Top Running Shoes at the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship

The 2026 IRONMAN World Championship showcased dramatic moments on the run course, particularly after mile 20, where key moves were made in both the men's and women's races. This year, a variety of shoe brands were represented among the top runners, including Adidas, ASICS, HOKA, New Balance, Nike, On, and Puma.

ASICS had the highest number of athletes wearing their shoes, followed by On and HOKA. Notably, the On LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 was favored by several athletes, including Iden and Le Corre. Iden finished close to the leader, while Luis debuted the new Nike Apex, which features a zero drop design. Other notable shoes included the ASICS MetaSpeed line and the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, which is priced at $500.

Several athletes opted for previous generations of shoes, such as Marquardt with the Adios Pro 4 and Philipp with the SuperComp Elite v5. The Puma FAST-R Nitro Elite 3 was also highlighted as a top choice among runners. The race demonstrated the diverse preferences in footwear among elite triathletes.