What if there were a shoe that could help athletes run faster? How about specialized footwear that can delay fatigue and keep you in the race longer, without getting tired as fast? Those are questions that Texas Christian University’s Sunil Prajapati ’25 Ph.D. and Peter Weyand, professor in kinesiology, helped explore in a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The study was co-authored by Lance Brooks of Bridgewater State University and Emily Farina of the Nike Sport Research Lab.

The Science Behind Sprinting

What makes this study unique is that Weyand, Prajapati, and Brooks were approached for their expertise in sprint biomechanics after Nike Innovation developed an advanced technology line of sprint racing footwear. The NSRL had quantified speed and biomechanics for key sprint phases and believed the new prototype shoes could reduce internal power demands to help athletes run faster, and for longer. Farina asked the researchers to test the spikes for an extended sprinting distance and identify the external mechanical factors associated with any performance improvements. Weyand was already responsible for executing and defining speed-duration profiles in a controlled lab setting, and Nike wanted to take this expertise to the unconstrained track outside.

Weyand admitted he didn’t think a shoe design could increase sprinting speed. But findings from the super spike study showed it is possible.

“Once we started the testing, it became pretty clear that the shoes were having a really substantive performance effect,” Weyand said. “By the finish line, the difference was 3.9% in velocity ... that’s ginormous if you’re talking about human performance.”

Weyand explained that the shoe, specifically the super spikes, reduced late-race fatigue by reducing the time athletes spent on the ground and increasing their time in the air.

Prajapati emphasized that while footwear can measurably improve performance, it’s only one component of athletic success. Proper training, sprint mechanics and finding footwear that matches an athlete’s preferences remain critical.

“Early on in the accelerating phase, there was very little difference,” Prajapati said. “The further they run, the differences become more and more apparent."

Athletes who participated in the study also noted how it felt like running on air.

“You’re running just as fast without putting in as much effort.”

Combining biomechanical data collection with his background in studying neurological movement disorders during his master’s degree, Prajapati applied biomechanical principles to sport performance, bringing together the academic interests that inspired him to pursue a doctoral degree at TCU under Weyand's mentorship.

Building on Research Momentum

Reuben Burch, TCU vice provost for research, said the research represents a full-circle moment for the university and for Elliott Hill ’86, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc.

“Elliott Hill went from studying kinesiology at TCU to leading one of the most influential companies in sport, and today Nike is building on its long-standing commitment to athletes and what innovation can do for them,” Burch said. “At the same time, TCU researchers are pushing into some of the most exciting questions in human performance. When you see those stories come together, you get a glimpse of what’s possible for TCU research, not just where we are today, but where we’re headed.”

Human performance science is a growing area of research at TCU, and the newly launched Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering is designed to build on that momentum by connecting researchers across disciplines and with industry partners.

“Peter Weyand and his team in TCU Kinesiology are doing exceptional work, and this research is a great example of the caliber of human-performance science already happening at TCU,” Jim Weinstein, director of the Roach Institute, said. “For the Roach Institute, the exciting opportunity is to partner with researchers like Peter, connect disciplines and industry partners around their work, and help create opportunities for the next great question. That collaborative model is at the heart of athlete engineering.”

For Weyand, Prajapati and colleagues, their findings offer a new take on a prospect that once seemed implausible: Can shoes really make a sprinter faster? Their research suggests they can. By uncovering how they do so, the research has provided important new insight into the biological factors limiting sprint running speeds.

-Taylor Helmes