Start with the problem, then choose the technology—not the other way around
Jornet argues shoe design should solve specific problems first, then select appropriate technologies—not reverse-engineer solutions around carbon plates. Carbon plate shoes only deliver performance in appropriate contexts; they're counterproductive on technical terrain like the Kima Trophy.
- Jornet has raced competitively every year since 2003 except 2023, when injury prevented it
- Carbon-plated shoes perform well on road marathons but slow runners down on technical alpine terrain like the Kima Trophy
- Midsole technology is more important to performance than carbon plate construction
Trail running champion Kilian Jornet emphasizes that midsole technology matters more than carbon plates in running shoes, advocating for design driven by specific terrain needs rather than trends.
Kilian Jornet sat down at the NNormal factory in Inca, Mallorca, to talk about the coming season, and what emerged was a quiet argument against the way the running shoe industry has begun to think. The Catalan runner is shifting his focus toward racing this year—a practical choice, he explained, now that his partner Emelie Forsberg is returning to competition after pregnancy and the logistics of family life make structured races easier to manage than the sprawling personal projects that once defined his calendar. But competition itself has never been secondary to him. Since 2003, he said, there was only one year he didn't race seriously: 2023, when injury sidelined him. Racing and mountaineering expeditions have always coexisted in how he understands the mountains.
When asked about motivation—the question that hangs over any athlete with a career as long and successful as his—Jornet was direct. "If you're asking yourself that question, you don't have it anymore," he said. He doesn't hunt for inspiration. His problem is the opposite: too many things he wants to do. He likes to train, he likes to perform, and if he's competitive, he likes to race. What drives him is novelty. "I don't get motivated doing the same thing over and over. I get motivated doing different things," he said, describing that constant mix of races and personal challenges. He could even imagine spending a whole year training without competing at all.
The conversation turned to NNormal, the shoe brand he helps develop. From the start, the company aimed to make few models but ones that covered all types of runners, all terrains, all distances. The new Cadí shoe fits that philosophy—designed for runners new to trail running, for less technical ground, for people who prioritize comfort and cushioning over pure speed. But the most revealing part of the interview came when Jornet was asked about the surge in carbon plate technology and an industry increasingly influenced by road-running trends.
He offered a philosophy of radical simplicity. "You have to start by asking: what is the shoe supposed to do?" he said. And then: "It's wrong to think, 'We have a carbon plate—where do we put it?' Because that's already the mistake." The right order is different. First, identify what problem the shoe needs to solve. Then decide which technologies actually help. "The real problem is running on that terrain, for that kind of distance," he explained. "Then we look at what technologies we have available."
Jornet pushed back against the hype around carbon plates as the main driver of modern performance. "Midsole technology is more important than the plate," he said flatly. And he emphasized something the industry often glosses over: these solutions only work in the right context. A carbon-plated shoe makes you slower at the Kima Trophy, a technical alpine race where you need grip and responsiveness on rough ground. At the Berlin Marathon, the same shoe makes you faster. The technology isn't magic. It's contextual. As trail running absorbs more ideas from the road-running world, that distinction—between what works everywhere and what works somewhere—may be the most important one to remember.
Notable Quotes
If you're asking yourself that question, you don't have it anymore— Kilian Jornet, on motivation
It's wrong to think we have a carbon plate and then figure out where to put it—that's already the mistake— Kilian Jornet, on shoe design philosophy
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
You've been racing and doing big mountain projects for over twenty years. What keeps you coming back?
Honestly, if you're asking yourself that question, you've already lost it. I don't search for motivation. I like to train, I like to perform, and if I'm competitive, I like to race. That's it.
But you could step back. You could just train. You've already proven everything.
Sure, I could spend a whole year training without racing. But what interests me is doing different things. The same thing over and over doesn't pull me forward.
Let's talk about shoes. The industry is obsessed with carbon plates right now. Why are you skeptical?
Because everyone's asking the wrong question. They start with the technology—"we have a carbon plate"—and then figure out where to put it. That's backwards. You start with the problem: what terrain, what distance, what runner?
So carbon plates are useless?
No. They're useful in the right place. At the Kima Trophy, on technical alpine ground, they make you slower. At Berlin Marathon, they make you faster. The shoe doesn't care. The context does.
What matters more than the plate, then?
The midsole. How the shoe absorbs and returns energy. That's what you feel under your foot. That's what actually changes how you run.