Superfeet, in partnership with Carbitex -- the manufacturer behind carbon plates found in Saucony and Adidas shoes -- just released the Run Pacer Elite insole. According to the brand, the insole, kitted out with a carbon plate and beaded supercritical foam, makes your shoes 39 percent more responsive.
The insole is priced under $100, making it less than half the cost of most super shoes. This begs the question: Can the Run Pacer Elite serve as a stand-in for a racing super shoe?
The allure of this insole is that you can take any of your favorite running shoes and amp them up, potentially turning them into a Franken-super shoe by switching out the insole with Superfeet's carbon-plated insole. I road-tested them pre-launch to see if that hope holds up.
I'm starting to like this DIY culture, taking shears to clothes like Ciele's trimmable shorts made me live out a seamstress fantasy I never knew I wanted to experience. Snipping along the Sharpied silhouette I drew using my Ghost 17's insole to customize the Run Pacer Elite insert was easy as pie.
After trimming the insoles (which are available in four sizes), they easily slipped into my Ghost 17s and, without any adjustments, a pair of Mount to Coast H1s.
I rotated between the On Cloudstrike Boom LS, a carbon-plate racing shoe, and the Mount to Coast H1 with and without the Run Pacer Elite insoles. Though my pace wasn't as fast as when I ran in the Cloudstrike Boom LS, I did notice my mile times were significantly lower during the Run Pacer Elite H1 workouts compared to the sans-Superfeet insole runs.
Even though the insoles made my runs speedier, I noticed a few hangups when using them. Superfeet's site suggests sliding the insoles into "moderate to roomy" shoes. The reason for this became apparent when I was running with the insoles and felt friction on the tops of my toes due to the crowding.
"Considering New Balance Rebel v5's combo of thin insoles and a gusseted tongue, the fit's significantly tighter and a lot less comfy with the insoles," said tester and editorial assistant Michael McDonough. "My feet were being actively squeezed before tying my shoes, and the extra cushioning prevented a secure heel fit -- I was especially afraid that I'd run out of them during speedwork."
The SuperRev cushioning with the plate is quite thick. To remedy this issue, you may want to size up your shoes when using the insoles. However, that can create an issue if you've already trimmed them down to your usual size. Drop more money for another Run Pacer Elite? Decisions, decisions.
The cushioning was also very firm. I wanted more plushness underfoot. The pads of my feet felt a little tender after a six-mile run.
I really felt energized running in these. I alternated between a pair of super shoes, my trainers, and my trainers with these insoles while testing. My pace was definitely faster wearing the insoles, but didn't quite match the super shoe pace. I think that's because the rest of the trainer wasn't made for that kind of running. They lack the give you need for that kind of fast turnover.
It's also crucial to monitor how many times you run in these because I feel like you wouldn't notice the foam wearing down, what with the plate on the bottom.
Bottom line: These are great for speedwork or, if you can knock the firm cushioning, long runs when you really want to work out in your race day shoe. Take it from me, though: Keep those puppies fresh.