Hacker News Reader

Comment by jolt42 | Hacker News Reader

Agreed. Wasn't track barefoot back in the day? I mean even shoes are an advantage. Swimming sped up after goggles and swimcaps were accepted. I think it's all just where do you decide to draw the line? I've thought badminton is an odd sport, the shuttlecock is so slow anyone can (normally) play it - it's very inefficient. And don't get me started on equestrian if grandpa can win it then shouldn't the horse get the medal?

View on HN

For sprints, shoes give additional traction for faster starts, but don't increase running efficiency. For distance events, shoes were just extra weight, and barefoot runners have won Olympic competitions.[1] Recently, springy "super shoe" designs have shown up.[2] They've been banned from most competitions, but it looks like less effective versions of the design are still allowed under current rules.

I would prefer that shoes be restricted to designs that don't allow for higher efficiency than barefoot running, but sport rules tend to lag technology advances.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abebe_Bikila

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Vaporfly_and_Tokyo_2020_O...

The economic survival of running as an elite or professional sport depends on sponsorship from shoe companies. So super shoes aren't going to be banned. It's too late to go back.

World Athletics defines the rules for shoes in most running events. They're limited to a stack height of 20mm or 40mm depending on the event (along with certain other limits).

https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/book-of-rule...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com