Paris Olympics 2024: Nike Remains Silent Over Fresh Release of Marathon Shoe Worn by Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge

Nike has released their brand new lineup for the Paris Olympics in 2024 and yet people are unhappy. Athletes gearing up for the Olympics will be seen donning the latest Maxfly 2 from Nike. According to reports, the shoes will come with several advances from the Nike Air series. Such fine-tuning would be done to fit the comfort of athletes from different disciplines. For example, athletes like LeBron James will be getting better energy returns while donning a Nike GT Hustle 3. 

On the flip side, the running spikes would allow for better stability, with a significantly flatter ground-facing profile. However, despite all the latest technological advances, several fans were left wondering what happened to its flagship series, Alphafly 3. This is the same shoe that Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum wore while smashing a marathon world record. 

Nike remains silent on Alphafly 3 updates ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum, and Sifan Hassan have one thing in common. All three of them ran incredibly fast during their marathon events, and they were wearing the same shoe- Nike Alphafly 3. Setting a new world record in Chicago last October, Kiptum clocked a marathon time of 2hrs and 35s. Following suit, the Kenyan talent, Kipchoge, ran 42.2 kilometers in under two hours- a feat never achieved till now. 

Looking at the time athletes were making while wearing the Alphafly 3, murmurs of the shoe enhancing athlete’s performance began brewing. Things got out of hand when Hassan almost broke the women’s record after clocking 2:13.44s. Following the results, the World Athletics questioned whether Nike’s shoes were disturbing the integrity of the game. 

However, even as the shoe was controversial, fans wanted to know more about Alphafly 3. Unfortunately, Nike disappointed them by not specifying any new updates on the shoe. Now, it would be interesting to see if the brand does come out with late updates. Meanwhile, there have been other instances of Nike getting into controversy this season. 

Nike sparks controversy over recently launched sculptures

Ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024, Nike decided to release sculptures of their athletes. In their bid to orchestrate a special welcome, Nike released sculpted figures of Kylian Mbappe, LeBron James, and Sha’Carri Richardson. It was the statue of Richardson that drove the Jamaican track community into a frenzy. Taking to social media, the Jamaican fans questioned the omission of Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, who was also registered with Nike. 

Within days of this controversy, Nike also had to digest a subtle dig for their newly released Olympic gear for the US National Team. Soon after the first look, US athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall replied on her Instagram story, asking Nike for a “second look”.