These shoes are positioned as top-grade carbon plate racing shoes, and their goal is to help professional elite athletes create faster results or even break records. They may also improve performance for ordinary runners, but most of them are obviously just for killing chickens.

These shoes are positioned as top-level carbon plate racing shoes. Their goal is to help professional elite athletes create faster results or even break records. For ordinary runners, they may also improve their performance to a certain extent, but most of them are obviously still "killing chickens" "Using a knife" - as the top carbon plate running shoes of

Adidas/ ASICS /Nike/ Saucony

subjectively speaking, as of now (June 2022), these four brands are more recent Products in carbon plate racing shoes in 2020:

adidas Adidas: adizero pro → adizero adios pro/prime The third generation of moonrise.

The adizero adios pro we see now all have five EnergyRods carbon pillars in the middle and forefoot + a carbon plate in the heel, which seems to be more unique than others. In fact, adidas launched a pair of adizero pro earlier. The full-length carbon plate looks very similar to the common carbon plate today. However, the degree of completion of adizero pro is not high, and the foot feel performance can only be said to be unsatisfactory. Then we saw the combination of carbon pillars + carbon plates.

At first glance, the midsole carbon plate (or carbon column) of the three generations of adios pro has not changed much. In fact, there are still some fine-tuning, especially in combination with the midsole structure, such as the upward tilt angle of the forefoot, such as the hollowing out of the midsole. (Not only does it reduce weight, it also changes the rigidity of the midsole's rebound).

Compared with the previous generation, adios pro 2 has three exposed carbon pillars.

adidas actually also has a pair of prime X. In addition to the carbon pillar + carbon plate, there are three additional support bars on the lower part of the forefoot. However, the thickness of the midsole of this pair of Prime

Another interesting thing is that exactly 20 years ago, adidas launched a pair of full-length carbon plate running shoes, adidas equipment gazelle Pro-Plate. At that time, it cooperated with University of Calgary , based on bionics (running cheetah) , put the carbon plate under the insole and above the midsole to reduce the bending of the metatarsal bones during running - it is very close to the adizero pro.

Adidas’ full-length carbon plate running shoes before 20 years ago, adidas equipment gazelle Pro-Plate

gazelle Pro-Plate and adizero pro, both used the concept of carbon plates that are closer to the current common ones, but in the end adidas chose another design idea

Of course At that time, neither the material nor the concept of the midsole was enough to support such a design to achieve its maximum effect. In recent years, adidas seems to have been pursuing enhanced cushioning return and abandoned this design.

asics ASICS: metaracer → metaspeed sky/edge

ASICS’ first pair of carbon plate racing running shoes, the metaracer, was launched in April 2020. Subjective speculation, in fact, at the same time, ASICS was already developing the current carbon plate design and adjusting the ff blast midsole material of the past two years (the one used in top racing shoes is ff blast turbo), because everyone at the time was I don’t know if the Tokyo Olympics can still be held normally, but ASICS finally handed over this pair of metaracers that are only in the mid-forefoot area and half-palm length, and are still equipped with traditional flytefoam materials (based on EVA foam).

ASICS is trying out its semi-palm carbon plate racing shoe Metaracer, followed by the classic thin-soled marathon running shoe Tiger Walk

Metaracer. The midsole thickness is similar to that of traditional running shoes. It does not count thick-soled running shoes, and the foot feel will be closer to traditional racing shoes. In shoes, the main role of the carbon plate is not to propel, but to strengthen the rolling transition of the forefoot (ASICS named it guidesole kinetic energy arc design). So looking at it now, metaracer is more of a training shoe. Now paired with the metaspeed series, metaracer is also more positioned for training/competition/triathlon use.

The metaspeed series launched last year is ASICS' first true thickness + carbon plate + racing running shoe. It also emphasizes the sense of propulsion and running efficiency after adding carbon plates.ASICS has developed metaspeed sky and metaspeed edge based on cadence type and stride type runners - you don’t have to worry too much about the difference between cadence and stride type.

put it bluntly, it is actually the positioning of top elite players and pro-level players. Metaspeed Sky will play the role of carbon plates more radically, and the driving threshold is also extremely high, while Edge is much more user-friendly.

metaspeed sky, a pair of shoes that I like very much, but it is also very difficult to control.

