Sports Engineering

The Components of Nike Super Shoes

The parts that make super shoes faster than regular shoes

By: Megan Lai, Journalist

March 12, 2025

From a leather shoe with thick soles and spikes on the bottom to the current carbon plated and flexible shoe, sports technology keeps getting better every generation. These advances have helped humans achieve crazy accomplishments, like when Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon (a bit more than 26 miles) in less than 2 hours. Let’s take a deeper dive into what makes the newest models of Nike shoes so efficient.

Components

The Nike Vaporfly shoe, which was used by Eliud Kipchoge in his world-record breaking run, has many components that help enhance a runner’s performance. It is made of the upper part of the shoe (covers the foot), the midsole (underneath your foot), the carbon-fiber plate, and the outsole (directly touches the ground). The first part mentioned was the upper part of the shoe. It is made out of a lightweight material called Flyknit or VaporWeave depending on the shoe. This material is breathable, and it provides support for the runner’s foot. The second part of the shoe is the midsole, which is made out of a foam called ZoomX, developed by Nike. This foam is great at energy return, which means that it can act as a small trampoline and spring the energy, put into the foam, forward. The stack height for the foam is around one inch at the heel of the shoe. Inside the foam, there is a carbon-fiber plate, also known as the Flyplate. This plate also helps with energy return, and can act as a lever, pushing you forward. Finally, the outsole is made out of rubber that helps the runner have better grip on the ground. Some shoes may even include extra air pockets that help the runner run faster.

Impact on Performance

Together, all of the components make a durable and high-tech shoe. However, how do the components make the shoe so much faster than other shoes? An important concept mentioned earlier was energy return, and this is a key factor on how the shoe improves performance. The energy return acts as an extra boost to help propel the runner forward. Nike’s Vaporfly specifically has certain components that maximize the energy return, making it easier for the runner to run further and faster. The large amount of foam in the shoe also helps with comfort. The runner would be able to run for a longer time, and for longer distances if the shoe is comfortable and fitting. Additionally, the amount of flexibility that Nike super shoes have help increase the mobility that the runners can have while wearing the shoes. These ideas help runners achieve so many great things. Many companies also continue to improve their shoes to add more components like Nike shoes.

With all of these improvements continuing to happen and improve sports, who knows what humans will be able to accomplish when they utilize new and amazing technological equipment.