Eliud Kipchoge: A Look Inside the Prototype Shoe He Wore to a 17th-Place Finish at New York City Marathon

A behind-the-scenes look at the exclusive Nike prototype that accompanied Eliud Kipchoge in his 17th-place finish at the 2025 New York City Marathon.

Eliud Kipchoge's debut at the 2025 New York City Marathon saw the greatest marathoner of all time complete his quest for all six Abbott World Marathon Majors.

While his 17th-place finish in 2:14:36 was a surprise on the notoriously unpredictable New York course, the shoes on Eliud Kipchoge's feet may have been one of the most intriguing pieces of technology on display.

The shoe, a state-of-the-art, non-retail prototype designated the Nike ‘Dev 16141,’ was what Eliud Kipchoge wore as he set out to conquer the marathon.

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Just days before the race on November 2, 2025, the mysterious ‘Nike-Dev 16141’ was formally added to World Athletics' official list of approved competition shoes, a necessary step that made it eligible for the demanding 26.2-mile journey through the five boroughs.

Eliud Kipchoge: The Nike Super-Shoe that He Wore at the New York City Marathon

The ‘Dev 16141’ is undoubtedly an evolution of the revolutionary 'super-shoe' lineage that Eliud Kipchoge himself helped popularise.

The shoe has the Nike ZoomX foam for maximum cushioning and exceptional energy return, a full-length carbon-fibre plate for stiffness and forward propulsion, and an ultra-lightweight upper.

Taking on New York's challenging bridges, uneven surfaces, and rolling hills requires a shoe with a specific blend of responsiveness and stability.

The ‘Dev 16141’ is believed to feature subtle, course-specific refinements, including a denser layer of ZoomX or a modified plate geometry to better handle the repeated impact and changes in elevation that characterise the NYC course.

The goal is to minimise energy loss and maximise the kinetic return from every stride, a principle Kipchoge lives by in his pursuit of ‘a limitless mind.’

For the New York race, Eliud Kipchoge also debuted a custom Nike Radical AirFlow top, a garment originally adapted from the All Conditions Gear (ACG) trail line, which speaks volumes about Nike's meticulous, athlete-driven development process.

Wearing the ‘Dev 16141’ in a race that completed his six-major achievement placed the shoe at the centre of a historic moment, confirming his role not just as a runner, but as a key architect of running’s technological future.

Retail Status and Price

The single most important fact about the Nike ‘Dev 16141’ is that it is not currently available for retail purchase. As a prototype, a development model, it is exclusive to Eliud Kipchoge and a select few elite testers.

Therefore, the ‘Dev 16141’ has no official consumer price. However, to celebrate Eliud Kipchoge’s New York debut and his legacy, Nike released an Eliud Kipchoge-inspired colourway collection just before the race, allowing everyday runners to own a piece of the marathon maestro's spirit.

These shoes, which feature a unique palette of Silt Red, Fire Pink, and Green Shock, and include graphics nodding to the Kenyan dirt of his training camp, are available at retail.

The Nike Zoom Fly 6 (Eliud Kipchoge Colourway) goes for $180, the Nike Vaporfly 4 (Eliud Kipchoge Colourway) goes for $270, while the Nike Alphafly 3 (Eliud Kipchoge Colourway) goes for $295.

While these retail versions carry his inspirational colour scheme and are amongst the best-performing shoes on the market, the actual model worn by Eliud Kipchoge, the ‘Dev 16141’, remains a priceless and exclusive tool.