There’s no question that carbon-plated super shoes have changed the game in the marathon. They first popped on the scene under the cloak of secrecy in 2016, but since 2020 have been ubiquitous among all brands for all levels of runners. If you want to run a new personal best at any distance from the mile to the marathon, you’ll likely benefit from the high-tech midsole materials and the various propulsive plates embedded in the foam.
But aside from being pricey and perhaps hard to fit into your budget, the biggest challenge about super shoes is figuring out which shoe is best for you. Each model is built differently and has unique foam characteristics, plate shapes and plate attributes. As such, each shoe runs slightly to dramatically different, which is why getting a model that works with your gait and personal preferences becomes very important. While some shoes roll smoothly through the gait cycle, some are very bouncy, and others produce more of a sharp, snappy sensation. And, of course, each tongue, upper, and heel feels slightly different, especially when you’re running at fast paces.
How can you find the right shoe for you? We recommend visiting your local running store and trying on several models to put them through test runs to find out which shoe fits the size and shape of your feet, but also feels good with your gait. It’s not an easy task, because ultimately you won’t know what a shoe really feels like until your legs start fatigued and your gait starts to buckle in the late miles of a race. But starting with the try-on session and the brief comparison demo efforts, you can get a better idea about how the shoe rides. Avoid buying a shoe for any hype you see on social media, the fast results of professional runners, or even your own brand preference.
Here’s a rundown of new carbon-plated racing shoes you’ll find at running stores in 2025 with some of the unique characteristics highlighted.
Approximate Weights: 6.2 oz. (women’s 8), 7.1 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 6mm; 39mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: One of the key characteristics of all of the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro shoes — including this fourth edition — is the rolling responsiveness that allows your feet to smoothly transition from heel to the forefoot and then get a lively burst of energy at the toe-off phase of the stride. This edition is still very smooth, but with a touch more bounciness from the slightly softer formulation of Lightstrike Pro midsole foam and the slightly reconfigured placement of the Evo Pro EnergyRods that results in a longer rocker shape. The toe-spring isn’t quite as aggressive, but it still serves up a fast and consistent ride. (This shoe took some technology and design cues from the featherweight Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 super shoe that debuted in late 2023 and is still available in limited quantities with a $500 price tag).
Tester’s Take: This is a very good update, even though it changes the sensation of the ride of the previous three editions. It has a more poppy sensation (especially at higher speeds), but it also has a slightly wider footprint, which gives it more inherent stability. The fit and long-haul comfort have improved since the Pro 3, thanks to the new Lightlock underlays and the new smoother, softer upper and tongue.
Think Twice: This shoe fits true to size, but it has a narrow-volume interior and feels slightly shorter or more compact in the toe box.
Approximate Weights: 5.2 oz. (women’s 8), 6.4 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 5mm; 39.5mm (heel), 34.5mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: The Metaspeed Sky Paris is designed for runners with a long-striding gait, so the carbon plate is situated higher in the shoe’s midsole, creating a lively ride that propels a runner in a slightly more vertical direction to extend stride length. The beveled shape of the rocker and upward curve of the toes serves up a smooth, rolling sensation as your feet transition to the toe-off phase at the end of a stride. The FF Turbo+ midsole material is made from a proprietary PEBA-based foam that is lighter, slightly softer, and more responsive than previous ASICS midsole.
Think Twice: Both of the ASICS shoes have narrow, low-volume interiors. If you have wide feet, you’ll definitely want to try them on before you buy.
Approximate Weights: 6.0 oz. (women’s 8), 7.1 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 40mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: This shoe feels and airy like the previous version of Hyperion Elite 4, but it feels much more bouncy and responsive. Unlike a lot of max-cushioned racing shoes that feel high off the ground — and thus lack exceptional proprioceptive feel for the ground — this shoe’s lower forefoot made me feel in touch with the ground, agile, connected to the ground in control of my stride.
Tester’s Take: The Hyperion Elite 4 PB is by far the best super shoe Brooks has ever produced. The previous interactions of the Hyperion Elite — including last year’s Hyperion Elite 4 with its lackluster nitrogen-infused DNA Flash midsole foam — just didn’t stack up to competition when it came to long-haul energy return. But this new version has a midsole made from 100 percent Peba foam called PB Gold and it’s extremely responsive like many competitors in the market. Unlike previous Hyperion models that felt a bit flat, I could really feel the responsive poppiness of the carbon-fiber plate. Note: This shoe is already mostly sold out, but Brooks only produced it in limited quantities because it’s even more responsive PB Gold-enhanced Hyperion Elite 5 (with a unique series of half-orb bubble configurations under the arch for optimal compression and decompression) is expected to launch in July.
Think Twice: It fits true to size, but seems a bit narrow and snug, especially late on long runs.
Approximate Weights: 5.8 oz. (women’s 8), 6.9 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offsets: 8mm drop; 40mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: On my first up-tempo runs in the Kype Pro, it felt light, lively, and comfortable. Craft’s Xx Foam made with Arkema’s proprietary nitrogen-infused Pebax material seems to be a top-tier midsole material on par with the best in the field. It’s moderately soft but feels just firm enough — or at least it’s not so soft that it washes out on impact with the ground. The carbon-fiber plate is a solid piece of material like many shoes, instead it’s a web-like construction with a split heel design and exceptional stiffness that makes it a bit more accommodating to various landing patterns and a bit more propulsive. The breathable, open-weave AeroMesh upper offers a great combination of stretchy comfort and reliable security.
