While the world focused on Faith Kipyegon’s space-age Fly Suit and custom spikes in Paris, an important cornerstone of Breaking4 was laid in her training shoes. Month after month, as she logged the miles that would prepare her for that historic 4:06.42 in late June, Kipyegon was testing unreleased versions of Nike’s newest innovations – shoes that wouldn’t debut until long after the starting gun had fired.

A month on from Breaking4, we’re now seeing how Nike’s moonshot innovation filters down to everyday runners. The Vomero Plus and Vomero Premium, launching in early August and early October respectively, represent the latest chapter in a story that winds through Kipyegon’s training camps in Kenya. This is the tale of how race-day dreams are built on training-day reality, and how the pursuit of the impossible creates better running for everyone.

The Training Foundation

“The Vomero Premium is a key part of my training journey to break the 4-minute mile,” Kipyegon said when Nike announced the new shoes. “It’s so soft, cushioned and comfortable, and it helps me train harder with less impact to allow me to recover faster and stay focused on my goal.”

While Breaking4 captured headlines for its cutting-edge race-day technology, Nike’s philosophy went deeper. As their materials noted: “Nike’s role in Breaking4 wasn’t to reset Kipyegon, but to add to the capabilities of an already historic runner.” This applied as much to training as it did to race day.

The “Let Faith be Faith” approach extended to every aspect of her preparation. Nike’s Innovation team gave Kipyegon the full gamut of Nike tools during her training leading up to the attempt, including early access to technologies that wouldn’t reach consumers for months. Among these tools were the new Vomero models – shoes specifically designed to handle the kind of high-volume, low-impact training that a sub-four mile attempt demands.

For Kipyegon, confidence came from her speed sessions. Speaking to Tempo Journal in Paris after the Breaking4 attempt, she explained that her key intervals involved running eight 62-second reps of 400m with minimal recovery, at altitude. But those sessions were only possible because of her recovery runs in between.

Innovation Trickle-Down

Amy Jones Vaterlaus, VP of Nike’s Sport Research Lab, emphasised during our Paris interviews how Nike focused on building Kipyegon’s confidence in every aspect of Breaking4’s preparation. “Whether it was a feature of the race course, her pacer formation or a detail in her apparel, building her confidence meant everything to us,” she said. The same principle applies to training shoes – if Kipyegon couldn’t trust her feet during months of preparation, the race day innovations would be meaningless.

And as Brett Kirby, Breaking4’s lead for performance integration, noted in Paris, “The integrative nature of this kit means everything with this attempt. Not any one thing will help her break it.” Training shoes, while less glamorous than Fly Suits or Kipyegon’s custom FK Victory spike, form a crucial part of that integration.

Moonshot projects like Breaking2 and Breaking4 serve as laboratories for everyday innovation. When Nike commits resources at this level – testing everything from track surfaces to time zones – the learnings extend far beyond a single race.

Maximum Cushioning Reimagined

The Vomero Premium’s design philosophy stems directly from elite training methods, in particular one first developed by NASA in the 1990s. “Anti-gravity treadmills supplement an athlete’s body weight so they can run with less impact, which our athletes tell us means more miles with less recovery time,” explains Nike Running’s Ashley Campbell. “The Vomero Premium aims to provide a high amount of impact reduction and a similar sensation to the anti-gravity treadmill experience.”

The Vomero Premium represents Nike’s most ambitious training shoe concept: the company calls it a “super trainer” that can bridge the gap between super shoes and traditional trainers, despite it lacking any kind of midsole plate or shank usually associated with the term. The intention is that elite marathoners like Kipyegon can rely on a single solution for high-volume preparation rather than juggling multiple shoe types during training.

With its towering 55mm heel stack height, the shoe combines ZoomX foam with exposed Air Zoom units in both heel and forefoot, delivering exceptional energy return of around 85%. Nike says the “data-informed combination of ZoomX foam and Air Zoom [is] designed to create a low-impact running experience that enables athletes to feel like they can train beyond their limits.”

The Vomero Plus, meanwhile, takes a more accessible approach with its 45mm stack height and full-length ZoomX midsole. It advances the comfort and responsiveness of the popular Vomero 18 while incorporating learnings from popular training all-rounder the Invincible 3. Like its Premium sibling, the Vomero Plus delivers roughly 85% energy return, but in a package designed for a broader range of runners.

From Elite Demands to Everyday Needs

We believe that one of the most significant cultural aspects of Breaking4 was Nike’s decision to dedicate such a high level of resources to women’s athletics. Similarly, the Vomero Plus has benefited from input from Project Dreamweaver, Nike’s program supporting non-professional women athletes training for the Olympic Trials.

This grassroots feedback helped refine a shoe that Australian Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull describes as “a great introductory shoe for a smooth, responsive and well-cushioned ride at a wide range of paces”. “It gives new runners the ability to run anywhere at any time without concern for firm surfaces or high impact on the body,” Hull says.

“Everything we do begins with listening to the voice of the athlete,” says Deepa Ramprasad, senior director of Nike Running Footwear. “We always put the runner first – from our elite Nike athletes to runners embarking on their first runs. Their voices drive every step of our footwear creation process.”

This athlete-first approach mirrors what we witnessed in Paris, where every detail served a purpose. From the one-of-one 3D-printed TPU FlyWeb sports bra to the experimental Aeronode-covered Fly Suit designed for maximal aerodynamic advantage, every piece had a part to play. Just as the FlyWeb bra and Fly Suit were continually improved based on Kipyegon’s feedback, the same iterative process applies to training shoes. Both elite and everyday athletes feed into Nike’s product development, their daily needs driving innovation that eventually benefits everyone.

The Bigger Picture

The new Vomero models fit into Nike’s streamlined three-category road running philosophy: Vomero for maximum cushioning, Structure for supportive cushioning, and Pegasus for responsive cushioning.

“This lineup of complementary running silhouettes provides athletes with their preferred type of cushioned ride for whatever run they want to take,” Nike explains. “The lineup also makes it easier for runners to determine what footwear offers them the right mix of benefits, technology and price point, providing a more inviting and accessible experience.”

This democratisation of innovation represents moonshot projects at their best. The same obsessive engineering that went into Kipyegon’s custom spikes now benefits casual runners looking for their first pair of proper running shoes. The anti-gravity treadmill technology available to elite athletes gets reimagined for suburban footpaths.

Looking forward, one wonders what other Breaking4 innovations might trickle down. Is there a consumer application for Nike’s Aeronodes? Will we ever see the futuristic FlyWeb bra in a full range of sizes and support levels? The lesson from Breaking4 is that today’s moonshot becomes tomorrow’s mainstream – we’re just getting started.