The second generation just released this month, metaspeed sky+ and metaspeed edge+ still continue the cadence/stride setting, and both pairs of shoes have been readjusted. The position of the midsole carbon plate can be regarded as a complete expression of ASICS' carbon plate concept.

nike Nike: vaporfly elite / vaporfly 4% → vaporfly next% → alphafly next%

nike is not the first to apply carbon plates to running shoes, but it is the first brand to complete the research and development of top-level carbon plate racing running shoes in recent years. The most important time node is 2017 Kipchoge and others’ “Breaking Two Challenge” in 2008.

Next, vaporfly elite/vaporfly 4% began to sweep almost all road running/marathon races, and also created countless good results. Vaporfly next% took the concept of shovel carbon plates to the extreme. The second generation vaporfly next% also did not adjust the design of the midsole/outsole at all, but only slightly adjusted the upper.

should admit that after the launch of the vaporfly series, Nike became the leader in the field of top carbon plate racing shoes. At one time, almost all the first marathon groups, even those who signed contracts with competing products, chose to wear Nike. In addition, it was indeed launched earlier, so other brands became the role of catch-up. After the great success of the

vaporfly series, Nike tried a flatter and more rigid flyplate carbon plate on the alphafly next%, choosing to allow two slightly different carbon plate design concepts to coexist on the product line.

However, the "excessive" success of the first and second generations of the vaporfly next%, coupled with the higher driving threshold of the subsequent alphafly next%, has led to a very interesting phenomenon - the alphafly next% with a more extreme carbon plate design, regardless of popularity or sales , but not as good as vaporfly next%.

Nike should also be aware of this. The alphafly next% 2, which has just been launched recently, has begun to have milder overall improvements, such as better stability, closer to the drop of traditional running shoes (increased from 4mm to 8mm), zoomx foam and front Master the fine-tuning of the zoom pods module.

Saucony Saucony: endorphin series

Saucony launched the endorphin (endorphin) series in 2020, three pairs of pro, speed and shift shoes:

endorphin shift is used for speed training and can also be used for road running and racing, endorphin speed Endorphin Pro and Endorphin Pro are both designed for racing. Speed ​​uses tpu board, and Endorphin Pro uses carbon fiber board . Speed ​​(Brown Speed) is biased towards speed training/racing, and Pro (Brown Speed) is the top racing shoe and also the fastest pair of shoes from Saucony at the moment.

Of course, the third generation of endorphin pro (Coffee Peng) has been launched, and there will be dual endorphin elite in the future, which is even more extreme for top-level racing (three forks on the forefoot, very interesting).

endorphin pro 3, the entire midsole structure has been adjusted, and the carbon plate is also externally presented.

In the future, Saucony will position itself as the top racing running shoe. In addition to the midsole upgraded to the power run HG made of pebax sheet foam, the built-in carbon plate is in the shape of a fork.

Next, let’s talk in detail about the role of carbon plates in their respective top racing shoes. Specific application on speed shoes.

What role do carbon plates play in specific shoe models?

There are actually many similarities between the design theory and the final implementation of the carbon plate racing shoes on the market, but the carbon plate design of each brand is still very different. Each brand also has its own concept packaging, and then makes an official interpretation.

Usually, most of the carbon plates on basketball shoes are woven carbon (cloth) plates, while the most common carbon plates on racing shoes are divided into heterogeneous carbon plates, non-heterogeneous carbon plates, etc. - pay attention to the carbon plates of each brand. In the introduction, many can find the words carbon fiber (carbon fiber). Because many of the top carbon plates for racing running shoes are made by soaking different types of carbon fibers with resin (usually epoxy resin) and then molding and solidifying them. Finally, the thin carbon plate is made, which can bear forces in different directions. When , it shows a very contrasting mechanical feedback.

Compared with the woven carbon plates on basketball shoes/outdoor shoes, the carbon fiber plates of racing running shoes often do not have the grainy and concave-convex feeling and are flatter. If you look closely, you may be able to see the filamentous lines on the surface, and the thickness is thinner.

- If you bake/burn this kind of carbon plate, after the resin fixed on the surface melts, you can see the carbon fibers of different thicknesses spread out.

Specific to the forefoot, middle and heel parts of the midsole, the rigidity/toughness of the carbon plate may be different. During the research and development process, sports brands usually conduct thousands of tests to adjust the rigidity and position of the carbon plates (different parts), using running efficiency as the test indicator, and finally decide on the form used in the product. This is also the embodiment of the core technology of carbon plates on top running shoes.

So don’t think that carbon plates are just “a layer of hard plate sandwiched into the midsole of running shoes”.

