Carbon Footprint

You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.

The theory behind the carbon plate is generally one of providing a stiffer base within the shoe to push off from.

Combine this well enough in cushioning with the latest polymers that retain their shape better than ever and you have the magic formula.

Most brands have – or will have – a carbon-plated shoe by the end of the year, so lace them up and prepare for take-off!

NIKE – Air Zoom Alphafly Next%

Price TBC, nike.com

Expected to be available to buy some time within the next month, this is the latest version of the shoe that reignited the carbon craze.

With 40mm of Zoom X cushioning, combined with a carbon fibre plate and now twin Air pockets, the Alphafly is crammed full of technology.