Nike Alphafly 4: How new foam and carbon-fibre technology aims to improve marathon performance

Nike’s Alphafly 4 brings new ZoomX LT foam, a redesigned carbon-fibre Flyplate and lighter Air Zoom pods. The marathon racer aims to improve energy return, stability and running efficiency while building on technology developed through Nike’s Breaking2 project and elite athlete testing.

New Delhi: Nike has introduced the Alphafly 4, the latest generation of its high-end marathon racing shoe bringing changes to its foam, carbon-fibre plate, Air Zoom pods and outsole. The company says the new model is lighter and more responsive than earlier Alphafly versions.

The shoe has been developed around a simple idea to help runners make better use of the energy produced with every stride. Nike says the Alphafly 4 combines a new foam and carbon-fibre plate system that delivers 8 per cent more energy return than the Alphafly 3, while the shoe itself is 5 per cent lighter.

The technology behind the shoe is closely linked to the concept of running economy. In simple terms, running economy looks at how much oxygen a runner needs to maintain a particular pace. A runner who uses less energy to maintain that pace can potentially........

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