£800 for one race! Rise of the single use, super light running shoe: Nike and Adidas invest in futuristic trainers that crumble after a long run – with design worn by Berlin marathon winner selling for double its price on eBay

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The price of an Adidas running shoe that has a foam sole so light it’s likely to disintegrate after just one long race has doubled on eBay – after runner Tigist Assefa smashed the marathon world record while wearing a pair. 

And this weekend, Nike saw its secretive Alphafly 3 trainer – officially released in 2024 – race over the winning line on the feet of Kelvin Kiptum, who set a world record in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

Both trainer giants have invested heavily in one-race shoes, which will help elite athletes – and eventually amateurs – cut down their race times. 

In September, Ethiopian athlete Assefa raced around Berlin’s 26.2-mile course in just 2hr 11min 53 seconds – 131 seconds faster than the previous world record, with many crediting her unique footwear for helping her shave off two minutes off the previous record.

In Berlin last month, Tigist Assefa smashed the women’s marathon world record – taking two minutes off the old record – with her shoes, a pair of £400 Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 credited for helping her to do it

And Nike are well in the race to create the world’s lightest running shoe too: Released next year, the futuristic looking Alphafly 3 trainer by Nike has a soft fabric shoe, and a super-light foam sole – it was worn by Kevin Kiptum this weekend to smash the men’s marathon record in Chicago

She was wearing Adidas’ new £400 ‘super shoe’ – the ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1, one of the lightest racing shoes ever created, and one of a new breed of running shoe that are so light they crumble with too much use. 

After the race, she said: ‘This is the lightest racing shoe I have ever worn and the feeling of running in them is an incredible experience – like nothing I’ve felt before.’

The shoe weighs just 138 grams; for comparison, the average high-top Converse shoe weighs 340g – more than twice as heavy. 

Snapping up a pair of the limited edition running shoes, which have been described by Adidas as a ‘game-changing’ trainer, is likely to be an expensive business. 

Currently, only 521 pairs have been made, and just one is retailing on eBay – for a cool £800. 

They’re recommended for runners with a sub 3hrs 30 minutes marathon time. 

Hot on their heels is Nike’s own super-light shoe and this weekend in Chicago enjoyed their own success. 

The pair of Alphafly 3 trainers worn by Kelvin Kiptum (pictured) as he set a world record in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday; the shoe isn’t released until next year

There are only 521 pairs of the limited edition trainer available, with one on sale on eBay this week for twice its retail price at £800

The super-light shoe weighs just 138 grams and is unlikely to stand up to more than one long race, say Adidas

During the race, Assefa wore Adidas’ new ‘super shoe’ – the ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1, which is one of the lightest racing shoes ever created

ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1: Key features 

• Regular fit
• Lace closure
• Textile upper
• Adizero sling launch heel lockdown
• ENERGYRODS limit energy loss
• Lightstrike Pro cushioning
• Weight: 138 g (size UK 8.5)
• Midsole drop: 6 mm (heel: 39 mm / forefoot: 33 mm)
• Continental Rubber outsole

Kelvin Kiptum set a world record in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 35 seconds to shatter fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s old mark by 34 seconds.

He was wearing the Nike Alphafly 3, which is set to go on the market in 2024.

Last year, version 2 of the Alphafly helped Eliud Kipchoge smash the men’s record in Berlin in 2022. 

Both Nike and Adidas are currently focusing on helping the world’s elite marathon runners trim down records. 

Minimal weights not only improves running economy, but also provides runners with greater energy return, say experts.

Patrick Nava, VP Product, Running & Credibility Sports at Adidas, said of the Adizero shoe: ‘We explored every element of a racing shoe, balancing what we could remove or change to reduce the weight. 

‘Created with and for the fastest road racing athletes, this shoe is designed to help ambitious runners go even faster on race day.’

The shoe also features a unique rocker, placed at 60 per cent of the length of the shoe. 

‘The first-of-its-kind forefoot rocker triggers forward momentum, resulting in record-breaking speed that improves the wearer’s running economy,’ Adidas explained. 

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