Nike's Alphafly 4 Skips the Runway and Goes Straight to the Sidewalk

Nike released its newest super shoe, the Alphafly 4, without the usual industry lead time, catching runners off guard with the sudden availability. The update sheds weight from the line's earlier builds and, notably, draws on radio wave technology as part of what gives it extra spring underfoot. It is an unusual bit of engineering to land in a shoe box, and a reminder that the marathon crowd's gear now borrows as much from a lab as from a design studio. For New York's early risers logging miles before the workday starts, a lighter, more responsive shoe is the kind of upgrade that actually changes the morning. Nike has not detailed exactly how the radio wave element functions, only that it factors into the shoe's added energy return.

With reporting from WWD.