Latest Research: Super Shoe Updates

About this episode

Brodie reviews recent research on super shoes and their impact on running performance.

Learn more about Brodie's Research Database & AI Assistant 📄🔍 For MORE Run Smarter Resources 🏃‍♂️📚 - Including Free Injury Prevention Courses 🩹🎓 - The Run Smarter Book 📖 - Access to Research Papers 📄🔍 - & Ways to Work with Brodie 🤝👟 👉 CLICK HERE! 🎉✨ In this month’s research roundup, Brodie reviews three new papers examining super shoes (advanced footwear technology) and their impact on running economy and performance. Across a large review, a meta-analysis, and a randomized crossover trial, the consistent finding was a ~2.5–3% improvement in running economy when using carbon-plated, high-stack, high-rebound foam shoes. Importantly, benefits weren’t limited to elites. Even at slower speeds (7.5–12 km/h), recreational runners showed meaningful reductions in oxygen cost, translating to roughly a 1% improvement in marathon performance — about three minutes for a four-hour runner. The key insight is that it’s not just the carbon plate doing the work. The performance gains appear to come from a synergy between plate stiffness, PEBA-style high-rebound foams, rocker geometry, and stack height. The shoes don’t “create” energy — they reduce energy loss, particularly…

People in this episode

Host: Brodie Sharpe

Topics covered

• super shoes
• running economy
• performance improvement
• research roundup
• injury prevention

Keywords

• super shoes
• running economy
• performance
• carbon-plated shoes
• marathon performance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Research Database, AI Assistant

Products: super shoes

Books & works: Run Smarter Book

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