Not the start Fred Kerley was hoping for at the Grand Slam Track (GST), but he managed to make his way back to the podium in the 200m dash. Fred Kerley’s still got it! Well, he did win the Paris Olympics bronze in the 100m sprint less than a year ago. And that too with all the controversy and distractions going on on the side regarding his shoe sponsors. But Kerley just cleared them out, put his racing spikes on, and got the job done. This brings us to the question: Which shoe did he wear? And does the speedster have a favorite?
What shoes does Fred Kerley wear?
The 2-time Olympic medalist competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials for the Paris Olympics wearing Nike Air Zoom Maxfly spikes. And it worked perfectly as the sprinter finished 3rd with a time of 9.88, qualifying for Paris. But the headlines were about his shoes. After all, just a few weeks ago, his shoe deal with Asics abruptly came to an end. What’s more dramatic was that Kerley signed with Asics after his 5-year Nike deal ended in 2022.
So, what exactly is happening here? Let’s start with the signing of the Asics deal in February 2022. Announcing the tie-up, the 2022 World Athletics Champion said, “I am excited to join the ASICS athlete roster and compete on behalf of the brand as one of the top sprinters in the world.” But soon, he started having problems with the Asics footwear, with one instance of his Asics shoes getting broken just after his first practice.
Although nothing really escalated at that point, the New York City Grand Prix fiasco on June 9 turned everything on its head. Kerley walked off without racing, citing block issues at the track. But everyone got to see what shoes he was wearing – a pair of orange Puma shoes? Soon, the buzz started. Has Fred Kerley switched sponsors? Is the Asics deal over? What happened?
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist soon cleared the air, saying, “I ain’t switched it up. I left my bag at the airport.” But going for Puma shoes? Something didn’t seem right. Soon, the official announcement from Asics came: “ASICS and Fred Kerley have mutually parted ways and he is no longer an ASICS sponsored athlete. We wish him the best in his career.” And rumors also came out that Kerley has been looking at other options.
One argument fueling these rumors was that people generally know Asics to favor distance runners, while Puma specifically designs its gear to support fast sprinters. However, no one confirmed anything. Since June, Fred Kerley has been without a proper long-term shoe sponsor. The fans did get to see him compete at the Lausanne Diamond League wearing a full Nike kit, but at the GST, Kerley’s kit had a ‘JB’ (and not Nike) logo on it, which he confirmed as the brand of his coach, Johnathan Blake.
His best experiences and outings have been when he has worn Nike shoes, whose reliability is beyond reproach. But Asics tried to support Kerley in their own way, trying to make their then-brand ambassador stand out.
Are Fred Kerley’s Sprinting Shoes Custom-Made?
Sprinters are often provided with tailor-made shoes by their sponsors; shoes that enhance performance, efficiency, speed, and comfort. Ultimately, it’s about what makes the racers better and feel that, ‘Yes, this shoe works exactly the way I want!’ The Nike shoes Kerley has won have helped him win 2 Olympics medals, 4 World Championship medals, and a World Indoors silver.
On the other hand, the Asics shoe saw less success, with one 4×100 relay gold win in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. However, that win gave Asics the perfect opportunity to showcase the custom-made spikes they designed for Kerley. Designing the classiest golden shoes for their brand Ambassador, Kerley took the tracks at the Budapest World Championships. And with the relay win came the celebratory Instagram post from Asics with the caption: “Gold medal to match gold spikes as @fkerley99 helps his team win the 4x100m relay in @wabudapest23 .”
Unfortunately, the golden times didn’t last long. For now, Kerley is making do without a shoe sponsor, although his results can change that. And as for his fans, we have good news for you.
Where can you buy the same track spikes worn by Fred Kerley?
Many of you probably have a collection of stylish spikes, and some are even pursuing a track and field career yourselves. If you’ve ever wondered where to find the same spikes worn by Fred Kerley, we’ve got the answer. Fred Kerley competes in Nike Air Zoom Maxfly spikes, especially during major events like the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Nike designed these spikes for elite performance, but they also make them available to the public. You can check Nike’s official website as well as trusted specialty retailers like RunningWarehouse.com and TrackSpikesUSA.com.
Maybe you’ll even get your hands on a pair of the Nike Air Zoom Maxflys—the very ones that bailed Fred Kerley out in his time of need.
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