If you’ve hung around the finish line of a World Marathon Major this year, you might have seen a similar scene play out.
The winner crosses the finish line, celebrates, then, moments after running at a pace incomprehensible to most of us, poses with a pair of shoes and hoists them into the air.
Lately, it’s been the same pair of shoes.
Since Adidas unveiled the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 days before the London Marathon in April, the shoe has been on the feet of seven of the past eight winners of World Marathon Majors. The $500 super shoe weighs under 100 grams—about the same as a stick of butter—and Adidas claims it has “11 percent greater forefoot energy return” than its predecessor, the Pro Evo 2.
The Pro Evo 3 is part of a growing category of shoes referred to as “hyper shoes” by the shoe nerd community. These are ultralight, advanced marathon shoes that are designed specifically for elite athletes, not the rest of us mortals. The bouncy, lightweight foam can feel unstable to the average runner; they’re designed for speed over comfort and durability. Hyper shoes are also often considerably more expensive than the brands’ more accessible super shoes, like the Adios Pro 5. (The Pro Evo 3 is rarely available to purchase, but Adidas is restocking it on October 29.)
While other brands have ventured into hyper shoes, including Nike with the Apex and Asics with the Metaspeed Ray, Adidas has dominated the front of marathon races lately.
Sabastian Sawe wore the Pro Evo 3 when he set the world record, 1:59:30, at the London Marathon, and Tigst Assefa wore it when she ran the women’s-only world record of 2:15:41 the same day. At the Berlin Marathon in September—an Adidas-sponsored race—the Pro Evo 3 was worn by the entire men’s and women’s podiums. Since the Pro Evo 3 debuted, it has appeared on the podium in 15 of 24 available spots at World Marathon Majors.
Here’s a look at the shoe choice for the winners of the World Marathon Majors so far this year. (The final major on the 2026 calendar, the NYC Marathon, is set for November 1.)
Tokyo Marathon
Men’s winner: Tadesse Takele
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1
Women’s winner: Brigid Kosgei
Shoe: Nike Vaporfly 4
Boston Marathon
Men’s winner: John Korir
Shoe: Asics Metaspeed Sky prototype
Women’s winner: Sharon Lokedi
Shoe: Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
London Marathon
Men’s winner: Sabastian Sawe
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Women’s winner: Tigst Assefa
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Sydney Marathon
Men’s winner: Addisu Gobena
Shoe: Nike Alphafly 4 prototype
Women’s winner: Peres Jepchirchir
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Berlin Marathon
Men’s winner: Guye Adola
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Women’s winner: Tigst Assefa
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 (development version)
Chicago Marathon
Men’s winner: Amos Kipruto
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
Women’s winner: Hawi Feysa
Shoe: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3
When super shoes first started appearing in major races in the late 2010s, Nike dominated. The Vaporfly, and later the Alphafly, were synonymous with elite marathons and brands rushed to produce their own.
But this time, in the hyper shoe era, Adidas has emerged as the industry leader—and other brands are racing to keep up. Asics debuted the Metaspeed Ray last year, a lighter alternative to its Edge and Sky, and Nike announced the Apex ahead of last week’s Chicago Marathon, which the brand claims has up to 40 percent more energy return than the Alphafly 3.
The New York City Marathon on November 1 is the final chance for other brands to break up Adidas on the podium this year. Adidas will be led by former winners Benson Kipruto and Sheila Chepkirui. But athletes like Hellen Obiri (On) and Deresa Geleta (Nike) could spoil the party. It’s also worth noting that Nike and Adidas have historically had the deepest pockets to sponsor the world’s best runners, so there’s a bit of a pay-to-play element.
Either way, Adidas has had plenty to celebrate during the 2026 season. The super shoe wars are heating up, and the Pro Evo 3 has the biggest target on its back.
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Theo Kahler is the senior news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:37 in the half marathon, and finished 40th at the 2025 New York City Marathon. He enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
