Carbon Plates in Running Shoes

The use of carbon fiber plates in running shoes has been the subject of extensive research, and studies have shown that the insertion of these plates into midsoles can increase the longitudinal bending stiffness of footwear, thereby improving running economy by approximately 1% (Hébert‐Losier et al., 2022). However, the relationship between the plate location, running speed, and induced changes in running biomechanics can influence this effect (Hébert‐Losier et al., 2022). A full-length embedded carbon-fiber plate has been reported to reduce running economy by 1% (Burns & Tam, 2019). Furthermore, the addition of carbon fiber plates to shoe soles has been found to reduce athlete aerobic energy expenditure during running, thereby improving running economy (Beck et al., 2020). The increased longitudinal bending stiffness of running shoes resulting from embedding carbon fiber plates in the midsole has also led to the setting of numerous world records in long-distance running competitions (Čigoja et al., 2021).

Initial research by Flores et al. (2021) found that carbon plates improved running economy by an average of 1% in intermediate-stiffness shoes compared to more flexible and stiffer shoes. However, other studies, such as Beck et al. (2020), have reported conflicting findings, and the impact of carbon fiber plates on running economy remains inconclusive. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that every men's and women's world record from 5 km to the marathon has been broken since the introduction of carbon fiber plate (CFP) shoes in 2016 (Muñiz-Pardos et al., 2021), which suggests a significant impact on running performance.

This research indicates that incorporating carbon fiber plates in running shoes can have a positive impact on running economy and performance, including improvements in energy expenditure and biomechanics. However, further investigation is needed to fully understand the impact of carbon fiber plates on running shoes due to conflicting findings.