RIO DE JANEIRO — The track and field events at the Rio Olympics this month will showcase elite athletic talent and, if you look closely, creative subterfuge.
Tape, markers, elastic sleeves and maybe even paint will disguise some shoe brand logos in an Olympic sleight of foot.
In track and field, the centerpiece sport of the Summer Games, shoes are the most vital piece of equipment and serve purposes beyond performance: supplying advertising billboards for apparel companies and providing financial footing for athletes. But some athletes do not want the world to see the logos on their shoes, or they are prohibited from doing so by their sponsors if they wear competing brands.