Inside the 97-Gram Ksh 64, 600 Unreleased 'Supershoe' Sabastian Sawe Wore to Win London Marathon

A historic day at the London Marathon saw Sabastian Sawe, Yomif Kejelcha, and Tigist Assefa all break records while wearing the same unreleased, sub-100-gram Adidas running shoe, sparking conversations about the role of technology in modern athletics.

Kenyan star Sabastian Sawe delivered a stunning performance, becoming the first athlete to officially run a marathon in under two hours.

He crossed the finish line with an incredible time of 1:59:30, shattering the previous world record held by his compatriot, the late Kelvin Kiptum.

Hot on his heels was Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who also made history by becoming the second person to break the two-hour barrier, finishing with a time of 1:59:41.

In the women's race, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa set a new women-only world record of 2:15:41, improving her own previous best by nine seconds.

The common thread linking these remarkable achievements is the revolutionary footwear worn by all three athletes: the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3.

"To break the world record is something I have dreamed about for a long time, and to achieve it means so much to me and to the sport of running," Sawe said after the race.

"It reflects the hard work behind the scenes, the support of my team, and the role of innovation in helping me push beyond limits. I’m honoured to be part of a new chapter for the sport."

Major athletic brands have long been in a race to develop lighter and faster footwear, and the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 represents a new frontier.

Weighing a mere 97 grams for a UK size 8.5, Adidas has dubbed it their "sub-100-gram supershoe." This is a significant reduction from the 138-200g weight of typical professional running shoes.

The shoe is not yet available to the public and is currently offered only to select elite runners. It is expected to launch worldwide around September with a retail price of approximately $500 (Ksh 64,600).

Patrick Nava, GM of Running at Adidas, explained the intensive development process. "We went through more than a dozen iterations, working closely with our athletes and testing everywhere from our labs in Herzogenaurach to high-altitude camps in Kenya and Ethiopia," he stated as per First Post.

"At that level, every detail really matters... It was a long process, but it’s led to something we believe genuinely changes what a race-day shoe can feel like."

First introduced in 2023, the shoe has undergone several revisions and has already been linked to over 30 race wins and three world records.

Its design prioritises speed above all else, featuring an extremely thin textile layer and an outsole without traditional grip.

According to Adidas, the shoe's minimalist construction means it is designed to be worn for only a single race. Despite its radical design, the Adios Pro Evo 3 has received approval from World Athletics for use in official competitions.

The shoe's impact was also seen at the New York Half Marathon, where women's elite runner Peres Jepchirchir wore it on her way to victory, further cementing its reputation as a game-changer in distance running.