24/04/2025
Revolutionary footwear is becoming increasingly popular for both performance and aesthetic purposes. “Super shoes” is the tag for the on-trend lightweight carbon plate running shoes with thick foam soles designed to provide more stability, increase propulsion and enhance performance. Super shoes have infiltrated the market, sported by both professional athletes at the World Marathon Majors and beginners at their local parkrun.
The emerging super shoe market is intriguing for many of us keen runners working in intellectual property. Therefore, with the London Marathon 2025 fast-approaching, we decided to take a look at the “fastest shoe” of the 2024 marathon season and investigate how the world’s top brands are protecting their cutting-edge technology.
Adidas Takes the Lead: The Pro Evo 1
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 stole the show at the London Marathon 2024, worn by both the men’s winner, Alexander Muyyao, and women’s winner, Kenenisa Bekele. The Pro Evo 1s first made their public appearance in the Berlin Marathon 2023 when Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa set the women’s world record whilst wearing these.
What makes the Pro Evo 1 special? For starters, they weigh a mere 4.9oz. But it is the innovative design that sets them apart: instead of a traditional single carbon plate they comprise multiple carbon-based rods that Adidas refer to as ‘ENERGYRODS,’ which extend throughout the Adidas Lightstrike Pro foam. These rods mimic the natural movement of your foot’s metatarsal bones, boosting performance by propelling you forward with every stride[1].
Adidas holds numerous patents and designs, like US12245657B2 and GB design number 634687, covering this concept, which ensures that their cutting-edge technology is well-protected. Further, Adidas’s proactive IP strategy ensures that their innovations remain proprietary, forcing competitors to either innovate beyond or find a way to navigate these patents if they want to compete.
Figure from patent US12245657B2 illustrating Adidas technology
Figure illustrating Adidas GB design number 634687
Nike’s Legacy: The Vaporfly 4 %
Prior to the Pro Evo 1s, the concept of full carbon plates in the midsoles of running shoes dominated the super shoe market, ever since Nike released the first commercially available super shoe in 2017- the Vaporfly 4%.
The Vaporfly 4% shoe consists of a lightweight resilient foam termed ‘ZoomX’ and a stiff carbon fibre plate, the main aim being to return energy to the runner. As the name highlights, research suggested that this combination improved running efficiency by 4%[2]. The revelation of the Vaporfly 4% became a turning point in shoe technology and is protected by multiple intellectual property rights.
Nike has filed, and continues to file, various patents to protect its super shoe models. See, for example, US20250040656A1 filed in October 2024, and published this February.
Since 2017, competing brands such as New Balance, Asics, Hoka, Puma (and more) have all brought out competing models using lightweight foam and carbon fibre plates, however, we believe that Nike’s IP protection remains a key reason for why Nike has been able to continue to dominate this space.
Figure from patent US20250040656A1 illustrating Nike technology
On’s Disruptive Tech: Lightspray™ and a New Era
Soles are not the only focus of such innovation – Swiss activewear company ‘On’ debuted its LightsprayTM manufacturing technology at last year’s Olympic games in Paris.
The LightsprayTM technology involves a robot spraying a 30g upper onto a midsole in 3 minutes, the resulting shoe fitting like a second skin to the wearer’s foot. This disruptive idea was inspired by the filament-like ‘spiderwebs’ that can be sprayed from a hot-glue gun. Johannes Voelchert exhibited the method, using a spray-on-shoe as an example, at Milan Design Fair and was spotted by Martin Ruegg, lead concept designer at On. Combining robotics and materials science, fusing the filament onto the bottom unit does not require glue or seams. On claims that this cuts CO2 emissions by 75% compared to other racing shoes whilst allowing for reduced production time. The bottom unit is made from carbon-fibre Speedboard® between two layers of Helion™ HF hyper foam[3].
On have filed over seven patent applications related to this technology, making it clear that they are committed to protecting their idea and keeping competitors at bay.
Design Protection
The innovation in super shoes extends beyond the technology inside the soles – the design of a super shoes plays a big role too. Take HOKA ONE, which was founded by French trail runners in 2009 and is renowned for its oversized, cushioned midsoles with Meta-Rocker geometry and lightweight materials. Deckers Outdoor Corporation acquired the brand in 2013 and own countless registered designs. An example being International Design D1063340, filed in 2013, indicating a footwear midsole. Registered design protection is vital for HOKA as it competes against brands in multiple sectors of the footwear industry.
Figure illustrating International Design D1063340
Whilst HOKA trainers were clearly designed for performance running, their bold and comfortable style has gained traction in the fashion industry with the continuing rise of luxury athleisure. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see London Marathon spectators wearing a pair on the 27th.
London Marathon 2025
The London Marathon 2025 is an opportunity for these brands to display their latest footwear technology and keep up with the developing market. We will be interested to see what the “fastest shoe” of the 2025 marathon will look like, and how brands will manage to use design and technology to rival their competitors whilst continuing to ensure that resulting performance gains are legal from the perspective of World Athletics.
Will a new contender rise to the top, or will the established players continue their dominance, supported by their expansive IP portfolio?
At Reddie & Grose LLP, we have extensive experience in filing patents and registered designs and would be happy to offer advice on the intellectual property protection surrounding innovations in shoe design, materials, and functionality. Keep an eye out for further updates post-marathon!
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
[1] The 2 Key Technologies That Make the adizero Range Our Fastest Ever
