A LOOK AT HOW THE LATEST SHOE RULES COULD IMPACT TRIATHLETES OF ALL LEVELS

IN 2020, WORLD Athletics (the governing body of track and field) announced a ban on “super shoes”—products that many believed were the reason for record-breaking performances in recent years. Following this news from World Athletics, super shoes became a hot topic in the world of triathlon, too, but it took two years for any similar rules to be solidified, but World Triathlon recently decided to enact a ban on this footwear starting in 2023. In February, just a couple of months after World Triathlon’s ban was announced, Ironman decided to follow suit, prohibiting all athletes from using super shoes in competition. This ban will not only impact pros like Gustav Iden, who flew to a record-smashing win in Kona in a pair of prototype shoes that don’t meet the new standards (more on those below), but also you, an age-group triathlete. To make sure you don’t accidentally show up to your race in now-illegal shoes, we’ve got all of the rules listed below.

Not too tall

The shoe rules are the same across the board, from World Athletics to World Triathlon to Ironman. They mainly deal with the thickness of a shoe’s sole and any plates a shoe may contain. Firstly, the sole may not be thicker than 40 mm. When Iden won Kona last fall, his On Cloudboom Echo 3s featured soles thicker than 40 mm, so if he plans to defend his Ironman world title this year, he’ll have to opt for a different model. (While the prototype version of the Echo 3s Iden used in Kona are now illegal in both World Triathlon and Ironman races, the regular version of the shoe features a 35-mm stack, so they’re fair game.)

Plate issues

Carbon-plated shoes have taken the running and triathlon worlds by storm since the late 2010s, which was when the topic of super shoes really gained traction and forced World Athletics to consider banning certain features. While carbon is the material most often used for super shoes, the ban covers any type of plate.

The new rules state that shoes cannot contain “more than one rigid embedded plate or blade … that runs either the full length or only part of the length of the shoe.” Many shoes sold now have plates that run from heel to toe within their midsole, and that is completely fine, just as long as it’s a lone plate and not multiple.

What do you need to do?

You might be thinking that this is ridiculous and that you, an amateur triathlete, shouldn’t be concerned with a ban on shoes that was created for pros, but that’s not the case. Just like any professional triathlete, you could be pulled aside by officials at your next race if your shoes look like they’re illegal. If this happens to you and it’s determined that your shoes do, in fact, break the rules, you will be disqualified. Also, the risk of being caught aside, wouldn’t it just feel wrong to knowingly ignore the rules?

Really, all you need to do now is make sure that whatever shoes you look into buying conform to the two rules listed above. Check the thickness of the shoe’s sole before you swipe your credit card and if they’re plated, make sure that they only have one plate. If you’re unsure how to figure out these details, ask around at your local run shop. Even if the salesperson doesn’t know the difference between a legal and banned shoe, they’ll be able to tell you the shoe’s specs, which is the key to knowing you’ve got a World Athletics, World Triathlon and Ironman rule-conforming shoe.—BS-M