Seventeen-year-old Hasset Kifle has won the Young Science Writer Award with an article that hits the nail on the head. It analyzes how supershoes, with high-performance foams and carbon plates, are redefining athletics. They have managed to reduce times in long distances, but at a price that goes beyond money.
The science behind the magical bounce 🔬
The technology is clear: Pebax or TPU foams, combined with curved carbon fiber plates, act like a spring. They recover up to 90% of the energy with each stride, reducing muscle fatigue. The result is records falling like dominoes. But Kifle points out a detail: not all runners have access to this 300-euro technological boost.
When your feet are worth more than your car 💸
Now it turns out that to run like a professional, you need a mortgage on your feet. While some athletes break their backs training in canvas sneakers, others arrive at the starting line with rockets on their shoes. The next thing will be seeing a marathon runner taking out a loan to change the soles. Innovation is fine, but don't sell us a bill of goods: the credit isn't just the athlete's, it's the wallet's.