Comparing the upper and lower pictures, simulating a normal running start, the metatarsophalangeal joint will have a complete movement, and the carbon plate will try to avoid this movement.

adidas adizero adios pro 2: five EnergyRods carbon pillars in the forefoot + a carbon plate in the heel

After the full-length carbon plate of adizero pro was abandoned in the early days of adizero adios pro, adidas used a mid-forefoot EnergyRods carbon pillar + a carbon plate in the heel. The combination.

The carbon pillar enhances the rolling transition, and the carbon plate enhances the heel to stabilize rebound, providing division of labor and collaboration.

The length of the five EnergyRods carbon columns is from the metatarsal bones of the midfoot to the phalanges of the toes (the number also corresponds to the five metatarsal bones on the soles of the feet). The design principle should be to achieve precise support + push - Adidas's view is that this independent carbon column allows running The dynamic gait is more natural, and the flexibility of the entire carbon plate is too poor.

EnergyRods carbon pillars are also located relatively close to the ground. It can be understood that they actually play a big role in the rolling transition when the soles of the feet leave the ground and push out.

Then the EnergyRods carbon pillars have been adjusted. Starting from this pair of adios pro 2.0, there is a hollow in the midsole, and the three carbon pillars can be directly seen. adidas has also studied different stiffness and number of EnergyRods carbon columns for use in other track and shorter distance road running racing shoes. The carbon plate at the heel of

is closer to the sole of the foot. Obviously, with such a carbon plate position, the heel will have a more intuitive force compression (rebound deformation), which requires the carbon plate to provide better stability and support.

This is the first generation carbon column/carbon plate design of adios pro. The principle of adios pro 2 is the same, with minor adjustments. adios pro 3 has become EnergyRods 2.0 again.

I haven’t bought the latest adios pro 3 yet (I didn’t get it when it was released in May). Adios pro 3 uses EnergyRods 2.0, and the heel looks a bit like Xtep 160X at first glance. The entire shape is also closer to a whole plate. I’ll talk about it in more detail when I have a chance to buy it later. The entire shape of

adios pro 3 has been greatly changed compared to the previous two generations. The carbon pillar is more integrated, and the heel has also become a hollow ring connected to the carbon pillar.

subjectively feels that adidas's propulsion system still has a lot of room for improvement, and the performance of the midsole Lightstrike Pro is also worth re-tuning - although the adios pro series has set many records, the results are clear. In recent years, the abilities of elite athletes have been improving by leaps and bounds, which may not necessarily be attributed to the magic of equipment. Compared with the reputation of the legendary adios (thin-soled racing running shoes) back then, adios pro is still far from its peak.

asics metaspeed sky+: a shovel-type carbon plate that is positioned higher and flatter

On the first generation metaspeed sky, Asics used a very rigid carbon plate, plus the midsole ff blast turbo foam was adjusted to be relatively hard (It is relatively supportive among all PEBA nylon foams.) This makes Metaspeed Sky a pair of shoes that pursue running efficiency and require extremely high calf tendon strength, which means it has a high threshold for driving.

The main adjustments to the carbon plate of the second generation metaspeed sky+ are to move the position of the carbon plate upward and further reduce the bending arc.

sky+ itself has a much thicker midsole. When the carbon plate is moved, it will be closer to the sole of the foot. This provides a larger force compression space for the midsole (the rebound stroke is increased). The carbon plate will also bear more weight than the first generation. The role of multiple stability. Not only the heel but also the forefoot position, the carbon plate of Sky+ is further away from the ground than that of Sky;

and the change in curvature can be understood as the carbon plate is flatter and more like a laborious crowbar when running. Of course, a more upturned angle of the forefoot will make the transition between ground contact and push-out more natural, creating a forward rolling effect. It can also be seen from the GIF behind

that the rolling feel of the forefoot of metaspeed sky+ and endorphin pro 2 is the more prominent among these pairs.

I personally admire metaspeed sky and this latest pair of sky+. I think it has a high degree of completion and is a pair of pure and powerful T0-level racing shoes.

However, its control threshold is indeed quite high. If you want to use its skills, the pace and leg/core strength requirements are very abnormal - so for most people, it is better to consider that the light is not as dazzling as sky/sky+ Let’s go with edge+, a fellow junior (in essence, edge+ is already very close to the feel of the first generation sky).

nike air zoom vaporfly next% and alphafly next%: From the shovel type carbon plate to the more extreme flyplate carbon plate

vaporfly next% and alphafly next% carbon plate principles have been published at https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/306908299 Detailed introduction in .

vaporfly next% and the earlier vaporfly elite/vaporfly 4% have verified the carbon plate's improvement in running efficiency. The rigidity of the shovel-shaped carbon plate reduces the bending of the metatarsophalangeal joints during running. When the feet land - lift - push off the ground, the front and rear curvature of the entire running shoe midsole is very small, relying more on the Achilles tendon and legs/legs Lifting and exerting force on the local muscle groups. This shovel-shaped carbon plate combined with zoom x foam, which is almost the softest and most resilient among peba nylon foams, provides a very obvious sense of propulsion.

alphafly The flyplate carbon plate started in next% further pursues the highest running efficiency, the largest stride effect, and the strongest power feedback. You also need stronger capabilities to push it to work.

