# Efficiency-Improving Marathon Shoes The Nike Vaporfly 4% Runners Improve Marathon Race Times By Joey Haar | Published 2017-11-08 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-vaporfly-4 References: [wired](https://www.wired.com/story/do-nike-zoom-vaporfly-make-you-run-faster/) & [store.nike](https://store.nike.com/ca/en_gb/pd/zoom-vaporfly-4-running-shoe/pid-11833217/pgid-11797687) This past summer, [Nike](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-vaporfly-3) made the news thanks to its much publicized marathon in which it pushed one of the world's fastest marathoners to run a sub-two-hour race, and that stunt was all meant to hype up the Nike Vaporfly 4%, the athletic brand's recently released [elite running shoe](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tracksmith-eliot-racer). The runners are designed specifically for both [experienced and new marathon runners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoka-rocket-x-3), with design features that have the potential to drastically improve race times. As its name suggests, the Nike Vaporfly 4% runners have the potential to contribute to a four percent reduction in race time for any runner, all else being equal. Four percent might not sound like much, but over the course of a marathon, it could be as much as 10 minutes or more. If all it took to run a marathon 10 minutes faster was a pair of shoes, any racer would jump at the chance, and that jump will feel extra comfortable in a pair of Vaporfly 4% runners. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 64% | Activity: 70% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Efficiency-improving Runners:** Develop and innovate on high-performance athletic footwear to improve running efficiency and reduce marathon race times. - **Personalized Marathon Training:** Invest in technologies that enable personalized training plans, tailored to individual runners, that are designed to maximize performance with specific shoe models like the Nike Vaporfly 4%. - **Environmental Sustainable Athletic Footwear:** Manufacture and promote eco-friendly and sustainable marathon shoes to meet the market demand and reduce negative impact of footwear production on the environment. ### Who This Affects Most - **Athletic Footwear Industry:** Athletic shoe manufacturers can leverage new technologies to develop efficient and marketable running shoes. - **Sporting Goods Industry:** Increase innovation on performance enhancing sporting goods products, starting with running shoes, to keep up with growing demands of sports enthusiasts. - **Sustainability Industry:** Increase investment in eco-friendly manufacturing processes and materials to meet growing market demand for environmentally conscious footwear. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Inclusive Road Runner Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-vaporfly-3.md) - [Marathon Season-Ready Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marathon-majors.md) - [Speed-Optimizing Running Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adios-pro-4.md) - [Superior Ultramarathon Sneaker Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adidas-adizero-prime-x-evo.md) - [Exceptional Energy Return Runners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fuelcell-sc-elite-v4.md) - [Athletic Performance Essentials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-running-collection.md) - [High-Mileage Off-Grid Trail Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-zegama-2.md) - [Hyper-Futuristic Running Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fast-rb-nitrotm-elite.md) - [Premium Technical Runners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rebel-v4.md)