Nike is famous for and VERY good at marketing. But many times there is actually science and engineering behind the products that the sporting goods behemoth makes. The Nike Vaporfly 4% shoe is like that. Many scoffed at the claims about the shoe - that was in part designed and engineered for Eliud Kipchoge's attempt to break the 2 hour barrier in the Marathon - which he almost did! After-the-fact 3rd party research has confirmed that Nike's claims are correct - the 4% does make a runner 4% more efficient and thus potentially faster.
Alex Hutchinson who has become the go-to writer for this sort of thing in Endurance Sports confirms all of this here - https://www.outsideonline.com/...campaign=onsiteshare
Put this all together - the science that actually works, AND Nike's famous marketing muscle, and you have a shoe that Nike can't keep in stock or make fast enough. I note that Nike took a HUGE jump up the Kona Shoe Count this year to 2nd spot just behind Hoka - Many 4% included in that. And at large fall marathons like the NYC Marathon, it seemed every 2 or 4th runner was wearing the 4%
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Alex Hutchinson who has become the go-to writer for this sort of thing in Endurance Sports confirms all of this here - https://www.outsideonline.com/...campaign=onsiteshare
Put this all together - the science that actually works, AND Nike's famous marketing muscle, and you have a shoe that Nike can't keep in stock or make fast enough. I note that Nike took a HUGE jump up the Kona Shoe Count this year to 2nd spot just behind Hoka - Many 4% included in that. And at large fall marathons like the NYC Marathon, it seemed every 2 or 4th runner was wearing the 4%
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog