Nike prototype Vaporfly shoe banned but current version going to Olympics

FILE PHOTO: Athletics - Dubai Marathon - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - January 24, 2020 General view of an athlete wearing the Nike Vaporfly shoes REUTERS/Christopher Pike

LONDON (Reuters) - Nike Vaporfly shoes used to run the world's first sub-two hour marathon will be banned from professional sport under a landmark decision on Friday that also allows currently sold versions of the high-tech shoes to be used in the Olympics.

The first-ever shoe ban by World Athletics (WA), the sport's governing body, addresses concerns that technology advances are giving athletes an unfair and unnatural advantage. It limits future use of carbon fibre plates and some track spikes but stopped short of outlawing the Vaporfly models that have helped re-write the record books for elites and amateurs alike.