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 Літні спортивні штани "adidas".
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 included 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
2:06:26, adidas originals forum 84 lo arwa beige
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 originals forum 84 lo arwa beige.
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 after his run: “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
2:07:00, adidas originals forum 84 lo arwa beige
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
2:07:29, adidas originals forum 84 lo arwa beige
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
2:07:31, Тапки тапочки yeezy adilette slide carbon шлепки
Raf Simons x adidas Ozweego 2 Vaporfly 3. From our testing, we’ve found the shoe to be more propulsive than past iterations. Version 3 is more stable, as well.
Тапки тапочки yeezy adilette slide carbon шлепки
| 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, adidas Originals 996
Representing Japan, Akasaki was the lone runner who raced in New Balance in the top 10. Like other super shoes, such as the Тапки тапочки yeezy adilette slide carbon шлепки 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.”
Куртки adidas 80 | adidas Originals 996
| 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
2:08:12, Черная футболка adidas с логотипами
Instead of racing in the original Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% like he did at the adidas VL Court Nubuck Infant Girls Trainers, Mantz opted to race in the latest edition of the Alphafly.
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
2:08:44, Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
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 |
10th — Samsom Amare, Eritrea
2:08:56, adidas n 5923 black white youth
I racked my brain for what the design on Amare’s shoes resembled. Was that an Anta logo? Diadora? Turns out, the shoe is from a Chinese footwear company called Li-Ning.
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.
