Carbon-Plated Running Shoes: Pros, Cons and Expert-Recommended Brands

While adding carbon plates to shoes may sound like a modern practice, it has actually been around since at least the 1990s. Back then, Reebok attempted it, but the creation of the Nike Vaporfly 4% brought this technology to a larger audience when these "super shoes" made an appearance in the 2016 Olympics. Promising a 4% performance improvement, carbon-plated running shoes became available to everyone starting in 2017. Nowadays, many companies produce carbon-plated running shoes that promise a lightweight, supportive feel. However, they can be pricey. To find out whether they're worth it and which brands you should try, we asked three experts for their takes. What are carbon-plated running shoes? Matt Dustin, a certified precision nutrition coach and NASM corrective exercise specialist, explains, "Carbon-plated running shoes have a stiff, thin carbon fiber plate in their midsole." He says the plate can help with energy return and make your strides more efficient. Put another way, En ... Read full article.