Why Are Carbon-Plated Super Shoes So Fast? History, Injury Risks and Prevention, Explained from the Research
"I switched to super shoes and set a PB." You hear that more and more these days. On the other hand,
you also hear stories like "the top of my foot has hurt since I started wearing them".
Thick-soled running shoes with carbon plates
are known among researchers as AFT (Advanced Footwear Technology).
Based on international research papers, this article explains four things as simply as possible:
What AFT is and how it came about
Why it makes you faster
Which injuries to watch out for
Strength work and stretches to prevent injury
What are carbon-plated super shoes (AFT)?
AFT shoes combine the following three things. They're often called "super shoes".
A thick sole: up to 40 mm thick for marathon shoes.
Light, very bouncy foam: a material that compresses a lot when you step on it and springs back.
A stiff plate: usually carbon, it stops the shoe from bending too much.
Because these shoes are so fast, World Athletics introduced rules on which shoes can be used in competition: soles up to 40 mm for road races and 20 mm for track events. Only one plate is allowed, and the shoe must be available for anyone to buy.
A history of carbon super shoes
It all began in 2016. Within about ten years, the marathon's two-hour barrier had been broken.
2016: Debut at the Rio Olympics
In the men's marathon at the Rio Olympics, all three medallists wore prototype Nike shoes.
These later became the Vaporfly.
2017: The "4%" shock
The Nike Vaporfly 4% went on sale to the public. The "4%" in the name
comes from research showing it saves about 4% of the energy used in running.
October 2019: A human runs under two hours
In Vienna, Eliud Kipchoge ran 42.195 km in 1:59:40.
Because it was a special event with rotating pacemakers, it isn't an official record.
The next day in Chicago, Brigid Kosgei set the women's world record.
Here's footage of Kipchoge's final kilometre to the finish.
January 2020: Hakone Ekiden, and the world, change
At the Hakone Ekiden, more than 80% of runners wore Nike super shoes.
Course records fell on seven of the ten stages. That same month, World Athletics introduced its shoe rules.
The 2020s: A race between brands
Following Nike, brands such as adidas and ASICS began competing with their own super shoes.
In 2023 Kelvin Kiptum set a world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago.
April 2026: The first sub-two-hour marathon in an official race
Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon in 1:59:30, and runner-up Yomif Kejelcha also ran 1:59:41. Sawe was wearing adidas' carbon super shoe, the Adios Pro Evo 3.
Why are they fast? Three mechanisms
A 2025 analysis combining 14 experiments found that running in carbon-plated shoes
reduced energy use at the same pace by about 3% on average.
Only 3%, you might think. But over a marathon, that's a difference of several minutes.
1. The foam returns energy like a spring
In the first study, the prototype's sole compressed about twice as much as a conventional shoe's,
and returned about 87% of the force put into it. The energy returned per step was about twice that of conventional shoes.
Researchers believe much of the speed comes from this foam.
2. The plate reduces losses at the base of the toes
The base of the toes bends a lot when you push off, and energy is lost there.
A stiff plate limits this bending. But the plate's effect on its own is small, about 1%,
and it only really works in combination with the foam.
3. The rocker toe acts as a lever
The upturned toe shape and the plate work together like a lever.
This reduces the work your ankles and calves have to do.
The effect varies between individuals. Even in the first study, savings ranged from 1.6% to 6.3% depending on the runner.
Injury risks and why they happen
The thing to watch most is a stress fracture of the navicular, a bone in the middle of the top of the foot.
In 2023, doctors in the US and Europe reported navicular injuries in five athletes who used carbon-plated shoes.
They ranged from a 17-year-old junior to a 38-year-old triathlete. One was injured on only their second or third run of about 35 km in the shoes.
However, it has not yet been proven that wearing super shoes increases injuries.
What follows are the reasons researchers think injuries may become more likely.
1. The load moves to a different place
Because the plate stops the toes bending, force may shift to the middle of the top of the foot. The centre of the navicular has a poor blood supply to begin with, so once injured it heals slowly.
2. The heel rolls inwards
In an experiment with 23 elite runners, super shoes made the heel more likely to roll inwards. This also happened with thick soles without a plate, so the cause seems to be the soft, thick sole.
3. They're less stable side to side
A high sole makes it harder to feel the ground and reduces lateral stability. On uneven surfaces, watch out for sprains.
