I will be running the Paris marathon on Sunday and rain is forecasted for race day.
I plan on using my Nike Vaporfly 3, but I feel like they lack grip and lose efficiency on wet roads. I was thinking of using surf wax on the sole of the shoe to increase grip for race day. Has anyone tried anything similar before? Or does that sound like a bad idea? (I have not seen anything online about this…)
What could you recommend to increase traction/ grip on these shoes?
Otherwise, I own a pair of Nike Ultrafly that could be an option as well. Any recommendations?
Thank you very much!
PS: My main concern is not safety but speed. Target time will be 2.42, my PB is 2.39
How many metres do you expect the wax to last…? If serious perhaps some skateboard grip tape would work better but really anything you do will wear off in no time.
That was actually a serious question (but I was expecting some funny answers).
I will give it a try before the race, but you’re right it may wear off way too quickly…
I’ll look into the skateboarding tape, thx !
If you have surf wax handy, go ahead and give it try; test it out for yourself on the next rainy day you have … but I wouldn’t go out and buy any, just for kicks
Like @gunna said, don’t expect whatever improvement in grip you get (if any?) to last very long - I’m even thinking it might get worse
Good luck, be careful, and let us know if it works out
Might be too late, but use a different super shoe? I find I can run in the ASICS, Nikes, and others just fine and they have varying degrees of traction. I think Saucony have the best traction, followed by ASICS, with Nike last. If you can get one practice run in before the race and have no hot spots after 3 miles, use those.
Thank you for all the input. I’ve tried the surf wax and it’s pretty useless, at least I didn’t notice any improvement.
I picked up my bib yesterday and asked around the expo about differences in grip for supershoes. I heard the same thing about Asics. I even heard that Adidas had the continental rubber and this was the best traction for a supershoe in the market. Not sure if I’m ready to buy it now though…
Thanks for doing the research that no one else ever has before - as far as we know, anyway
Now, if someone else ever thinks to ask “Siri … does surf wax on a running shoe help grip?” they will be directed here and see “nope, but thanks for asking”
I’m been wearing asics for ages now and never heard about the Conti rubber soles
I believe one of the basketball shoe brands was marketing a shoe strictly for outdoor/street ball a couple of years ago with a sole made by Goodyear? Supposedly for better durability on the wear & tear of asphalt, not necessarily for better grip
I had a friend who was a climber, and he would tell me of climbing shoes which were “sticky” - not because there was any actual adhesive on them, but the way the rubber compound reacted with the rocks, somehow? Again, I don’t know if using that sort of rubber on a street racing/training shoe would be worth it for any brand to explore (R&D money being hard to come by, I’m sure)
I’ve never had a truly sticky (or they adhere to things) pair of climbing shoes, but they tend to be very soft rubber that does grip exceptionally (and wears out crazy fast).
La Sportiva uses low end climbing rubber on the soles of some of their high end running shoes. It’s probably better than normal generic shoe material in rain, but keeping climbing shoes dry is a big deal because they suck wet.
Using surf wax on your Vaporfly 3 soles isn’t advisable; it could alter the shoe’s performance and isn’t designed for running. While the Vaporfly 3 offers improved traction over previous models, its grip in wet conditions remains a concern. Given the forecasted rain, your Nike Ultrafly, equipped with a Vibram Megagrip outsole, would provide superior traction on wet surfaces. Although slightly heavier, the Ultrafly’s enhanced grip could help maintain your target pace safely.
Quick update on my race: I ended up running in the Vaporfly 3. The pavement was slightly wet, not too bad, and I did not have any major slipping issues, even in the corners.
Bottom line, the Vaporfly 3 are quite reliable in wet conditions!
I even ran a PB in 2:34.
Adidas just came out with a new grippy rubber for their super shoes. It looks a lot like urethane. I’ve had several with the Conti rubber and it wore well, but not as grippy as asics ahar.