In addition to the zoom pods air cushion module under the forefoot, the forefoot of the flyplate carbon plate is also designed to be very flat, making the alphafly next% a great test of the player's ankle joint/calf Achilles tendon and calf muscle strength. This also makes most pro-level marathon enthusiasts think that alphafly next% is more "difficult to run" than vaporfly next%.

As mentioned earlier, the design of alphafly next% 2 is a little gentler. I’ll explain the changes in detail when I get it in the future.

I won’t go into details about Nike carbon plates. For more information, just read the content I posted on Zhihu .

saucony endorphin pro 2: a shovel-shaped carbon plate that pursues a greater rolling feel

Saucony spent 18 months in research and development + 25 iterations of testing shoes to hand over the first generation endorphin pro. After the release of the second generation, a pair was released. endorphin pro+, the biggest adjustment of these three pairs of shoes is the upper, midsole performance and foot feel.

Of course, there should be major changes between endorphin pro 3 and endorphin elite. According to the known information, the midsole shape and carbon plate are different.

Subjective understanding is different from the practice of forerunners such as Nike on the working principle of shovel-type carbon plates. Saucony’s adjustment of carbon plates is more based on feedback from players and test data, which also makes it unique among all carbon plates. Among running shoes, whether it is a radical and rigid style or a relatively soft style, endorphin pro does not have a strong "command" that requires runners to run in a certain posture. This is positioned as a carbon plate for top racing. Very rare in running shoes.

Among these pairs, the endorphin pro 2 has the thinnest midsole and is closer to traditional running shoes (including the 8mm front and rear heel drop).

Saucony’s shovel-type carbon plate also has the effect of supporting, promoting, and reducing unnecessary movement of the foot (especially metatarsal/phalangeal bending), but the bigger idea is to combine it with its own speedroll technology in the forefoot to pursue that A sense of advancement. As shown by

, even if there is not such a thick midsole and even if the forefoot does not look so raised, the endorphin pro 2 will have an exaggerated tilt to simulate the rolling feeling on a flat road. Compared with Saucony's traditional racing shoe Type A9, the endorphin pro 2 has a longer full-foot contact time, but the time between mid-forefoot push and toe-off is greatly reduced.

Therefore, its carbon plate and the presence of the middle forefoot are still very obvious, especially in the short moment when the calf is extended - the middle forefoot transitions to the toes - when it leaves the ground. In conjunction with the arc of the forefoot, the carbon plate will strengthen this A forward scrolling effect.

Therefore, in terms of "driving threshold", the discomfort of endomorphin pro and the requirements for runners will be much lower.

Comparison of the carbon plate rigidity/propulsion feel of these top racing shoes

No matter how awesome the carbon plate is, it needs to be matched with the midsole material + midsole structure + forefoot shape to have an effect on running efficiency. For example, the soles of football shoes, cycling shoes, and are also very rigid, and some are constructed with carbon plates, but their design principles are very different from those of running shoes.

For example, in the pairs of shoes mentioned this time, most of the midsoles use PEBA (nylon) supercritical foam, but their performance is very different in terms of cushioning/rebound and durability. To give one example, the softer the midsole is (it will produce more severe compression deformation after being stressed), the more the carbon plate must take into account the need for stability, but it must also ensure that the rebound stroke can be maximized. Absorb cushioning → release rebound, so this directly determines the thickness design of the midsole and the position of the carbon plate from the ground/sole - for this alone, experimental tests will be conducted a lot.

In addition, the separate mechanism of the midsole (such as alphafly next% and 361 Feibiao) will also completely change the force during travel. The space is limited, so I will introduce these later when I have the opportunity.

(Adios Pro 2 was not around when shooting, just scroll to the end to read the conclusion)

Carbon plate rigidity

Heterogeneous carbon fiber plate has a great feature, the toe, mid-forefoot, mid-foot, and heel positions can be different Although the rigid, non-heterogeneous carbon plate does not have such obvious characteristics, you can still feel the different toughness when moving it from front to back and left to right. In addition, the carbon plate structure is generally "sandwiched" within the midsole after all, and the rigidity it exhibits is also related to the midsole.

