Do Super Shoes Actually Work at 9:00 Pace? The Science Might Surprise You
Estimated read time: 3.36 minutes (about as long as it takes to argue with a running store employee about whether you “need” carbon plates 🤔)
Hey Performance Nerds! Jonah here. 🤓
Do super shoes still help if you're not running 6:00 minute miles?
Short answer: yes, but not always for the reason you think.
At slower paces, the famous “4 percent” advantage shrinks. The real value often shows up in the back half of your marathon, when your legs are hanging on.
Here's what you'll learn today:
Why the famous "4 percent advantage" doesn't translate the same below ~9:40/mile
Why some super shoe foams tend to work better for slower runners
How to use super shoes in training without overloading your knees and hips
(Augie, my dog, insists he doesn't need fancy shoes to outrun me. Which is true. But four legs is cheating.)
💬 A Quick Ask (That Matters)
Only 6% of sport science research focuses on women. Just 0.5% focuses on elite female athletes.
That's not good enough.
Loughborough University is working to change this. If you're a female athlete aged 18+ competing at a national level or above (including current or former NCAA athletes), your voice can help shape more inclusive research.
The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes.
International athletes: survey
Team USA athletes: separate survey
I'll be honest. I want to do better at amplifying female-focused research. This feels like a good place to start.
If you know a female athlete or coach who qualifies, please share this with them. More voices means better science.
🧬 Performance Sponsors:
🚀 Train Harder. Recover Smarter.
SiS—the same science-backed fuel trusted by Olympic marathoners—is now sponsoring Marathon Science.
From gels to recovery tools, every product is backed by real performance data and built for serious athletes like you.
🚀 Power Your Pace with Stryd
Stryd — the running power meter trusted by serious athletes — is now an official performance sponsor of Marathon Science, delivering real-time pacing precision so you can train smarter and race faster.
💡 See this week’s full Stryd training tip at the end of this newsletter.
🧬 The Science: How Super Shoes Actually Work
Super shoes aren't magic. They're three technologies working together, and each one depends on how fast you move.
1. The Foam: Your Midsole as a Spring
Traditional trainers use EVA foam, which returns about 60 to 65 percent of the energy you put in.
PEBA foams in super shoes often return around 80 to 85 percent of the energy you put in, and some A-TPU foams, like the one in the Puma Fast R 3, land in a similar range.
But you only get that energy back if you compress the foam enough. Think of a diving board. A heavier diver bends it more and gets a bigger bounce. Less bend, less spring.
Recreational runners generate 2.2–2.5× bodyweight forces at ground contact. Elites are closer to 2.7–3×.
Less force = less compression = less “free” rebound.
👉 Why it matters: When the foam compresses fully, it stores energy and returns part of it as forward motion. That “free work” helps you run the same pace with less effort at faster speeds.
2. The Plate: Not a Propeller
The plate stiffens the shoe and helps guide your foot into a smooth toe-off.
That roll tends to work best when you are moving fast enough. At slower paces, some runners do not create the same momentum, so the plate can feel stiff or a little out of sync with their timing.
👉 Why it matters: At faster paces, the plate reduces how much your calves need to work by keeping your ankle in an efficient position, which makes it easier to hold speed.
3. The Rocker: Tuned for Speed
The curved sole is designed around fast running. It reduces braking and helps you transition smoothly from landing to push-off.
At slower paces, your stride timing often does not match the rocker timing, so the shoe can feel like it is trying to roll you forward sooner than you want to move.
👉 Why it matters: When the timing aligns with your speed, the rocker reduces braking and helps you roll forward more smoothly, saving small amounts of energy every step.
🔬 The Pace Threshold: Where the Benefit Fades
Dr. Dustin Joubert’s research gives the clearest look at how super shoes behave at recreational speeds.
What the Research Shows
Speed | Approx Pace | Economy Improvement | Significant? |
|---|---|---|---|
12 km/h | ~8:00/mile | 1.4% ± 1.1% | Yes |
10 km/h | ~9:40/mile | 0.9% ± 1.8% | No |
Around 8:00 pace most runners still see a benefit.
Closer to 9:40, the average advantage gets small and more variable, with some runners improving, some seeing little change, and a few getting worse.
Why?
Slower runners spend more time on the ground
Soft foams compress unevenly or lose energy during that longer contact
The shoe can rebound out of sync with your stride
Your ankle works harder to control the wobble
That extra stabilizing effort can erase the small energy return for some runners
That is why a shoe that feels fast for one runner can feel unstable or inefficient for someone else at the same pace.
🧱 Stability Matters, And Foam Helps Predict It
The longer you're on the ground, the more stability matters.
Foam plays a role, but the real key for slower runners is how the whole shoe keeps you controlled, not whether the foam is PEBA or A-TPU.
PEBA foams are bouncy but can feel wobbly at slower paces for many runners, especially in taller and softer shoes.
Newer A-TPU based racers tend to be a bit firmer and more controlled, which can feel more stable for runners who are not moving at elite pace.
Examples:
Puma Fast R Nitro Elite 3
A‑TPU‑based foam with an aggressive plate and rocker. Stable and efficient for strong mid‑ or forefoot strikers at faster paces, but often twitchy and less stable for many runners at slower marathon efforts.
Saucony Endorphin Speed
Soft PEBA foam, but the nylon plate and guided design keep it more controlled than many full carbon PEBA racers, although it can still feel a bit wobbly for some runners at easier paces.
What to look for
A stable shoe for slower paces usually has:
A wider base
A guided rocker or supportive sidewalls
A plate that does not feel overly stiff
A slightly firmer, more controlled foam feel
For slower marathon paces, stability that matches your mechanics matters more than whether the super foam is PEBA or A-TPU.
