According to The Guardian, the Technical Commission of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) has appointed a working group of two former athletes and experts in science, ethics, footwear, biomechanics and law to review Nike's Vaporfly running shoes for possible competitive advantages that would run counter to its regulations. The original Vaporfly, introduced in 2016, features a full-length carbon-fiber plate embedded in its foam midsole to increase propulsion. The more recent ZoomX Vaporfly Next% added a more breathable material, extra foam, a redesigned track pattern and a foam pod to support the Achilles tendon. Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei, both of Kenya, performed exploits while wearing the shoes. Kipchoge became the first runner to finish a marathon in under two hours, while Kosgei set a women's world record. The Vaporfly is used more frequently in triathlons – for example, by Anne Haug, the German winner in Hawaii. Until now, the rule has been that a shoe must be freely accessible to all athletes and must not offer an unfair advantage, such as “motor assistance.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the data of 15,000 Strava athletes who participated in the last five Abbott World Marathon Majors showed that over 1,000 runners used either Zoom Vaporfly or Next% models and that there was a significant gap in race times before the next best performing shoe, the Adidas Boston Boost, made an appearance. An official report on the issue by the IAAF's Technical Committee is not expected before the end of the year. Nike has not yet publicly commented.

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