The Fastest Shoes of The 2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championships
We look at what the top-10 men and women in Kona were wearing out on the run.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Curious what shoes the fastest pros at the 2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championship were wearing? We tracked down the shoes worn by the top women and men who led the way down Ali’i Drive.
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 | $250
Our reviewer at Triathlete described the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 as a “cybertruck-meets-super-shoe.” Fortunately, this elite racing shoe had some gas on race day for Patrick Lange, delivering a top ten finish for the German (and the fourth-fastest run split of the day).
A bastion of the marathon scene—according to the most recent data from Adidas—60% of 2021 World Major Marathon wins were by athletes wearing the previous edition of the Adizero Adios Pro.
Who Wore It?
Patrick Lange: Marathon time 2:41:49
RELATED: Extended Review: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3
Asics MetaSpeed Sky | $250
Asics is on fire in 2022, and two athletes on the World Championship podium is testament to that. Women’s champ Chelsea Sodaro chose to wear the 2021 edition of the Asics MetaSpeed Sky in winner red/orange (she is not sponsored by Asics). Kristian Blummenfelt fought hard on the run in the same MetaSpeed Sky for his third place spot on the podium.
The MetaSky comes in as one of the top carbon shoes from our original 2021 review. It’s specifically designed to extend the running gait to promote a more efficient stride. That showed in spades on race day for Sodaro.
Who Wore It?
Chelsea Sodaro: Marathon time 2:51:45
Kristian Blummenfelt: Marathon time 2:39:21
Max Nuemann: Marathon time 2:40:14
Clémont Mignon: Marathon time 2:46:00
RELATED: Asics MetaSpeed Sky Review
Asics MetaSpeed Sky + | $250
The second edition of the MetaSpeed, the Sky+ was the choice of Asics-sponsored athletes—second-place Lucy Charles-Barclay and Daniela Ryf. The latest edition of the MetaSpeed Sky has more FF Turbo foam and a slightly wider midsole. For purists, they found this shoe to be not quite as springy as the first edition. These details aside, the MetaSpeed Sky remains one of the top carbon racing shoes available.
Who Wore It?
Lucy Charles-Barclay: Marathon time 3:02:49
Daniela Ryf: Marathon time 3:23:45
Hoka Prototype | $TBD
Is it a Rocket X 2 or is it not a Rocket X 2? The Hoka-sponsored pros were slipping on what was confirmed to be a prototype shoe from the official Hawaii IMWC shoe sponsor.
Hoka Director of Global Marketing, Mike McManus, confirmed this new, as-yet-unnamed race style, won’t be officially released until March 1, 2023. Stay tuned, triathletes, for a full review coming from our gear team at Triathlete.
Who Wore It?
Sara Crowley: Marathon time 3:06:56
Lisa Norden: Marathon time 3:12:41
Laura Siddall: Marathon time 3:17:34
Joe Skipper: Marathon time 2:45:26
Leon Chevalier: Marathon time 2:49:28
New Balance Fuelcell SC Elite v3 | $250
New Balance’s brand-new v3 of the Fuelcell SC Elite is again debuting early at the Ironman World Championship. The Fuelcell features a two-layer FuelCell midsole combined with a carbon-fiber plate. The forefoot promotes an easy “fall” into the next step and the carbon plate is as springy as they come. New Balance is not a prevalent race shoe in the world of triathlon, but the marathon runners of this world know when a shoe delivers.
For those itching to get their hands on this elite racer, New Balance has NYC Marathon editions (pictured) ready to deliver, but triathletes will have to wait longer for other styles..
Who Wore It?
Laura Philipp: Marathon time 3:01:33
Sebastian Kienle: Marathon time 2:48:45
Nike Air Zoom X Vaporfly Next% 2 | $250
Rather than using the Air Zoom Alphafly, eventual runner-up Sam Laidlow chose to run in the Air Zoom X Vaporfly Next% 2.
A racing shoe with a full-length carbon plate, it offers more stability than the Alphafly and is better suited to the post-bike marathon run that the Ironman serves up.
Who Wore It?
Sam Laidlow: Marathon time 2:44: 40
Cameron Wurf: Marathon time 2:54:27
On Cloudboom Echo 3 | $280
The carbon-plated race shoe from On is unique in its approach. While other carbon supercharged shoes are heavy on foam, the On version is dialed back in the foam department.
This makes the Cloudboom Echo 3 a good choice for those who like a very firm race shoe.
Overall men’s winner Gustav Iden threw down an overall course record and a course run record in the shoe—which should bring On back into the limelight when it comes their performance footwear. Fenella Langridge also had a solid day at the races wearing the same On Cloudboom Echo 3.
Who Wore It
Gustav Iden: Marathon time 2:36:15
Fenella Langridge: Marathon Time 3:16:30