Nike's Bret Schoolmeester has worked on super shoes since the very first prototype. Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr sit down with him just after the launch of the Nike Alphafly 4 to talk about the past, present and future of the carbon-plated racing shoe.
Bret goes back to 2015, when Nike set out to help a human break two hours in the marathon, and explains how a scoop-shaped carbon plate and an experimental PEBA foam got cobbled into a Streak 6 upper and became the shoe that changed the sport. He then gets into the details of the Alphafly 4: the new ZoomX LT foam, why Nike is sticking with Zoom Air pods and a full carbon plate, why the launch was moved up for Andreas Almgren and the World Road Running Championships, and why he calls it the biggest leap since the original Alphafly.
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Marathon Handbook's weekly podcast covers everything you need to know about running, from running your first 5K to qualifying for the Boston Marathon! Each week, our editors chat about what's going on in the running scene, as well as timely training tips, the best new gear, and what's happening at the world's biggest races. We'll cover everything from the Boston Marathon to the Barkley Marathons, often podding live from the most important moments in running! Watch our video podcast each week on YouTube, and listen to it wherever you get your podcasts! Inquiries: podcast@marathonhandbook.com