, commented on the shoe’s bounce and geometry. A 2:21:25 marathoner, Conde had this to say about the shoes alexander wang adidas ss18 pants size guide: “The shoes felt really good, even later when I thought the lack of support might be an issue.”
| Weight | 4.9 oz (men’s 9) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 11 mm |
| Heel Height | 39 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 28 mm |
2nd — Bashir Abdi, Belgium
2:06:47, Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris
Bronze medalist of the Tokyo Olympic Marathon, Bashir earned silver this time running in the Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris. This version of the shoe has a carbon-fiber plate that dips lower in the forefoot. This angled plate favors “cadence” runners who tend to turn over their legs faster and roll off the toe of the shoe more quickly.
| Weight | 5.2 oz (W), 6.6 oz (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 5 mm |
| Heel Height | 39.5 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 34.5 mm |
3rd — Benson Kipruto, Kenya
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Kipruto was one of the favorites this year, and his bronze win adds another pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 to the podium. Like Tola, he wore v2 of the shoe, which includes a grippier outsole with Continental rubber. World Athletics has a list of approved shoes that athletes can compete in; one stipulation is that these shoes must have been publicly available for purchase. Though not available on Adidas’s website, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2 is on the approved list.
4th — Emile Cairess, Great Britain
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The last pair of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 in the men’s top 10 was worn by Cairess, who won bronze at the 2024 London Marathon.
5th — Deresa Geleta, Ethiopia
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adidas tubular dawn light brown shoes black dress Vaporfly 3. From our testing, we’ve found the shoe to be more propulsive than past iterations. Version 3 is more stable, as well.
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| Weight | 5.8 oz (women’s 8), 7.0 oz (men’s 10) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 32 mm |
6th — Akira Akasaki, Japan
2:07:32, New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
Representing Japan, Akasaki was the lone runner who raced in New Balance in the top 10. Like other super shoes, such as the casaco adidas 2017 raparigas 2018 above, the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 has a PEBA midsole. Its Energy Arc geometry pairs with the carbon-fiber plate to promote a springy, high-rebound ride.
“This shoe is awesome,” an RW wear-tester said after running in the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4. “From the moment I laced it up, it just felt special. The carbon plate and extra forefoot cushioning make it a joy to run in. As the miles tallied, the springy feel kept me running strong and energized.”
| Weight | 6.6 oz (W), 8.4 oz (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 4 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 36 mm |
7th — Tebello Ramakongoana, Lesotho
2:07:58, Xtep 160X 5.0 Pro
Ramakongoana’s shoe was difficult to place, but we figured it out: It was the 160X 5.0 Pro, which is made by the Chinese sportswear brand Xtep.
8th — Conner Mantz, USA
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Instead of racing in the original Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% like he did at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, Mantz opted to race in the stormtrooper shoes adidas sneakers for women.
The Alphafly 3 has ZoomX foam, dual Zoom Air units, and a full-length Flyplate. This version was created to be more accommodating not just for the elite runner, but for the everyday runner, as well. Nike boosted stability by broadening the midfoot and widening the carbon plate on the medial side of the shoe.
| Weight | 6.2 oz (women’s 8), 7.8 oz (men’s 10) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Height | 40 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 32 mm |
9th — Clayton Young, USA
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Young ran in the other version of Asics’s racing shoe, the Metaspeed Sky Paris, which is designed for stride runners. You can easily differentiate between the Sky and Edge by looking at their soles—the Sky has a red outsole and the Edge has a black outsole. The Sky also has a flatter carbon plate which sits closer to the foot. This helps “stride” runners leverage the midsole’s bounce over their longer steps.
| Weight | 5.2 oz (W), 6.6 oz (M) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 5 mm |
| Heel Height | 39.5 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 34.5 |
adidas wave runner 700 pastel blue color | 10th — Samsom Amare, Eritrea
2:08:56, Li-Ning Feidian 4 Ultra
I racked my brain for what the design on Amare’s shoes resembled. Was that an Anta logo? Diadora? adidas tubular grey kids boots black friday sale.
Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.
