Running Technology Explained
Published: 11/03/2022, updated: 20/01/2025
We know that it can sometimes be a little confusing to understand all of the different technologies that are used to make running shoes or running and training clothing. Each brand uses different forms of advanced technology to help you go faster and further, but what do they all mean and how are they made?
Fear not, this guide will help you make an informed decision about which running shoes or clothing you want to purchase, by thoroughly explaining the benefits of the technology that lots of our products benefit from. Featuring all of our best-selling running brands - Nike, adidas, ASICS, New Balance and Under Armour - this page will make you a brand tech expert in no time! Here are all the running and training technologies you should be looking out for when choosing an upgrade to your running gear.
Nike
What is Nike Dri-Fit?
Nike Dri-FIT technology is a famous moisture-wicking system introduced by Nike into much of their sports clothing, especially their running gear. Dri-FIT uses a polyester microfibre that wicks sweat away from your skin and onto the garment in order to speed up sweat evaporation, while maintaining your body temperature. Nike DRI-Fit running clothing is suitable for all seasons, helping to keep you cool in the summer and sustain your body heat during winter runs.
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What is Nike Flyknit?
Nike Flyknit technology is a low-weight, high-strength combination of materials that is used throughout the Nike running shoe collection to help runners go faster than ever. Flyknit uppers provide targeted support, breathability and stretch, with some areas having a tighter weave than others. Nike have used over 40 years of data to best decide where support and flexibility are needed in a running shoe, and Flyknit running shoes are the result.
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What is Nike Zoom?
Nike Zoom is a cushioning technology used by Nike in their running shoes to provide faster movement with less strain on muscles, joints and tendons. To achieve this, Nike uses pressurised air and stretched fibres to form the Zoom unit in the midsole. Nike Zoom running shoes were designed to break the 2-hour marathon barrier and achieved this, through extremely fast responsiveness and decreased pronation for the wearer.
What is adidas Boost?
adidas Boost is a soft yet responsive cushioning system used throughout much of the adidas running shoes range. The Boost midsole is formed using thousands of expanded TPU particles, rather than EVA foam, creating tiny pockets of air so you feel like you’re running on tiny clouds. Any adidas Boost trainers are made to last with ultimate durability and flexibility, while also providing amazing kinetic energy return with every step, helping you ‘Boost’ forwards.
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What is adidas Aeroready?
adidas AEROREADY was brought in to replace Climacool and is a highly-advanced running clothing fabric, that offers moisture-wicking fabrics combined with ventilation to keep you feel as cool and as dry as possible while running. adidas AEROREADY products are designed for running in all conditions - cold or hot - with the quick-drying material sure to keep the wearer’s focus on running and reaching their goals.
What is adidas Heat.Rdy and Cold.Rdy?
The adidas RDY series of running clothing technology uses adidas AEROREADY sweat-wicking and breathable materials, combined with weather-specific elements, to give the best possible gear for each individual season. HEAT.RDY keeps you cool in the heat with hybrid materials, COLD.RDY keeps you warm in the cold through smart layering, WIND.RDY protects runners from the wind through densely-woven fabrics and RAIN.RDY is waterproof for protection from the rain.
ASICS
What is ASICS Gel?
The ASICS GEL range is one of the most famous running shoes around, making use of the ground-breaking shock absorption and cushioning that ASICS GEL technology introduced in 1986. ASICS GEL technology revolutionised the ASICS running shoes collection, offering targeted support and softness in the midsole to keep you fully supported at the rear and provide high responsiveness throughout the middle and front of your foot. ASICS GEL running shoes will keep you comfortable over any distance.
What is ASICS Flytefoam?
ASICS Flytefoam is an advanced form of underfoot cushioning for ASICS running shoes that solves the previous difficulty between producing a lightweight shoe that is still highly cushioned. ASICS Flytefoam is 55% lighter than previous cushioning shoes, while providing approximately 76% better cushioning, achieved through higher gas content with thinner bubble walls, while also avoiding deformations through ballistic-grade elastic fibre. ASICS tested over 300 prototypes before landing on Flytefoam, their lightest midsole ever.
What is ASICS Actibreeze?
ASICS Actibreeze is an advanced cooling and ventilation fabric system for the ASICS running clothing range, providing some of the most breathable running gear ever produced. ASICS Actibreeze clothes combine ultra-breathable fabrics with strategically-placed ventilation to help you maintain a low body temperature while running. This is enhanced by moisture-wicking materials and culminates in some running tops and bottoms that will stay comfortable over any distance.
New Balance
What is New Balance Fuelcell?
New Balance FuelCell technology is designed to give a highly-responsive ride through a midsole that offers 14% more energy return than others. FuelCell uses PVA foam, also known as nitrogen-fueled TPU performance foam, which boosts out all of the energy that you put into the midsole with your stride. This produces New Balance’s highest-ever energy return and combines with supreme cushioning to keep you going over long distances at your top speed.
What is New Balance Fresh Foam?
New Balance Fresh Foam technology brings unrivalled comfort to the NB running shoes range, making use of a revolutionary advancement in foam materials to cushion your feet and help reduce the impact they feel while you’re out running. New Balance used 3D motion-captured pressure mapping to inform their creation of Fresh Foam, ensuring soft comfort in all the right areas to make you feel like you’re running on air.
What is New Balance Dry, Ice and Heat?
New Balance Dry is NB’s moisture-wicking technology, used throughout their running clothing collection, designed to keep you drier while running by taking sweat off your body and onto the fabric. New Balance Ice is an advanced cooling fabric which benefits from sweat-activated cooling, fast-drying and two-way air circulation, ideal for hot-weather running. New Balance Heat technology is the opposite of Ice, designed for cold-weather running by capturing warmth, while also remaining lightweight and offering sweat-wicking properties.
Under Armour
What is Under Armour Hovr?
Under Armour HOVR technology is used in some UA running shoes to provide excellent energy return in every stride, propelling the wearer forward. HOVR uses a new energy web to create immensely comfortable and light foam cushioning, giving the effect of ‘hovering’ above the ground. Lightweight, soft and springy, Under Armour HOVR running shoes are designed to make running feel as effortless as possible.
What is Under Armour Iso-Chill?
Under Armour Iso-Chill uses a ribbon-shaped nylon fibre, treated with UV-absorbing titanium dioxide, to disperse heat better than other fabrics and pull heat away from your body in the same way ice pulls heat out of liquids. The result is an incredibly cooling material that is featured in many UA running clothing items, helping you stay as cool as possible even when pushing your body to its limit. This is shown by research that proved Iso-Chill runners took 7-12% longer to reach their VO2 max than others.
What is Under Armour Heatgear and Coldgear?
Under Armour HeatGear running products are made with UPF-protected polyester fabrics designed to keep the runner cool, dry and light through a sweat-wicking and breathable construction. In contrast, Under Armour ColdGear running clothing items keep the wearer warm, while remaining light and dry through similar moisture-wicking and anti-odour tech. Put simply, wear UA HeatGear in the HEAT and UA ColdGear in the COLD - it’s really that easy!