I had seen these all over my socials with sponsored ads and athletes promoting them. With my educational background in applied physics, I’m always looking for new performance tech that can help enhance the athlete experience and results!
I contacted Vktry to test these out and they delivered… literally lol
(Pros and Cons + Category Scores at Bottom)
Originally, they had wanted me to do a small promotion in exchange for receiving the free pair (~$200) but I always test products and services before I enter a partnership if possible. They agreed to let me try them for a month and circle back. After a month of training, I truly believed in the product enough to move forward. ( *Vktry is not paying me for this article whatsoever. They didn’t ask for this, nor did I ask their permission to write this.)
What are Vktry Carbon Fiber Insoles & why are they different than other insoles?
Carbon fiber in footwear is nothing new and is now being used heavily by brands like Nike, especially when it comes to performance running.
Carbon fibers “have several advantages including high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. These properties have made carbon fiber very popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, and motorsports, along with other competition sports. However, they are relatively expensive when compared with similar fibers, such as glass fibers or plastic fibers.”
Vktry has used this technology to form a rigid carbon fiber insole. The stiff insole mimics a spring-like hinge action that snaps back after being bent.
Normal insoles are primarily made of cellulose paperboard, a flimsy, sometimes spongy or cushioned foam-like material.
When holding them side by side, Vktry feels like a metal plate while the standard shoe insole feel like soft construction paper.
At first you may think “but if it feels like metal, it won’t be comfortable. I want to run on clouds”
Although running on clouds sounds nice, cushioning can have a greater negative effect than positive. Whereas, carbon fiber, although rigid, promotes healthier energy transfer from ground to leg.
First wear:
When I first put the insoles in my cleats, they did not fit. I like to wear my boots pretty tight, so the design of the insole pushed my foot up too high. In another pair, my foot fit, but I could feel the edges of the insole near the toe space in the shoe. At last, the fit very well in my Adidas X 19.1, I just wore double socks to get the snug fit I desired.
Once I had a comfortable fit, I took off. Literally.
I hadn’t felt that much of an explosive first step since I was in college 5 years ago. From the first step I felt higher on my toes and propelled further forward with each stride.
I spent about an hour with them on feeling them out and felt they were more comfortable than without these insoles in.
Testing:
As a player, I like to go with how I feel. If I feel like I look good, I’ll be more confident and play well. As a scientist, I only care about the data. I put these to the test in a 5-10-5 drill and a 10 meter sprint. Unfortunately, I don’t have automated timing systems and did not do a thorough study (multiple reiterations, placebo insoles, etc) but from a few sets of each drill was able to compare using the insoles and not using the insoles to find my speed increased slightly in each test!
To even improve 5-10-5 or 10m sprint time by even .01 seconds is great. In both tests, the insoles helped improve my times by about 0.05 seconds +/- 0.03
When you consider track and field races like the 100m being decided by less than that, it’s really amazing to see.
There was no advanced training, diet, nothing. Just putting in the insoles
PROS AND CONS
CONS:
Does not fit every shoe
Elevates foot slightly within shoe
Can feel edges of insole with toes during sharp/fast changes of direction (foot slides)
Expensive
PROS:
Increases speed, power, & explosiveness
Comfortable
Helps shift foot strike to midfoot similar to track spikes
You really feel the energy return
Can be used in different shoes
Category Ratings
Comfort: 8/10
Durability: 9/10
Effectiveness: 9/10
Sizing: 6/10
For soccer/football: 8/10
For track/athletics: 9/10
Cost for what you get: 7/10
