It always seemed to me that the benefit is enhanced performance on race day -- but is there also a benefit from being able to train longer and/or harder and to recover more quickly due to the shoes?
Yes, it seems like elites only train in super shoes and super spikes. The only exception seems to be the Ben Thomas cohort with Teare and Hocker. They train in pegs and structures, just regular, heavy trainers. They also don’t do double threshold sessions or super long workouts in general.
Yes for most workouts. But not for easy runs and not for long runs unless there's a workout within the long run. Spikes are only pulled out on rare occasions to potentially get used to the spikes before first race of the year or for a time trial.
Why would not wearing them in training enhance your performance on race day?
Because training in heavier/nonsuper shoes accustoms you to a correlation of pace to effort that will change for the better on race day. That's been my own experience. Put these things on and you feel like you are flying. Not unlike running with a weight vest and then racing without it.
I think the real benefit from training with super shoes comes from the super foams. You can just do more with less damage. There are also quite a few training shoes now with the high end foams, but no carbon plate.
Running with a weight vest or not in supershoes isn't any harder. You just go slower
I do think running some fast workouts and hard long runs in conventional flats is a good idea.
When I run in carbon plate shoes I feel like I can "float" at 10k to threshold pace. With flats on I have to work for the same turnover. The difference is subtle but those concentrated efforts help with maintaining pace mid-race.
Not unlike running with a weight vest and then racing without it.
Which is an utterly stupid idea.
Agreed, just the best analogy I could think of at the moment.
it was conventional wisdom when I started racing around 2000 that there is a benefit to be gained from training in heavier more cushioned shoes and then racing in flats
Cooper Teare in his latest Sweat Elite video mentioned how he trained in super shoes almost exclusively with BTC and upon switching to training in structure 25s with SOVA, he noticed his lower legs/calves were absolutely cooked for about 3 months. He believes he lost a lot in those lower legs due to the super shoes
Yes, it seems like elites only train in super shoes and super spikes. The only exception seems to be the Ben Thomas cohort with Teare and Hocker. They train in pegs and structures, just regular, heavy trainers. They also don’t do double threshold sessions or super long workouts in general.
This is interesting. Rupp got a serious calf / Achilles injury using the new shoes. My college coach used to have us do barefoot strides in the grass often to strengthen the feet and calfs. The non-super versions have adopted better cushioning so maybe that is a good compromise where there is still good recovery, but the carbon plate is not beating the foot / calf. Also, if you run trails, that high stack is borderline dangerous. Trail runs help strengthen all the stabilizing muscles.
It would be crazy not to race in super shoes and spikes. They are faster. But the argument that double thresholds are the reason for fast times is certainly not the reason for this group's success nor the reason Teare ran a college record in the mile the first time he raced in the shoes and ran a 5s PR (8s for Hocker), and later the 5000.