Lidl’s €49.99 Carbon-Plated Running Shoe Lands This Coming Monday

Every now and again something appears in the Lidl middle aisle that makes you stop and stare.

A chainsaw.
A kayak.
A welder.

This week it might be something even stranger.

Carbon-Plated Running Shoe.

Yes, really.

Lidl’s in house brand Crivit is releasing a pair of running shoes that feature a carbon plate and EVA midsole, the kind of technology normally associated with racing shoes that can cost well over €200.

And the price?

€49.99.

Or £34.99 in Lidl Northern Ireland.

The shoes are expected to land in stores on Monday March 9th, meaning runners could soon be rummaging through the middle aisle looking for race day footwear beside the power tools and garden equipment.

What’s Actually In The Shoe

According to Lidl’s product listing, the Crivit running shoe includes a number of features that will sound very familiar to anyone who has spent time reading about modern “super shoes”.

The shoe includes a lightweight knitted upper designed to improve breathability during runs.

Inside the shoe there is a moulded ergonomic insole intended to improve comfort and fit.

The midsole uses EVA foam, a material commonly used in running shoes for cushioning and shock absorption.

But the headline feature is the one that will raise a few eyebrows.

A carbon plate.

Lidl says the plate is designed to improve energy return and power transfer during running, technology that has become synonymous with elite racing shoes over the past few years.

The outsole is finished with a rubber grip sole, designed to provide traction on road surfaces.

In short, on paper at least, it ticks many of the same boxes you would expect to see in far more expensive shoes.

Carbon Plates… From Lidl

Carbon plated shoes exploded into the running world in recent years thanks to high profile models worn by elite athletes and marathon record holders.

Since then almost every major brand has released its own version.

The catch has always been the price.

Many of the best known carbon racing shoes cost somewhere between €200 and €300, making them a serious investment for runners.

Which is why Lidl’s version landing at €49.99 feels slightly surreal.

It means that for less than the price of many race entries, runners could potentially walk out of the middle aisle with a carbon plated shoe.

Will Runners Actually Race In Them?

That is the real question.

No one is claiming Lidl’s Crivit shoe is about to replace the high end racing models used by elite athletes.

But it does raise an interesting point.

For everyday runners who are curious about carbon plated shoes but reluctant to spend hundreds of euro, this could be an accessible way to try the technology for the first time.

And knowing Lidl, they may not stay on the shelves for long.

If the middle aisle has taught us anything over the years, it is that the most unexpected products tend to disappear the fastest.

Which means next weekend’s parkrun could end up featuring something nobody expected to see.

A start line full of Lidl carbon shoes.