Xtep Brings GT1200 Carbon Fiber Plate to 160X 8.0 Ultra

Updated on August 15, 2026 • 4 min read

Chinese sportswear brand Xtep will launch its new 160X 8.0 marathon running shoe series globally on August 21, with the flagship 160X 8.0 Ultra introducing a new GT1200 high-performance carbon fiber plate.

The carbon plate was developed through a partnership between Xtep and Chinese carbon fiber producer Zhongfu Shenying, which began joint R&D work in October 2025.

The project represents an attempt to adapt a high-performance carbon fiber grade for a very different application: converting material technology associated with demanding industrial sectors into a thin structural component designed for competitive marathon footwear.

Xtep and Zhongfu Shenying Develop GT1200 Carbon Plate

According to Xtep, development work centered on adapting GT1200-grade carbon fiber to the mechanical requirements of competitive running shoes.

The resulting plate uses 12K carbon fiber tow and is designed to combine low mass with high rigidity.

Xtep reports that the carbon fiber offers strength of up to 10 times that of steel at approximately one-quarter of the weight.

In a racing shoe, however, material properties alone do not determine performance. The carbon fibers must be converted into a plate with geometry and mechanical behavior suited to the shoe’s midsole system.

For the 160X 8.0 Ultra, Xtep says the GT1200 plate contributes to three primary performance targets: lower weight, increased support and energy return.

Protective Layer Targets Carbon Plate Durability

Another notable element is the surface protection incorporated into the carbon plate.

Xtep says the GT1200 plate uses a PI fiber protective layer, described as a gold-colored layer intended to protect the carbon fiber structure against repeated impact during long-distance running.

According to the company, the layer helps reduce the risk of fiber damage while improving the plate’s overall stability and durability.

This highlights an important consideration when adapting high-performance carbon fiber to sporting goods. High stiffness and strength are valuable, but the finished composite component must also tolerate repeated loading throughout its service life.

Carbon Fiber Becomes Central to Marathon Shoe Engineering

Carbon fiber plates have become an important component in modern performance running shoes, where they operate as part of a larger system incorporating the midsole foam, shoe geometry and outsole.

Xtep’s latest development shifts part of its attention further upstream toward the carbon fiber material itself.

Rather than relying only on changes to plate geometry, Xtep and Zhongfu Shenying have worked on the reinforcement material used to manufacture the plate.

This closer relationship between a sports brand and an upstream carbon fiber producer reflects how material engineering is becoming increasingly important in high-performance sporting goods.

160X Series Builds on Marathon Competition Record

The GT1200 plate will debut in the highest-tier 160X 8.0 Ultra, positioning the shoe primarily for competitive marathon running.

Xtep says previous generations of its 160X series have been used by more than 140 runners who collectively achieved more than 620 race victories.

The company is using the new generation to continue developing its position in professional road running while placing greater emphasis on internally developed footwear and material technologies.

Carbon Fiber Suppliers Find New High-Performance Applications

The collaboration is also significant from the carbon fiber industry’s perspective.

Carbon fiber development is frequently driven by aerospace, space, automotive, pressure-vessel and other structural applications. Sporting goods, however, provide another market where very small changes in mass, stiffness and laminate behavior can directly influence product design.

For Zhongfu Shenying, the project demonstrates an application of its high-performance carbon fiber technology outside traditional industrial composite structures.

For Xtep, working directly with a carbon fiber producer gives its footwear development team greater involvement in the material system behind one of the racing shoe’s key structural components.

When the 160X 8.0 series launches globally on August 21, the GT1200-equipped Ultra will provide the first commercial test of how that collaboration translates from carbon fiber development into marathon footwear.

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