Foam Frenzy in Tokyo: Supershoes, Photo-Finishes and the Marathon Power Shift
Heat, humidity and a finish-line blur – Tokyo’s World Athletics Championships in 2025 served up a marathon double that turned into a sneaker tech stress test. Here’s how the fastest feet – and foams – won the day.
The Photo-Finish Heard 'Round Tokyo (Men)
Gold: Alphonce Felix Simbu (Tanzania) – 2:09:48
Silver: Amanal Petros (Germany) – 2:09:48
Bronze: Iliass Aouani (Italy) – 2:09:53
4th: Haimro Alame (Israel) – 2:10:03
5th: Abel Chelangat (Uganda) – 2:10:11
Simbu made history with Tanzania’s first ever global title, snatched with the smallest winning margin on record for a championship marathon – just 0.03 seconds. Petros had led deep into the race, but Simbu unleashed a stadium-shaking sprint down the final straight – watch the thrilling final seconds above. Aouani rounded out the podium, less than five seconds adrift, while Alame and Chelangat filled out a stacked top five.
On their feet:
- adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 (Simbu)
- PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 (Petros)
- ASICS Metaspeed Ray (Aouani)
- ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo (Alame)
- adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2 (Chelangat)
The Women Went Full Clutch, Too
Gold: Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) – 2:24:43
Silver: Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) – 2:24:45
Bronze: Julia Paternain (Uruguay) –2:27:23
4th: Susanna Sullivan (USA) – 2:28:17
5th: Alisa Vainio (Finland) – 2:28:32
Jepchirchir and Assefa staged a homestretch duel that only broke in the final strides, while Paternain stunned with a bronze that wrote Uruguayan history. Sullivan and Vainio closed out the five, proving how deep the women’s field ran in brutal Tokyo conditions.
On their feet:
- adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 (Jepchirchir)
- adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 v2 (Assefa)
- Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 (Paternain)
- Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB (Sullivan)
- ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo (Vainio)
The Sneaker Scorecard
- adidas planted the flag: Both golds went to the Evo line – Simbu and Jepchirchir stormed home in the Adios Pro Evo 2. Assefa and Chelangat doubled up in the Evo 1 v2, showing the family’s depth.
- PUMA pawing at the line: Petros nearly stole gold in the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, a model built around a split midsole and stiffened plate geometry.
- ASICS doubling down: With both Ray and Sky Tokyo in the top 5s, ASICS proved their stride-based design philosophy can hang at the sharp end.
- Saucony and Brooks crash the party: Paternain’s surprise bronze in the Endorphin Elite 2 and Sullivan’s fourth in the Hyperion Elite 4 PB underlined that smaller players are no longer outsiders.
- Nike blanked: No Swoosh supershoe in the top five of either race – a shock, given their long-running dominance of marathon majors.
The Sneaker Freaker Verdict
Tokyo 2025 was a billboard for the super-era: podiums decided not just by tactics but by the slabs of tech underfoot. adidas stamped authority with Evo-line dominance, but PUMA, ASICS, Saucony and Brooks all reminded us this is now a true arms race.
If you’re chasing a PB, the playbook is clear: breathable upper, rocker geometry that matches your stride, and a foam-plate system you’ve drilled at race pace. The lab coats will argue which is ‘fastest,’ but in Tokyo the truth was written on the finish-line clock.
It isn't just Tokyo races that adidas have been dominating – check out the Three Stripes' performances at the Berlin Marathon earlier this week.