4. They make it easy to run fast
Because speed comes easily, your training pace naturally goes up. Switch suddenly to long distances in them and strain builds up before your bones and tendons have adapted. Some suggest it takes 6–8 weeks for the body to adjust.
On the other hand, an experiment with 30 recreational runners found landing impact was no different from regular shoes. It makes sense to think the problem lies less in the shoe itself than in how you break it in and how much you use it.
Be careful if you have a vague, persistent pain in the middle of the top of your foot or the front of your ankle. Stop running and see an orthopaedic or sports medicine clinic.
Strength training to prevent injury
The best-proven way to prevent injury is strength training. An analysis of studies covering about 26,000 people found that strength training cut sports injuries to less than a third.
There is also research on runners specifically.
Foot strengthening (2020, Brazil): 118 runners did foot and ankle strength exercises three times a week.
Over a year, 14% got injured, less than half the rate of the stretching-only group (33%).
Glute and core strengthening (2024, Finland): in an experiment with 325 beginner runners, injuries fell by about 30%.
Here are four strength exercises I recommend for anyone wearing carbon super shoes. Each is an example based on the thinking behind the research.
Area | Example exercises | Reps (guide) | Aim |
Soles of the feet | Short foot, toe rock-paper-scissors, towel scrunches | 10 reps × 3 sets each | Support the arch and the area around the navicular from the inside |
Calves | Single-leg calf raises (knee straight / bent) | 15 reps × 3 sets each | Strengthen push-off and the Achilles tendon |
Side of the hips | Side plank, side-lying leg raises | 30 sec / 15 reps × 3 sets each | Control the side-to-side wobble of thick soles from above |
Balance | Single-leg stand, single-leg squat | 30 sec / 10 reps × 3 sets each | Prevent sprains and injuries in general |
Tips for keeping it up
Aim for 2–3 times a week, 20–30 minutes each time. It takes four months or more to see results.
Rate how hard it feels from 0 to 10. If it's 5 or less, make it a bit harder; if it's 8 or more, make it easier.
If you can, have a physiotherapist or trainer check your form at least once.
Supervised programmes are known to reduce injuries more.
What stretching really does
It may surprise you, but many studies show that static stretching alone doesn't reduce running injuries.
In the analysis of about 26,000 people mentioned above, stretching had almost no effect on reducing injuries.
That said, some argue that the amount of stretching used in the studies was too small.
Even so, stretching isn't pointless. Use it to help you move freely and to relax.
Before running: rather than holding stretches, I recommend dynamic warm-ups such as leg swings, skipping and short strides.
After running and before bed: slowly stretch your calves, thighs and glutes for 30 seconds each.
Ankles and toes: in thick-soled shoes you use your toes and ankles less. Spread your toes barefoot and circle your ankles to keep them mobile.
How to use them wisely
Build up gradually: start with short sessions and increase the distance over 6–8 weeks.
Use other shoes for everyday training: save them for races and key sessions, and do easy runs in regular training shoes.
Don't increase pace and distance at the same time: because you can run fast easily, the strain quietly increases.
Retire worn-out shoes: soles have been reported to become harder and thinner after races.
Pair them with strength work: the more you rely on the shoe, the more important the foot and glute strength that supports it becomes.
Summary
Carbon-plated super shoes use bouncy foam and a stiff plate
to save about 3% of energy on average. They're fast enough to have produced the first sub-two-hour marathon in an official race in 2026.
On the other hand, they may put strain on bones such as the navicular in the top of the foot. Don't switch suddenly, and keep up your foot and glute strength work.
That's the surest way to get the most out of these shoes safely.
■ Read next
References
Hoogkamer W, et al. Sports Medicine, 2018. (paper)
Kobayashi EN, et al. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2025. (paper)
Tenforde A, et al. Sports Medicine, 2023. (paper PDF)
Bruneau MM, et al. PM&R, 2026. (explainer)
Waśkiewicz Z, et al. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2025. (paper)
Lauersen JB, et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014. (PubMed)
Taddei UT, et al. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020. (explainer)
Leppänen M, et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024. (explainer)
Baxter C, et al. Research in Sports Medicine. (paper)
History: World Athletics, SPAIA, Dawn, UKA FAQ
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