Athletics gear has come a long way since Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Rome Olympics marathon running barefoot. Take the shark-skin-imitation swimsuit that Michael Phelps wore when he won eight gold medals in Beijing in 2008. Or the Lotus Type 108 Olympic Pursuit Bike, shown, with which Chris Boardman set a world record for the 4,000m in Barcelona in 1992. The bike, designed by Mike Burrows, is now on exhibit at the Design Museum’s “Designed to Win,” which highlights athletic gear and materials that helped achieve victories. And it reminds us that while watching the London Olympics, which start today, July 27, we should pay as much attention to the shoes as we do to the scores. Through Nov. 18. • designmuseum.org
