Runners, is this new shoe technology going to get banned like the body suits in swimming?

No. They might crack down on some of the loopholes that companies are using to get around the current rules, but the shoes aren't doing anything magical like the banned swimsuits. They're basically adding more foam and a carbon plate, both within regulations, and allowing for better energy return from your stride. They aren't creating any more energy than you're putting in, they're just more efficient. The swimsuits, as far as I'm aware, were breaking records because they allowed you to be more aerodynamic and buoyant than bare skin.

A lot of people theorize that the "super shoes" are leading to records being broken because you can train harder in them without beating your legs up as much. It's not that they're magic on race day, it's that they're allowing for better prep leading up to it.

I thought there is some limit on the amount of spring return.

Interestingly, I ran a search on the issue and stumbled on an article that all the winners are consuming the same energy gel.
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Also what are some of those shoes, is it just the two listed in the graphic?

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Marathon winner: Addidas Adizero Adios Pro 3


Mile: Brooks Hyperion 222

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adding more foam and a carbon plate

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I just got some NB Supercomp Trainer V3 which is the combo I have been looking for. Good foam and a carbon plate. Love them.

There are a bunch of factors to it. The shoes with the carbon plates aren't more comfortable; less, if anything. They're rigid and provide better energy return when you run, which (theoretically) allows you to hit faster paces with less effort because it's converting more of your stride into forward motion than if you were running in Crocs.

We don't really know if it's ok to run in them every day because there's no long term data yet on how it changes you. Could lead to more injury, could lead to less, idk. We know pros are using them for workouts and long runs. Some people wear them every day. It's kind of preference for now.

World Athletics, who governs track and road running, has rules on how thick the sole can be and the configuration of the carbon plate. Shoes have to be under a certain thickness when measured at 12% from the heel and 75% from the heel. That's one of the loopholes I mentioned: companies will bevel the heel aggressively to make sure it's under the threshold, but that makes the shoe insanely uncomfortable and inefficient unless your foot lands a certain way:



It's pretty agreed upon that the shoes help you more if you already have an efficient stride that can use them to the maximum advantage. Joe Blow at your local 5k isn't getting as much out of them with his choppy shuffle as a Kenyan

I think my grandma had a pair of those.

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It's pretty agreed upon that the shoes help you more if you already have an efficient stride that can use them to the maximum advantage. Joe Blow at your local 5k isn't getting as much out of them with his choppy shuffle as a Kenyan

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Yea I am just Joe Blow getting back into running. I was curious if the new daily trainers they referred to were really worth it. I'm using Flux Adapt trainers which I really like, but I can see when my weekly mileage gets back up, I could see the shoe not offering enough cushion.

It makes sense, but I didn't realize there was this much controversy over running shoes.

Pretty much any daily trainer shoe from a major brand will be good enough for 95% of runners. I have a rotation, but I'm doing 40+ mile weeks every week. I use the Asics Novablast for daily running, Adidas Evo SL for workouts, and the Asics Superblast for anything over 10 miles.

The carbon plated stuff is really only for people wanting to race, and you'd get more bang for you buck by running more mileage than you would buying a $400 carbon shoe. The really high end ones that are being talked about also deteriorate really fast. Think NASCAR tires. They're not using them for a Sunday drive, they're using them to rip it as fast as they can for X distance.

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I believe if you run for years on the streets, especially with thin old style shoes, you will have terrible knee and back problems when you're in your 60s, 70, and above and wish you could re-do what you ignored in your younger years. Don't skimp on your shoes.

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I am definitely feeling all of those miles I put on pavement; especially when I crouch down to get eye level to the kids and am in that position for a long time.

Of course, my years of pavement running are most likely a minor reason for my current ailments. I never listened to my body when I was in my teens & 20s; and always figured if I could wrap it up and manage the pain, I could just keep going.