For many runners, the real super shoe benefit is simply feeling less beat up late in the race. Even if the economy gain at your pace is small, holding your form longer still matters.
⚠️ The Injury Trade-Off: Where the Load Goes
Super shoes do not remove stress. They move it.
The foam and plate likely take work off your calves and Achilles
That load can shift upward into the knees and hips
Longer ground contact or less stability can make that shift more noticeable
A soft, tall shoe can feel great early but harder to control once fatigue sets in
That's why some runners might report knee soreness or "dead legs" near the end of a marathon.
If you have Achilles issues, super shoes may help. If you have knee or hip issues, be cautious and test them in training first.
The long‑term injury data in recreational runners is still limited.
🔧 How To Use Super Shoes Without Paying The Stability Tax
When To Use Them
Session Type | Super Shoes? | Why |
|---|---|---|
Long runs with race pace | ✅ Yes | Saves calf load and mimics race mechanics |
Tempo or threshold sessions | ✅ Mostly if tempo pace is faster than ~9:40/mile | Below this speed, the mechanics are less likely to help on average, though some runners still respond well |
Race day | ✅ Yes | Any small advantage adds up late in the race |
Easy runs or recovery | ❌ No | Not needed for easy days, and using more stable trainers here helps spread load |
Using them for one or two key workouts per week plus race day is usually enough.
Break In Gradually
Instead of jumping all in, introduce them over several weeks:
First few uses: partial long runs or warm up plus part of the workout
Then: key sessions in full
Finally: race day
This gives your feet, lower legs, knees, and hips time to adapt to the new load pattern.
The 10 km/h Rule
If your marathon pace is around or slower than about 10 km/h, or roughly 9:40 per mile, prioritize:
Stability over maximum bounce
Slightly firmer foams
Moderate rocker shapes
Plates that do not feel like a rigid plank under your arch
Those features will usually do more for your performance than chasing the softest, bounciest marathon racer.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Super shoes are speed dependent. Around and slower than 9:40 pace, the average benefit shrinks and becomes less predictable
Foam matters. Many current A‑TPU–based racers are tuned a bit firmer and more controlled than the softest PEBA super shoes, which can make them feel more stable for some slower runners.
Stability is not optional. Extra stabilizing muscle work might increase oxygen cost and can erase energy return in some runners
Injury risk profile shifts. Super shoes may take work off your calves and Achilles, but they can put more demand on the knee, hip, and midfoot. There is also some concern about navicular stress in certain runners, even though solid incidence data are still limited.
Use them on purpose. Key long runs and tempo sessions at faster than 9:40 pace plus race day, not every easy jog.
Super shoes work. The real question is whether they work for your stride at your pace.
Test them, track what happens, and trust the data you get from your own training.
Individual responses vary a lot, especially at slower paces, so your own data matters more than any group average.
💬 One last thing before you go.
Thank you for trusting me with your training. It's genuinely an honor.
If you’ve got questions about anything—hit reply.
I read every message and I’m here to help however I can.
See you next week
— Jonah
Are You a True Running Nerd? Prove it.. 🧐
Welcome to the prove you’re a nerd section. Each week, I ask a question about a common running science myth.
Answer correctly, and you’ll be entered into a weekly raffle to win a package of Jonah’s favorite supplements.
Why is it smart to minimize fat in your pre-race meal for a marathon morning?
- A. Fat slows gastric emptying, delaying carb absorption when you need fast-access fuel ⏳🍞
- B. Fat lowers your blood glucose, preventing early-race spikes and crashes 📉🥑
- C. Fat increases muscle damage during long runs, making late miles harder 🦵⚡
- D. Fat reduces sweat rate, helping you conserve electrolytes for later 💧🧂
Last Week’s Results: The Spring That Saves You ⚡🐆
Most runners hear “stiffness” and think it is a bad thing. Tight muscles, cranky tendons, injury risk. But in performance science, stiffness often means something very different: free speed.
The correct answer?
D. Achilles tendon stiffness. ⚡🐆 ✅
A stiffer Achilles does more work with every step, taking energy demands off your calves and improving running economy. It is one of the clearest mechanical predictors we have for faster marathon performance. The less muscular effort you need each stride, the more you have left when the race gets hard.
Here’s how the votes shook out:
⬜️ A. IT band stiffness – 9
⬜️ B. Patellar tendon stiffness – 10
⬜️ C. Hamstring tendon stiffness – 22
🟩 D. Achilles tendon stiffness – 265 ✅
Bottom line?
Stiffness is not always the enemy. In the Achilles, it is one of your biggest performance assets. Train the spring, not just the muscle. Your late-race legs will thank you. 🏃♂️💥
🏃♂️ Stryd Training Tip — Rebuild Smarter After Injury with Stryd Duo
Coming back from injury?
Your stride may feel normal, but Stryd shows whether you are actually returning to your pre injury baseline.
Lower Body Stress Score and Impact Loading Rate reveal how much load each step creates, and the Duo system measures each leg independently so you can see whether both sides are back to their usual patterns.
Why it matters:
Catch asymmetries early: Uneven loading is often the first sign you are not fully back to baseline yet.
Confirm recovery, not compensation: Duo shows whether your left and right sides match the patterns you had before the injury.
Progress with confidence: Increase volume only when the data shows your typical mechanics have returned.
💡 Bottom line: Stryd Duo turns every run into a baseline check. Instead of guessing, you can see exactly when your stride has truly returned to normal.
Don’t forget: You + Science = AWESOMENESS 😎
Yours in science,
Jonah
Please email me directly if you’re interested in references for this week!