Nike Sued By Former NCAA Division I Runner, Claims Foot Fractures Caused by Carbon Shoes

November 22, 2025

Nike, the pioneer of carbon-plated footwear, has been sued by a former NCAA Division I athlete who claims that the AlphaFly 2 caused her to suffer a catastrophic fracture in her foot.

Heather Cerney’s attorneys filed the suit against the footwear behemoth this week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which alleges Cerney suffered a sesamoid fracture in her left foot due to the carbon plate and geometry of the AlphaFly.

Cerney ran track and cross-country for the University of California, Berkeley. She ran mostly distance events during her tenure there from 2011 to 2015, with appearances at the NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships. Her best event on track was the 1500, whereas she performed best at 5 kilometers at cross country.

The suit includes allegations of product liability, negligence, failure to warn, and breaches of both express and implied warranties. It also states that Cerney was unaware of any potential risks of carbon-plated footwear.

According to the suit, Cerney paid full retail plus local tax of nearly $300 for the AlphaFly 2 in November 2023. She then wore the shoes for the first time for the San Francisco Turkey Trot, a 5 mile road race. Cerney finished as the second overall female and won her age group. After the race, the suit claims Cerney began suffering from severe pain in her left foot.

Testing showed a fracture in a sesamoid. The sesamoid bones are two small bones underneath the joint of the first metatarsal. It effectively acts much like a kneecap does, facilitating movement during walking and running activities. Cerney was forced to undergo surgery for the injury, as sesamoid fractures are susceptible to necrosis due to a lack of available blood supply.

According to the complaint, Cerney has been left with a permanent partial disability despite the medical intervention, which impacts both her daily life and her ability to work. Cerney is no longer able to run competitively. The suit references both an ongoing loss of earnings as well as loss of potential earning capacity as a result of the injury. Slowswitch