World Athletics has launched a request for proposal (RFP) that covers two lines of services in respect of World Athletics’ athlete shoe regulations.
Since 2020, World Athletics has regulated and approved shoes worn in athletics competitions, and published a list of approved shoes. World Athletics wishes to appoint a body to conduct the following core areas of activities required of the independent expert within the regulations (this covers both the approval process and the shoe control process).
Firstly, to review and process applications for approval of athletic shoes submitted by shoe manufacturers via a dedicated shoe approval platform developed by World Athletics in accordance with the athletic shoe regulations.
Secondly:
• To assess and investigate potential non-compliance matters including, where applicable, further inspection of physical athletic shoes.
• As part of the ratification process of world record shoes where the physical shoe is collected and sent for further inspection as a mandatory part of the ratification process.
• Design and execute the shoe control process at events. The process specifically concerns whether an athletic shoe is on the approved list or not. The process is conducted post competition and overseen by a lead contact from World Athletics.
The full RFP document is available in the World Athletics Library.
World Athletics would like to hear from any company with the necessary technical, resource and sports assessment capabilities that would be interested in receiving and responding to this RFP. To register interest, please send an email to RFPShoes@worldathletics.org by 12:00pm CEST on Friday 27 June 2025.
