Thoughts on Carbon Plated Shoes

You might have noticed the increasing popularity of carbon-plated shoes. These shoes have a carbon plate sandwiched in the midsole. This dramatically increases the shoe stiffness to allow faster transition from heel to toe and less ground contact time. They are often priced much higher than the normal shoe (commonly seen in the >$230SGD/$170USD range).

I personally think that carbon plated shoes take a lot of stress away from the ankle when running fast. They take a while to get used to but are really fun to run in.

However, Carbon plated shoes are not always good and should not be the only shoe you own. These shoes are meant to take the load of the ankle and restrict the ankle’s range of flexion. This can be detrimental in the long run as your leg is put in an unnatural dorsiflexed position for long periods of time. It also can lead to a potential drop in foot function and strength as your feet are not working as hard as they would in a normal pair of shoes. Achilles and calf injuries are also more likely to happen with stiff shoes.