Get ready, sneakerheads and running enthusiasts, because the highly anticipated clash between Nike’s AlphaFly 3 and adidas’ Adios Pro Evo 1 is about to unfold at the upcoming New York City Marathon. This is the ultimate stage where these two mighty “super shoes” will battle it out for running world dominance as we head into 2024.

adidas knows it’s up against some fierce competition with its ultra-limited Adios Pro Evo 1, which comes with a jaw-dropping price tag of $500 USD. Meanwhile, Nike’s AlphaFly has already made waves with its impressive performance at the Chicago Marathon, where Kelvin Kiptum shattered the world record by completing 26.2 miles in a mere 2 hours and 35 seconds wearing the third iteration of these bad boys. On the other hand, adidas’ Adios Pro Evo 1 has yet to secure any major wins since its debut in mid-September, except for Tigst Assefa’s mind-blowing record-breaking performance at the Berlin Marathon for the women’s division.

adidas had pinned its hopes on Evans Chebet, the back-to-back winner of the Boston Marathon, to carry their banner in the NYC Marathon. Unfortunately, Chebet dropped out, leaving the Adidas team in a quandary. However, there is still a glimmer of hope in the form of fellow teammate Tamirat Tola, who might lace up the Adios Pro Evo 1 on Sunday. Tola recently stunned the running world by wearing the award-winning Adizero Adios Pro 3 in the AJ Bell Great North Run. On the Nike side, their star runner, Geoffrey Kamworor, who donned the AlphaFly 3 for his impressive second-place finish at the London Marathon, withdrew from the New York City race and handed the torch to teammates Shura Kitata and Abdi Nageeye – both accomplished sub-2-hour and 5-minute marathoners. These elite runners might ultimately opt for the crowd-favorite VaporFly 3, another weapon in Nike’s arsenal of successful race-day shoes.

Of course, there’s another marathon menace looming on the horizon. Meet Canada’s fastest marathoner, Cam Levins, who plans to disrupt the dominance of adidas and Nike with his outstanding performance in the ASICS METASPEED EDGE+. Will he be the dark horse in this thrilling rivalry?

Regardless of which shoe claims the top spot on the podium come Sunday, both the Men’s and Women’s winners will solidify their reputation as the possessors of the ultimate marathon race shoe heading into the 2024 season. It’s a battle for supremacy that you simply cannot afford to miss. Lace up your own kicks, grab your popcorn, and get ready for a showdown of epic proportions. The sneaker world will never be the same.