From Race Day To Real Life: AURORRA Super Insoles with ARRIS Carbon Fiber & PEBAX Foam Bring Performance To Everyday Shoes

Scroll or listen — you do you.

Like super shoes, but for shoes you already own.

The inspiration absolutely comes from super shoes, which are developed to maximize propulsion using a (1) stiff carbon plate, (2) thick springy foam, and a (3) pronounced rocker shape. That geometry helps elite runners hold speed over long distances — but it's a particular setup, built for racing.    

AXA Super Insoles take that same core technology — especially the energy return and force efficiency — and bring it to the shoes you already wear. They're not trying to replicate the full super shoe experience. They're built to deliver performance in a more versatile, wearable format.  

That means benefits like reduced fatigue, improved energy return, better stability and alignment, and enhanced comfort with every step. And as more people have tried them, new use cases have emerged — everything from runners who want a less aggressive option for training, to folks dealing with plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, big toe pain, or just long shifts on their feet.  

Carbon fiber plates actually help with performance.

The carbon fiber plate plays a key role — working with Pebax foam to stabilize your stride and reduce the energy your muscles expend with each step. Think of it like walking on packed snow instead of deep powder: still soft, but with way more control and efficiency. Performance enhancement is absolutely part of the story, and it's not just about chasing speed — it's about smarter, more supported movement in whatever you're doing.  

The core of this performance enhancement lies in manipulating the "gearing" of your ankle-foot system. A carbon fiber plate, like the one in AXA Super Insoles, increases the longitudinal stiffness of your shoe. This modification increases the leverage of your foot on the ground, creating a higher "gear ratio" for your ankle. A higher gear allows your lower leg muscles (specifically, the Soleus) to contract more slowly and powerfully, shifting them into their most economical range for producing force.  

This isn't just a theory but a scientifically validated mechanism for enhancing performance. A 2020 study published in Scientific Reports provides compelling evidence. Researchers found that when participants walked at a fast pace (2.0 m/s, or approximately a 13-minute mile), high-stiffness carbon fiber insoles reduced their metabolic energy cost by a remarkable 7.1%. 

Think super shoe benefits, just made for your pace.

If you're racing marathons at a 6-minute pace or faster, super shoes are built to help you shave time. If you're running closer to an 8-minute pace — or walking — AXA Super Insoles are better tuned to improve your efficiency and reduce fatigue.

AXA Super insoles offer the same core benefits (energy return, stability, and biomechanical support), but they are just optimized for different speeds and use cases.  

Carbon fiber plates also contribute to fatigue relief.

The synergy between soft, resilient foam and a stiff carbon plate is what drives both the performance and fatigue-relief benefits seen in modern footwear. Foam helps absorb impact forces, while the plate stabilizes the foam and acts as a lever to assist forward motion.  

In the case of AXA Super Insoles, the carbon fiber plate adds structure and directional control to high-rebound foam (like Pebax). This type of foam can feel soft and springy — but also unstable or inefficient over time, especially without a supportive frame.  

As mentioned above, a helpful way to picture this is like walking in deep snow (all cushion, no control) versus packed snow with a firm base. The structure underneath doesn't undermine the feeling of softness — it simply helps guide your steps and make each movement more efficient.  

Think of the two components fighting fatigue in different but complementary ways: 

For everyday walking and running shoes.

The purpose doesn't change, but how it shows up does. 

In lifestyle or walking shoes, AXA Super Insoles bring structure and responsiveness that standard insoles can't — making long days on your feet feel easier.  

In running shoes, they work with your existing tech to boost energy return, reduce fatigue, and support you across more miles. 

Same tech, different use cases. The benefits adapt to how you move. The running community helped validate this tech in super shoes. Now we're expanding who gets to use it — and how — with AXA Super Insoles.  

A bit of backstory.

The carbon fiber plate technology in AXA Super Insoles comes from ARRIS, which is the same team behind the plates used in premium running shoes (arriscomposites.com). Working on that level of footwear gave us deep insight into how advanced materials can boost energy return, reduce fatigue, and support long-distance performance for athletes.  

ARRIS loves being part of the footwear community and will continue supporting high-performance athletic gear... But here's the thing — not everyone at ARRIS is a runner. One of our team members asked, "Why can't I get this tech in my everyday shoes? I want those same benefits because I'm on my feet all day." 

At the time, that combination — advanced plate tech and Pebax foam — simply didn't exist outside $250+ race shoes. So, we built it for ourselves. It worked. Then we tested it with focus groups, and they loved it too.  

That's how AXA Super Insoles were born: to bring high-performance innovation into the shoes people actually wear day to day — on the job, at the gym, or on the move. Think of these for the athleticism of life! 

The bigger idea is to broaden access to real performance tech. It's not inexpensive to build a product like this — but we were committed to making it under $100 so more people could benefit from the same innovations that were once only available to elite athletes.  

More durable than you think.

In lab-based fatigue testing designed to simulate long-term wear, AXA Super Insoles surpassed 1,000 walking miles in a lifestyle shoe (which has the least midsole protection). That's more than one million flex cycles at a 47-degree bend.  

Of course, insole lifespan can widely vary based on use, shoe fit, and body mechanics — but this setup is designed to last well beyond typical Pebax foam lifespans in super shoes. 

Pebax foams in running shoes often show wear around the 150–300 mile mark — that's typically because they're used in the midsole, which takes the full force of your stride and compresses with every step. The foam is also exposed to rough surfaces, which wears it down faster — think of it like tire tread. Even though the carbon plate in those shoes lasts longer, its performance is still limited by the foam breaking down around it.  

In AXA Super Insoles, the Pebax layer sits directly underfoot — above the shoe's midsole and protected by the shoe itself. It still delivers high energy return, but it's not directly exposed to ground contact or absorbing the same repetitive impact. That reduced load, paired with the structural support of the carbon fiber frame, helps maintain the shape and performance of the foam over a much longer period.

For even more information, check out "What Are Super Insoles?" which includes stiffness and energy return data from the ARRIS engineering team.