The New Balance 860v15 is a Stable, Smooth-Riding Everyday Cruiser
The New Balance 860v15 offers exceptional stability and long-haul comfort from its soft, protective and durable cushioning.
Here’s an overview of six great super shoes to run your fastest things spring and summer.
It’s almost that time of the year again. Time to ditch our training shoes for a day and lace up a pair of super shoes so we can test our mettle against the clock on a race course ranging from 5K to 26.2 miles.
While it’s hard to believe there was ever a time before high-powered super shoes, fortunately, the impossibly light and unfathomably responsive shoes are here to stay and better than ever. The challenge now is that there are so many different models of turbocharged racing models, it’s hard for any of us to know which one might be the best for our specific gait style, performance capacity, and personal preferences. Some are bouncy, some are firm, some are soft, some are smooth. The key is knowing how each shoe is different and which ones align with what you like best.
Here’s an overview of six great super shoes to chase road racing PRs this spring and summer.
Price: $270
Weights: 4.9 oz (women’s 8); 6.0 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 39.5mm (heel), 34.5mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: Designed for longer striding runners, the latest version of the ASICS Metaspeed Sky sandwiches a flatter carbon-fiber plate positioned higher in the midsole between a layer of the new FF Leap foam on the bottom later and a layer of FF Turbo Plus foam on top. The plate geometry is optimized for runners who increase speed by lengthening their stride, helping convert that bounce into forward motion.
Is This Your Shoe? Midfoot and forefoot strikers chasing a half marathon or marathon PR who can lock into a steady pace and hold it all the way to the finish will appreciate this shoe’s efficiency. It can feel sharp and requires a precise stride to hold the line, but it’s a great tool to run fast.
Bottom line: This amazingly light shoe is designed to make holding fast paces feel easier for longer.
Price: $285
Weights: 6.1 oz (women’s 8); 7.6 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 40mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: The combination of ZoomX foam, Air Zoom pods, and a carbon plate delivers big energy return and helps maintain form late in races—exactly what you want from mile 18 onward. It’s a soft and bouncy sensation, but it produces fast results.
Is This Your Shoe? The forefoot Air pods and aggressive forefoot geometry reward runners who land forward and apply force through toe-off. Heel strikers can still use it, but they often don’t unlock the full benefit.
Bottom line: If you enjoy that trampoline-like sensation—soft but highly energetic with a strong forward roll—the Alphafly 3 delivers in a big way.
Price: $275
Weights: 7.8 oz (women’s 8); 7.0 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 7mm; 48mm (heel), 41mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: The Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 combines a midsole chassis that sandwiches a carbon-fiber plate inside a dual-layer PEBA midsole with an aggressive MetaRocker geometry tuned for highly efficient, spring-loaded stride and smoother, rolling transitions to produce sustained momentum. This year’s version is much more stable than the first two versions that debuted in 2024 and 2025.
Is This Your Shoe? It’s a highly aggressive, bounce-driven super shoe that’s been refined to be faster and more controlled, making it especially appealing for runners who want maximum energy return without the instability of earlier Hoka racing shoes.
Bottom line: The Cielo X1 3.0 is that it feels alive underfoot—a super shoe that delivers huge propulstion and forward momentum, making it one of the most fun and fast-feeling racers Hoka has ever made.
Price: $250
Weights: 5.3 oz (women’s 8); 6.4 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 38mm (heel), 30mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: The combination of NITRO Elite (ATPU) foam and a full-length PWRPLATE carbon plate creates a highly responsive, propulsive ride that feels slightly softer and more energetic with a quicker rebound rate than the previous edition. Unlike highly rockered shoes, the geometry of the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 feels more natural and less intrusive.
Is This Your Shoe? The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 stands out as a race-day shoe because it delivers top-tier speed and efficiency—but in a more controlled, versatile, and “user-friendly” package than many super shoes.
Bottom line: An ideal shoe for 5K to the marathon, the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is light enough for shorter races but cushioned and efficient enough for running a fast marathon.
Price: $200
Weights: 7.8 oz. (women’s 8); 8.7 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 45mm (heel), 39mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: Adidas was the first brand to launch a super foam when it debuted Boost midsole material in 2013. A new version of Boost foam just debuted in the recently launched Hyperboost Edge, which blends max-cushion comfort with super trainer performance tech—without relying on a carbon plate. Instead it relies on the thick, lightweight, high-energy-return ePEBA-based Hyperboost Pro foam that feels soft but creates inherent stiffness for maximal efficiency and responsiveness.
Is This Your Shoe? The Hyperboost Edge is appealing because it delivers super-shoe-level bounce and cushioning in a more natural, non-plated package—making it a versatile option for runners who want performance without the rigid feel of a carbon racer.
Bottom line: For $200, this is a really fast and intriguing shoe. If you’re a profound heel-striker aiming for a marathon in the 3:30 to 5:30 range, you might appreciate this shoe more than a sharp, carbon-plated super shoe.
Price: $140
Weights: 7.8 oz (women’s 8); 6.9 oz. (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 36mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Tech Buzz: Skechers has been making really good racing shoes for years. The Aero Razor is built on an evolved ATPU-based super foam that’s light, resilient, and highly energetic. Instead of a full carbon plate that creates a sharp, stiff sensation, Skechers uses a forked “H” shaped insert, a highly rockered geometry, and profound sidewall design that results in a flexible, smooth-rolling shoe that subtly guides a runner’s stride from foot strike through toe-off, absorbing impact and snapping back quickly.
Is This Your Shoe? It feels like a fast, highly versatile speed trainer—something you can use for tempo days, intervals, and even shorter races without the rigidity of a true super shoe. Unlike high-stack, unstable super shoes, the Aero Razor delivers a lower-to-the-ground, more planted, and naturally stable ride.
Bottom line: This is a very lively and versatile shoe that offers a lot of bang for your buck at just $140.
About the Author
Contributing editor Brian Metzler is the Content Director for UltraSignup.com. He has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to run trails in Chamonix, France.
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