The victory marks a significant achievement for Adidas in its high-stakes rivalry with U.S. arch-rival Nike. Both corporations had spent years developing so-called 'super shoes' in an effort to break the two-hour barrier. A 2017 attempt by Nike in Monza, Italy, narrowly failed. Two years later, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge did break the two-hour mark, also in Nike shoes, but the feat occurred outside of official competition and was not ratified as a record. Adidas athletes dominated the London Marathon: runner-up Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia, as well as Tigst Assefa, who broke her own world record in the women's race, both wore the new model. 'This is a testament to the years of hard work and dedication they have put in alongside our innovation team,' stated Patrick Nava, head of Adidas' running footwear division.
According to Adidas, the new super shoe weighs an average of 97 grams thanks to innovative foam and carbon soles as well as ultra-lightweight components. This represents a 30 percent reduction in weight compared to the predecessor model. The new shoe is set to be available via the Adidas app starting Thursday for 500 dollars per pair, ahead of a broader market launch for the autumn marathon season. Despite Monday's share price gain, Adidas stock has lost approximately 18 percent of its value since the beginning of the year. This decline is attributed to investor concerns regarding potential U.S. tariffs and the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
(Report by Amir Orusov, Helen Reid and Alessandro Parodi, edited by Sabine Wollrab. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
