Kenyan long-distance runner Kelvin Kiptum made history just a few months ago at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon when he ran the first sub-two hour and one minute marathon in human history, breaking Eliud Kipchoge's previous world record of 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.

Both athletes are sponsored by Nike and have been wearing their latest in marathon running technology, the Nike Alphafly 3. The public will now see an earlier release than expected as the shoes will be available in January. Check out our Sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!

The Nikes Kelvin Kiptum was wearing when he shattered the marathon world record

Kelvin Kiptum was wearing the Nike Alphafly 3 when he ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:00:35. It was 34 seconds faster than Kipchoge's previous record and while the time is solely because of Kiptum's hard work and dedication, he certainly received a boost from his sponsors over at Nike. Nike's Alphafly 3 is the world's latest in marathon running and it's based on three core tenets: light, comfortable, and able to go the distance.

The Nike Alphafly 3 comes after decades of tireless work and countless iterations of trial-and-error to finally come up with the perfect running shoe. The newest model comes after releases of the Nike Alphafly NEXT% in 2018 and the Nike Alphafly 2 in 2022. The shoe features the same ZoomX midsole, but this time is built all the way through in one piece, rather than a heel and toe portion like on previous models. The shoes also feature lighter uppers and a new lacing system to maximize comfort and stability.

Without a doubt, this is Nike's lightest and most comfortable running sneaker to date. The seamlessness in the impact and ability to roll of the ground make them one of the highest performing shoes on the market, period. It's no surprise that professional runners are posting world record times in these, but it begs the question: How much further can Nike take their running tech?

The shoes will come in Nike's signature “Prototype” colorway, an unfinished look with design markings throughout the shoe made to resemble what a working prototype would look like. It's an extremely clean colorway with White/Black/Orange and it's suitable considering it's the only version we've seen of these so far.

Runners will have a chance to grab these earlier than expected, as they'll be coming out on January 4, 2024. They'll be made available on Nike.com and Nike SNKRS app for a price tag of $285. The price may seem outrageous for a running shoe, but the years of work and technology behind the midsole makes these the best running shoes on the planet.

Will you be beating your PR in these?