A new running shoe is getting to grips with graphene, the revolutionary material just one atom thick.

British sportswear company and the University of Manchester is collaborating on the new G-series of running shoes, which will have graphene added to the rubber soles to increase their grip on terrain. According to Inov-8, the graphene will make the shoes stronger, stretchier and more durable.

Measuring just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest material on earth -- and yet it's also incredibly conductive and 200 times stronger than steel. Isolated in 2004 by scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, it could revolutionise manufacturing across a range of industries -- as soon as someone figures out how to make it at useful quantities for an affordable price.

The Inov-8 G-Series sneakers are slated to go on sale in 2018.