Tester’s Take: The just-released Kype Pro is the new kid on the block and it announced its present with authority with an electric vibe. It’s a huge improvement on Craft’s previous super shoe models because it’s much more stable through the gait cycle, considerably lighter, and also much more responsive.This is one of my favorite speed shoes of the spring so far, one I will definitely consider wearing in a fall marathon.
Think Twice: The $300 price tag is a bit of an outlier, given that it’s more expensive than any other marathon super shoe. Is it worth the price? If you have the discretionary funds for such a purchase, I think it might be. But knowing you can save 50 bucks and still get a really good shoe with some of the others in this review is a reasonable debate to consider.
Approximate Weights: 6.8 oz. (women’s 8), 7.9 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 7mm; 39mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: The updated version of the Cielo X 1 has a very aggressive rocker profile, so the moment you lace it up you’d better be ready to run fast. Once you get up to speedier paces, it feels bouncy, fun and fast. It takes a moment to find a rhythm at whatever your pace is, but once I did the ride produced a flowy, self-perpetuating sensation.
Tester’s Take: When Hoka debuted the first version of this shoe early last year, it had some good characteristics, but it felt a bit unstable and was about 2 ounces heavier than most other marathon super shoes. This version is lighter, and has a more aggressive rocker profile, enhanced forefoot cushion, and better outsole traction than the original. Plus, it feels more stable.
Think Twice: This shoe is meant to run fast, but the aggressive rocker makes it feel awkward at slow to moderate paces. I wouldn’t suggest running easier paces in it, but even the moments warming up and cooling down felt pretty sharp.
Approximate Weights: 5.0 oz. (women’s 8), 5.9 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 6mm; 35mm (heel), 29mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: The Vaporfly 4 feels quite a bit lighter, leaner, and lower to the ground than previous editions of the Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly marathon racers, even though it has a wider, more accommodating interior volume. It feels softer under foot, but at the same time it’s just not as cushy or bouncy. It seems as if Nike tried to find a balance between softness and stability, which is all about getting more out of the ZoomX midsole foam with less material.
Tester’s Take: Nike took its exceptional Vaporfly 3 — the shoe worn to set both the men’s and women’s marathon world records — and has seemingly made it better. It’s noticeably lighter, has a slightly more aggressive carbon-fiber FlyPlate, and a lower stack height. The changes have made this shoe firmer and snappier than previous Vaporfly models, not to mention more stable. But this shoe might feel like it’s more ideal for a 10K or half marathon race than a marathon, where most of us feel better with cushier shoes under our feet.
Think Twice: If you like maximally cushioned marathon shoes, this one will feel different — and perhaps too lean — for your liking.
Approximate Weights: 5.9 oz. (women’s 8), 7.0 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 39.5mm (heel), 31.5mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: This shoe is willing and eager to go as fast as you’re willing to run. It’s an aggressive shaped shoe, but it serves up an accommodating softness in every stride. The new stretchy engineered mesh upper and integrated tongue, and a seamless, 3D-molded heel provide a snug, smooth, secure race-day fit. Once it’s on your feet, it feels like it’s part of your foot, and that leads to an agile sensation that helps you be in control of your stride.
Tester’s Take: The original Saucony Endorphin Elite was fast, but the aggressively shaped carbon-fiber plate and slightly firmer foam made it feel a bit too sharp and snappy. The second edition is built with a softer but more hyper-responsive TPEE-based IncrediRun midsole foam and a slotted full-length carbon-fiber plate. It’s still aggressive, but it’s more conducive for a fast, smooth stride.
Think Twice: You’d better wear thin socks with this shoe to coincide with the snug-fitting bootie construction. Some wear-testers have said this shoe can feel unstable if you don’t have a neutral-oriented gait. In other words, if you’re a severe overpronator, this isn’t the shoe for you.
Approximate Weights: 6.1 oz. (women’s 8), 7.7 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 7.5mm; 38mm (heel), 30.5mm (forefoot)
What it feels like: The unique two-part midsole construction is very responsive, but it feels a tad soft compared to the poppiness of some of the contemporary models in this review. It’s slightly lower to the ground than most maximally cushioned shoes – and I personally appreciate that because it allows me to be more reactive and in control of my stride – but it doesn’t have the obvious bounciness of other models in the upper echelon of super shoes.
Tester’s take: It’s a versatile speed shoe that can certainly be a race-day tool for just about any distance, but it’s actually a more versatile speed trainer. It’s ideal for tempo runs, long intervals, mile repeats, strides, and spontaneous pace-varying fartlek workouts, but I also liked it for progressively paced moderately long and long runs where I started out slow and came back faster.
Think Twice: This new shoe, like a lot of Tracksmith’s running apparel, ranks at the higher end of the price range for race-day super shoe models, but that’s directly related to the high-quality and high-value products it strives to produce.
