More carbon than fitness... 🙂

Carbon plates have been an integral part of the shoe industry for years and have become indispensable. For the upcoming running seasonnew models from New Balance, Hoka, Asiscs and Altra await us.

Thenew New Balance SC Elite v4 that we areexpectingthese daysColin was already able to run in Thun last year and complete some training kilometers with it. In the fall, at the Ironman Cascais, Colin intentionally ran a different model, namely the then current Asics Metaspeed Sky.We are expecting the new Metaspeed Sky+ in March 24 (overview of all models below). Find out Colin's test results in the following article and gain possible insights that will help you make the right shoe choice.

PL: What are your findings regarding your shoe choice at Ironman Thun and Cascais?

Colin: Both carbon shoes and still very different for running. It was fun, it was great, even if not quite as fast as I wanted, and I am healthy and have no injuries. In Thun I ran in 3h34 with the New Balance SC Elite v4 and in Cascais in 3h21 with the Asics Metaspeed Sky. These are both times when some people who only write about them and listen to the opinions of top elite athletes might think that's no good.

PL: Why?

Colin: Nike made the topic big in 2017 with the Vaporfly 4% and it really took off in 2019 with the Ineos 1:59 project in Vienna, where Nike launched the Nike Alphafly for the prodigy runner Eliud Kipchoge. Even in 2024, many people still conclude from this that carbon shoes are only useful for top athletes. Carbon shoes are available today in many different facets and every passionate runner should simply give them a try.

PL: What do you need to bear in mind?

You should have a good basic level of fitness and be able to do a certain amount of running each week. In spring, for example, I ran 23 of four brands, four shoes at different distances and speeds several times during training and evaluated them using our running analysis system (more on this later). I started on the treadmill to concentrate 100% on the shoe and increased the distances in very small steps with each individual shoe. This gave my body time to get used to it. Increase slowly, and with targeted strength exercises for the foot and your core stability, it's much more fun with or without carbon! #runyourway

We really recommend buying your shoes where there is expert staff on site, i.e. at POWERLAB (laughs), who don't just preach empty phrases but know how a shoe feels after 29 km or how the demands on a shoe change at a pace of well under 4 min/km.

PL: Let's move on to your test of the shoes.

Colin: Exactly. I was interested to see if one of the two shoes I had shortlisted hadan advantage in terms of supportand energy return. These are values that wecan analyze with the analysis methodology at POWERLAB, in addition to the cushioning properties. Support is not to be understood as the leading element, but rather whether a model has an advantage in terms of shoe shape (performance), sole height, sole material, drop and upper materials (upper material). The body weight and the target speed in the competition (plan) show us in the analysis to what extent the different shoe characteristics affect the respective running styles. We are fully aware that running on the treadmill does not correspond to natural running, but we still gain interesting insights that lead to the right shoe.

We see the values of the two shoe models for energy return, cushioning and stride consistency. The scale ranges from 1, to optimize, to 10, top. The analysis is very much in line with my feelings and also with the description of the respective shoes.

If we were to choose shoes for our customers based purely on the analysis values, the Asics would be the winner. What is fascinating is that the way the Asics is designed in terms of shape and material, my running style and body weight are more dynamic and at the same time better cushioned and I run more harmoniously. I am convinced that all of this is correct.

However, if we look at the influences on the guidance or pronation movement of my foot, it becomes clear that the Asics (no. 1 yellow) bends more inwards (pronation). This means that the Asics is probably more demanding when tired and needs more strength and attention. And that was also the case in Portugal. After about 33km, my foot made itself felt in the transverse arch and forced me to adjust my running style. The fact that I couldn't keep up the pace was definitely not due to the shoe, but to my physical condition.

Conclusion: A shoe cannot only be judged by touching and bending it or by an advertising text. The sole height, sole materials, sole construction and shape, the difference in level (drop) between the heel and forefoot, as well as the upper material and heel construction all have a completely different effect on dynamics and guidance due to different running styles, weight and power ratios.

The most important points summarized:

• Get expert advice
• A running analysis is recommended
• Try out different models
• Run in the shoes during training (not too often!)
• Run with different shoes
• Only increase the volume slowly
• Listen to your body and your feet
• Train your feet
• Integrate strength training into your build-up

My TIP: Strengthen your feet with TYFO insoles in everyday life. A healthy foot structure prevents overloading and protects you from injury!

POWERLAB range of carbon shoes 2024

NEW in our online store! So that you can find the right shoe to suit your wishes and preferences, you can select the complete range of running shoes according to new filter criteria.

• Heel height= Effective thickness of the midsole
• Drop= Level difference from the heel height to the forefoot
• Rocker= Rolling behavior/dynamics of the shoe
  (properties, application, manufacturer and price belong to the standard filters)