Chapter 1
The foam revolution: how bubbles save your joints
Chapter 2
The snap of carbon fiber: mechanical springs underfoot
Chapter 3
Curved soles and aerodynamics: rolling through the wind
Chapter 4
The biomechanical trade-off: speed vs. physical strain
Ch 2 · The snap of carbon fiber: mechanical springs underfoot
adidas Standard running shoes bend easily at the toes, but super shoes use embedded carbon fiber plates to prevent flexing under impact.
Quiz
Which specific foot joint is kept straight and prevented from bending by a carbon fiber plate?
Quiz
Saving metabolic energy during a run means a runner uses less of what resource to maintain their speed?
Fun Fact
Hidden history: Brooks released the first commercial running shoe with a full-length carbon plate, the Propulsion Plate System, way back in 1989.
Quiz
What shape is a carbon fiber plate inside a super shoe to help roll the foot forward?
Quiz
By speeding up the heel-to-toe transition, what stride parameter do carbon-plated shoes naturally lengthen?
Glossary
carbon-fiber plate (noun)
A lightweight, highly rigid sheet of composite material made from carbon fibers bonded with resin. In 2016, Nike first embedded these stiff components into marathon shoes to improve runners' energy economy.
A lightweight, highly rigid sheet of composite material made from carbon fibers bonded with resin. In 2016, Nike first embedded these stiff components into marathon shoes to improve runners' energy economy.
Quiz
What does the carbon plate do to the thick, ultra-soft foam to make it usable and safe?