What Makes a Super Shoe Super? The Science, the History, and Our Top Picks

Step into the fast lane with our deep dive into super shoes — the revolutionary footwear changing the face of distance running. This episode is sponsored by Hettas: performance running shoes for women. Check out Hettas at hettas.com We break down what actually makes a shoe “super” (01:45), take you inside the never-before-told history of Nike’s prototype era (06:30), and trace how the Vaporfly flipped the script on competitive marathoning (18:50). From foam wars to carbon plates , from elite deception to banned shoes , this is the complete story of the super shoe — past, present, and what’s coming next. We also get creative and build our dream super shoes using the best components on the market (38:30), and we power rank the top models you can buy in 2025 (50:20), including why Puma may have just launched the fastest shoe ever (53:00). 💡 Have a question or shoe pick? Drop us a comment on Spotify or find us on Instagram @marathonhandbook. 🎧 Subscribe to the Marathon Handbook Podcast and check out our new sister show: Run Long Run Healthy — science-backed insights to help you run smarter and stay injury-free.