Written by Alessandro Bacci - TrackSpikes

Carbon-Plated Running Shoes: Benefits, Risks, and Practical Tips

The world of athletics and running has dramatically changed over the past five years with the explosion of carbon-plated running shoes, or more precisely, carbon combined with supercritical foams.
This innovation has not only led to an average performance boost—especially in road racing—but has also reached a wide range of recreational runners and consumers who often do not need such technology and, worse, may even risk injury if using it without caution.

From the 1990s to Today: The Origins of Carbon Technology

The idea of embedding carbon plates in running shoes is not new. As far back as the mid-1990s, some elite athletes wore prototypes designed to improve performance.
At that time, however, this technology was reserved for top-level professionals and had little to do with the everyday runner. As a result, research focused exclusively on performance, overlooking aspects of...