Noah Lyles, crowned the world’s fastest man after securing gold in the 100-meter sprint at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is urging Adidas for his own signature sneaker. This request highlights a significant gap in the athletic footwear market, particularly for sprinters—a category overshadowed by the more lucrative basketball shoe segment.

Lyles articulated his demand during a post-race conference, stating, “I want my own shoe, I want my own trainer, dead serious.” Despite being sponsored by Adidas since 2016 and donning their spikes during his historic victory, he noted the limited financial incentives for athletes in track compared to basketball icons who have established successful lines of signature shoes.

Industry experts, like Citigroup’s Monique Pollard, concur with Lyles’s insights, suggesting that a signature shoe could enhance the appeal of Adidas’s running products, such as the Adizero and Pro Evo lines. “A specialized sneaker for Lyles could tap into a broader audience, catering to both elite athletes and casual runners,” she emphasizes.

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden acknowledged the brand’s previous shortcomings in running sneaker offerings but assured stakeholders of future enhancements that align with market demands. “Our offering in running is very, very wide and deep, and we will see growth in that area,” he confirmed.

Lyles’s call for greater recognition and commercialization in sprinting footwear represents not just a personal ambition, but also a strategic opportunity for both the athlete and Adidas, potentially reshaping the landscape of sports marketing in track and field.