PS: Do not press the carbon plate too much. Even if it is very tough, it may still break or cause changes in rigidity (I will not name a certain brand here...)

is pressed with almost maximum force. , Comparison of front and rear palms:

carbon plate rigidity:

• alphafly next% and metaspeed sky+ show strong rigidity and can hardly be pressed;
• is initially regarded as more rigid vaporfly next%, in comparison now, it seems It should be softer; the carbon plate shape of
• endorphin pro 2 is close to that of vaporfly next%, and the rigidity is slightly stronger than vaporfly next%. The carbon rod of
• adizero adios pro 2 is also close to or slightly higher than the rigidity of vaporfly next%, but the carbon pillar is When pressed, it doesn't feel as elastic as the previous pairs. It’s also possible that the LR Pro midsole itself is a bit hard and may not be as elastic as other PEBA foams.

Forefoot rolling feeling

In essence, the increase in the thickness of the midsole creates more upward space for the forefoot. These racing shoes also have a more "rounded" forefoot arc, and their effect can be clearly felt especially when walking.

On the one hand, the extremely rigid carbon plate makes the foot movements during running simpler, eliminating many actions that cannot help running faster and waste energy (such as metatarsophalangeal joint bending); on the other hand, the carbon plate is bound to It will also affect the freedom of the foot/rely more on the leg tendons to drive force. The rolling feeling in the middle forefoot can be easily resolved, or in other words, improve the efficiency of forward movement.

subjectively believes that

endorphin pro 2 and adizero adios pro 2 both emphasize the rolling feel and achieve a faster transition from the mid-forefoot to the toes and then off the ground; while the mid-forefoot of metaspeed sky+, vaporfly next% and alphafly next% are more upturned. It serves to lean forward when running, and the midsole is compressed and deformed under force - leaning forward - to achieve rebound forward and upward.

differs from metaspeed sky+. ASICS' other pair of edge+ is closer to the style of the former, while Li Ning's pair of Feidian elite 2.0 has a raised plantar pillow under the forefoot, which is more like the latter (these two differences are not necessarily the same) so obvious).

Regarding the rolling feel of the forefoot:

• endorphin pro 2 has a very smooth and unobtrusive rolling feel, which is equivalent to a foot feel close to traditional running shoes, increasing the efficiency of the forefoot rolling forward;
• adios pro 2 has a relatively aggressive upturn The angle, the carbon column that is closer to the ground will prevent the forefoot from having such an obvious flattening deformation when it is subjected to force (mainly the gravity of the body weight), and still maintain this strong arc, so it will be more natural after running. To increase the cadence; the forefoot rolling of
• vaporfly next%, metaspeed sky+ and alphafly next% is not so much rolling, but more like landing - there is a forward tilt when pushing and extending, to reduce foot movements, so as to be efficient and also suitable for Travel in a demanding manner for the lower body.

Propulsion

The carbon plate in racing running shoes is also called "carbon fiber propulsion plate", but in fact it still needs the compression rebound of the midsole to achieve the so-called propulsion - otherwise it will only "wear" the carbon plate ( For example, hard carbon fiber sole shoes with almost no cushioning such as football shoes/cycling shoes) obviously cannot achieve much propulsion.

At present, the best resilience performance is undoubtedly to foam the basic material in the form of supercritical physical foaming and then shape it. The basic material is generally divided into granular and direct foaming of plates. Common ones include paba nylon, eva Or mix other materials, tpu, etpu, etc. in eva.

sense of propulsion:

• The sense of propulsion of vaporfly next%, metaspeed sky+ and alphafly next% is based on the runner’s own control. The most intuitive thing is the strength of the calf/ankle and even the entire core. After the pace is increased, the whole feeling is completely different. .But it has very high requirements for running posture. To put it bluntly, it is a fast horse blade for talented/top players; the propulsion feeling of
• endorphin pro 2 is relatively gentler. This gentleness means that you can still feel a certain amount of speed at different levels. Improvement;
• The propulsion of adios pro 2 is quite confusing. Although it is lightweight and fast, in terms of intuitive propulsion feeling, adios pro 2 is very different from the previous pairs, and does not have the magical feeling of passive improvement.

The carbon plate rigid pressing test in the article is not rigorous and is for reference only. As the mileage of use increases, the properties of the carbon plate and midsole materials will change (especially peba nylon foam, durability and anti-attenuation may be its shortcomings), and the rebound and toughness may decrease.