Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri is set to make her London Marathon debut this Sunday, aiming to surpass her personal best of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 41 seconds, which she achieved at the Boston Marathon last year. To aid in her pursuit of a faster time, Obiri will wear On Holding AG’s LightSpray Cloudboom Strike, a lightweight, laceless racing shoe priced at $330 and manufactured using robotic technology. The London course, known for its flatter terrain, offers conditions more conducive to fast times than Boston.

In recent years, distance running has experienced significant technological shifts driven by advancements in footwear design. Brands such as Adidas, Nike, Brooks, Hoka, and On Holding AG are engaged in a competitive race to create lighter shoes with enhanced energy return, often incorporating carbon-fiber plates and new foam formulations to improve propulsion. For these companies, success in high-profile events provides critical brand validation amid a booming U.S. running shoe market, which grew 13% to $8.1 billion over the last year, according to market data.

While athlete preparation remains the foremost factor influencing performance, their collaboration with shoe developers has become increasingly integral. On Holding AG’s co-founder Olivier Bernhard highlighted the importance of athlete feedback, saying the company often deploys multiple staffers to training camps to collect real-world data, which helps refine shoe performance.

The interplay between elite marathoners and shoe companies has a rich history marked by dramatic moments. Nike founder Phil Knight once recounted in his memoir how American marathoner Frank Shorter wore rival Onitsuka Tigers over Nike shoes at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, reflecting early brand competition. More recently, Eliud Kipchoge’s use of Nike’s carbon-plated prototypes, despite equipment issues, culminated in his 2019 sub-two-hour marathon, cementing Nike’s influence in the sport.

Following Nike’s lead, numerous companies have introduced successive generations of so-called “super shoes,” each iteration offering improvements in foam technology and sole geometry. However, this rapid innovation also posed challenges. Alistair Cragg, head coach of Puma Elite Running Team, noted that during the initial wave of super shoe releases, many athletes experienced injuries linked to altered running mechanics. He emphasized the need for stability, advising Puma to prioritize heel support in its development, and continues to restrict use of newer models to key workouts and races.

Puma’s current offerings, such as the $300 Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, are supported by research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst indicating they can improve running economy by up to 3.6%. Three of Cragg’s male athletes will compete in London wearing these shoes.

On Holding AG’s 2024 innovation centers on the Cloudboom Strike’s upper, where robotic spray technology applies a plastic coating to the sole, creating a custom fit. Obiri tested several prototypes during training in Boulder, Colorado, experimenting with various materials and spray applications to optimize comfort and performance. Despite initial difficulties in changing shoes during runs, Obiri identified a preferred model and wore it to victory in Boston, posting a 2:22:37 finish and subsequently earning an Olympic bronze medal in Paris.

As she targets a faster mark in London, Obiri faces notable competitors including Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, who holds the women-only marathon world record at 2:15:50 set in the same city last year. Assefa benefits from Adidas’s own competitive footwear technology, underscoring the ongoing rivalry between top brands in the quest for marathon supremacy.