Does an analysis of the world top 100 track and road running performances provide an indication for the effects of super shoes and spikes?

Abstract

Since their launch in 2016, studies, reports and rumours have surrounded a potential performance boost for Nike’s super shoes (Quealy & Kath, 2019). The combination of novel, lightweight cushioning materials and carbon elements has been taken up by other manufacturers and has also been incorporated into spiked shoes. The impact of super shoes, particularly spikes, on track performance is not well understood (Healey et al., 2022).