Find Your
Fastest
Racing Shoe

Click any shoe card to select it — a blue border highlights the card. Select 2 to 4 shoes, then click Compare Now in the bar that slides up at the bottom of your screen. A side-by-side table shows weight, drop, stack height, plate type, and race score, with the winning value highlighted in blue for each row. Click any Buy Now link to go directly to the brand’s shoe link.

The ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo leads our rankings at 9.6/10, followed by the Nike Alphafly 3 at 9.5/10. For the best all-round shoe for 5K to half marathon, the Nike Vaporfly 4 (9.2/10) is the top choice for most runners — lighter than its predecessor at 167g with a snappier 6mm drop. For full marathon, the Nike Alphafly 3 is the stronger choice. Budget pick: Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 at $175 USD / C$230 delivers most of the carbon-plate feel at a fraction of the price.

Yes — multiple lab studies suggest carbon plate super shoes can improve running economy by around 2–4% versus traditional racing flats, which can translate to meaningful time savings over a full marathon for many runners, though individual results vary. The stiff carbon plate reduces energy loss at toe-off while highly resilient foams like Nike ZoomX and Adidas Lightstrike Pro return more energy with each stride. Some testing of the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 has reported efficiency gains in the 3% range compared with certain other super shoes, though reported figures vary by study and protocol.

The Alphafly 3 ($295 USD / C$375) uses a dual carbon plate and Air Zoom pods for maximum propulsion — it's designed for sub-elite athletes targeting their absolute fastest marathon. The Vaporfly 4 ($270 USD / C$340) uses a single carbon plate and weighs less (167g vs 198g), making it more versatile from 5K to half marathon. For full marathon, the Alphafly 3 is the stronger choice. Most recreational runners find the Vaporfly 4 easier to control and better value for shorter distances.

Stack height is the total thickness of the midsole and outsole at the heel, measured in millimeters. Higher stacks (38–50mm) provide more foam cushioning and energy return — ideal for marathon runners. Lower stacks (30–36mm) are lighter with better ground feel, preferred by some 5K and 10K racers. World Athletics limits racing shoe stack height to 40mm for sanctioned road race competition. Shoes over 40mm (like the Adidas Prime X 2 at 50mm) cannot be used in official races.

For runners chasing a PR or racing more than twice a year, yes. Reserve them for race day and key workouts only — racing foams wear faster than daily trainers; see how long carbon plate shoes last for typical mileage by model and when to retire. For daily training, use a standard trainer. The Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 ($175 USD / C$230) with a nylon plate is an excellent entry point that delivers most of the feel at lower cost. Wondering what people actually wear at majors? See most popular marathon race day shoes.