Nike’s Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint is a 3D-printed trainer for marathon masters

We’d be pretty overjoyed to get through any marathon without collapsing into a spluttering heap, but Eliud Kipchoge sets himself slightly more ambitious goals. The Kenyan can claim to have run the 26.2 miles in two hours and 25 seconds, but he still hasn’t quite managed to crack the elusive two hour mark. This, he reckons, is because his Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elite running shoes get bogged down by water, adding unwanted heft. Nike’s design wizards took this on board, and came back with the Flyprint, and enhanced version of Kipchoge’s kicks that employ computational design to boost performance. The shoe’s 3D-printed upper clocks in at 11g lighter than its predecessor, while the breathable fabric absorbs less moisture. Best of all, the technique can easily can be tailored to individual athletes. Kipchoge will no doubt be rocking a pair at the London Marathon this weekend, but a limited number will also be made available through the Nike app in the lead-up to the event.