I did a crazy experiment with Next % on a trail. Yes, the carbon plate protects your foot. HOWEVER, wrong shoe for trails :-)! I was slip sliding all over the place (but no sharp pointy things got me). Perhaps trail shoes will evolve to a hybrid version at some point. When these shoes get to the end of their useful like I may try putting some screws in the bottom for traction, and shaving the heel off a bit. We'll see.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

My salomons have a "profeel film" rock plate in them which kinda looks to be a carbon material. Id be leary of the stack height on those road shoes for trail use.

There are a ton of trail shoes with rock plates.
The carbon plated shoes are mostly racing flats/performance training shoes and these will not give you the security you're probably looking for on a trail

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I've had the same thought. The rock plates in trail shoes that I've run in typically don't hold up for very rocky terrain. I road run in those hoka carbon x's and I've often thought that would be a nice platform if they had appropriate tread.