Lidl launches carbon running shoe
Running can be quite an expensive hobby if you value a cool look and the latest footwear technology. To achieve personal bests_ it is no longer just professionals but also many amateur athletes who rely on carbon running shoes. These shoes feature a midsole made of a lightweight carbon fibre plate.
This technical advantage comes at a price_ at least from major sportswear brands like Adidas_ Nike and Hoka. For example_ the Nike Alphafly 3 model costs over 300 euros ( 348.5 dollars) in the US brand's online shop. The discount sportswear brand Crivit is now offering a shoe for just 69.99 euros.
The _CarbonLite 1.0_ has been available in the Lidl online shop for women and men in two colourways each since the end of February. It features a carbon plate designed to promote “energy return through improved power transmission” and a knitted upper_ according to the product description. Several sizes in the men's models_ ranging from 41 to 46_ are already sold out.
Not a shoe for beginners
In a test by Runner_s World_ the typical rolling motion of these shoes_ the well-ventilated upper material and the fit were particularly impressive. The weight was noted as a negative point. A men's size 45 test shoe weighed over 306 grams_ while Lidl states 250 grams. The running platform therefore classified the shoe as a faster training shoe rather than a competition shoe like other carbon models. Nevertheless_ the testers were positively surprised by the “performance” of the discount model.
However_ it must also be considered that while the shoe's price is tailored to beginners_ its technology is aimed more at ambitious athletes_ according to Runner's World. Various running experts_ such as Sebastian Bär_ also criticise the shoe for this reason.
The CEO of the German shoe supplier Joe Nimble warned last week in a post on the career network Linkedin about dangers such as overuse from the stiff carbon plate. He also highlighted the chronic consequences if such a “tool for measured use” is used continuously due to its mass availability. The side effects are greatest in the broad amateur market. “Anyone who wants to use carbon shoes sustainably for their own performance needs clear dosage as well as targeted foot and big toe training.”
Lidl_ however_ does not market the shoe in such a specialised way on social media. A humorous Instagram post from last week stated that with the shoe_ you would be the “first one at the bakery”.
The discounter has been in the process of realigning and internationally positioning Crivit since the middle of last year. To this end_ Lidl signed up former tennis star Stefanie Graf as a new brand ambassador in February.