Shoe technology hasn't changed much since the 70's. The basics are pretty much the same. The rest is frills.
i am late to this conversation and have not read the whole thread. that said, i'm sorry to see this point get hammered so badly because I believe it's essentially true.
until these springs showed up in the shoes, they hadn't changed that much since the late 1970s. i think most old-timers would concur. there was a big jump in materials and technology from the mid-to-late 70s that made it possible for more people to enjoy running, and also run more miles without getting hurt. that was about when i started HS.
by the time i got to college in 83, shoes had become pretty much what they were until 5 years ago. materials, design, feel...i just have never felt a whole lot of difference- certainly nothing that would change my PRs. certainly there was an improvement, but they just weren't that different out of the box: weight, flexibility, performance, midsole durability all similar...certainly from the mid-80s (at latest) till the mid teens.
the shoe springs have changed the meaning of times these people run today. I probably wouldn't want to hear either if i was in my prime, but the change since these things went mainstream is mind-boggling.
They aren't "springs" in the shoe - they are a plate. Springs would work like a trampoline and would almost certainly be banned.
The estimates are speculative, not proven. Just like all the claims here.
Data certainly shows that for many runners (not all for whatever reason) there is an improvement in running economy which is a key variable in endurance performance. A 4% improvement in running economy translates into about a 1-2% improvement in performance.
On a more practical level, the fact that every record is being broken by people wearing super shoes is certainly circumstantial evidence.
Shoe technology hasn't changed much since the 70's. The basics are pretty much the same. The rest is frills.
i am late to this conversation and have not read the whole thread. that said, i'm sorry to see this point get hammered so badly because I believe it's essentially true.
until these springs showed up in the shoes, they hadn't changed that much since the late 1970s. i think most old-timers would concur. there was a big jump in materials and technology from the mid-to-late 70s that made it possible for more people to enjoy running, and also run more miles without getting hurt. that was about when i started HS.
by the time i got to college in 83, shoes had become pretty much what they were until 5 years ago. materials, design, feel...i just have never felt a whole lot of difference- certainly nothing that would change my PRs. certainly there was an improvement, but they just weren't that different out of the box: weight, flexibility, performance, midsole durability all similar...certainly from the mid-80s (at latest) till the mid teens.
the shoe springs have changed the meaning of times these people run today. I probably wouldn't want to hear either if i was in my prime, but the change since these things went mainstream is mind-boggling.
1. They aren't springs, it's a carbon plate that doesn't bend.
2. I've been running since 1971 and shoes have changed, gradually, since then and up to just recently.
The Carbon Plate revolution was a major leap in technology.
Now, they have to figure out how to keep it but regulate it.
I haven't tried them but some of my friends like the nylon plate shoes for training and recovering. That's my next purchase.
The shoes Webb ran in were light years ahead of Jim Ryun’s shoes.
The track spikes of today are closer to Webb than Webb was to Ryun.
So the cut off improvement should probably be like 1998.
Perhaps someone could explain what exactly it is in the the construction of a shoe that transforms physical performance? Essentially, it must be the sole, since the upper is only a cover and support for the foot for balance. What is the magic ingredient in that part of the shoe a few inches underneath the athlete's foot that is believed to take seconds off each lap on a track or minutes off a marathon time, when shoes have been constructed much as they are today for decades?
It's the carbon fiber plate. It doesn't allow the shoe to flex, which loses energy. It's like wearing springs/jumping on a pogo stick. It really is a cheat code.
They are springs. Springs can be different shapes. They are shaped very much like a leaf spring in car's suspension.
Stop- they aren't springs. Springs were already banned. I think they were called Spira or something like that.
These are not springs. Repeat that to yourself 3 or 4 times.
Stop - doesn’t matter what it is. It turns 29:00 10k runners into 28:30 runners. And 14:00 5k runners into 13:45 runners. No additional work needed. All you need to do is change your shoes. Explain how this isn’t any different than epo.
Stop- they aren't springs. Springs were already banned. I think they were called Spira or something like that.
These are not springs. Repeat that to yourself 3 or 4 times.
Stop - doesn’t matter what it is. It turns 29:00 10k runners into 28:30 runners. And 14:00 5k runners into 13:45 runners. No additional work needed. All you need to do is change your shoes. Explain how this isn’t any different than epo.
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