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"The regulations very clearly describes what kind of
specification shoes have to fulfil," Chief Executive Kasper
Rorsted told journalists at a financial results presentation.
"Everybody is pushing the boundaries and the regulation of the
IOC (International Olympic Committee) is clearly defining which
boundaries are allowed and that is the best way of saying what
is fair," Rorsted said.
Adidas shoes with a bouncy "Boost" sole were credited with
helping Dennis Kimetto break the marathon record in 2014, but
more recently rival Nike has set the pace with its Alphafly
shoes.
Since the arrival of thick-soled, carbon-plated road shoes, and
now their track spike equivalent, long-standing records set by
the sport's all-time greats are being obliterated, to leave
historical comparisons difficult, if not impossible.
Nobody had gone under 58 minutes for the half marathon until
last December when four men did in the same race - with winner
Kibiwott Kandie clocking 57 minutes 32 seconds in his Adidas
Adios Pro carbon shoes.
At the Tokyo Olympics two 400 metres hurdles races in particular
have raised footwear and technology debates, while dozens of
other athletes have set national records across the full range
of sprint distances.
Rorsted said Adidas would keep going beyond the scope of
existing regulations to try out innovations, even if they could
not be used in international competitions.
"What we do is we go beyond the boundaries to check what kind of
products can you innovate over time so you don't limit
yourself," he said.
World Athletics (WA), the sport's governing body, introduced
limits to the thickness of foam and the number of plates allowed
in road shoes and spikes at the end of 2020. Discussions with
biomechanical experts and industry representatives are
continuing with a view to further regulation.
But the shoe companies, particularly Nike, provide the majority
of the sport's funding and WA says they are seeking a compromise
that "does not stifle innovation".
(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by David Holmes)
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