Why look at race-day shoes at all?
Review scores tell you how a shoe tests. Finish-line photos and elite gear lists tell you what people actually pinned their goals on. Together they give a sanity check: is a model only a podcast favorite, or is it showing up when stakes are high?
This page does not replace a full comparison — it frames what majors looked like in 2025 so you can place our picks in context.
Field size: Chicago and NYC 2025
Both races rank among the largest marathons in the world. Published results commonly cite on the order of 54,000 finishers at the 2025 Chicago Marathon and 59,226 finishers at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon — together roughly 113,000 finishers. Those numbers are useful for scale; they do not, by themselves, tell you which shoes they wore.
Super shoes in the mass field
World Athletics–style stack limits and the marketing push around carbon plates mean super shoes are visible throughout the pack at majors. Exact percentages bounce depending on methodology (what counts as "super shoe," sample size, who counted). A fair takeaway for 2024–2025 is: many finishers at big US marathons are in plated, high-stack racers, and commentary after Chicago and NYC 2025 often lands in the roughly half to two-thirds range — not a precise claim, but a reasonable mental model.
If you are budgeting or choosing your first carbon shoe, treat that as "you will not look out of place in super shoes at any pace" — not as a mandate to buy the same model as the winner.
What elites wore: 2025 Chicago Marathon
Elite footwear is reported by results coverage and photography, not by a single database. Widely recapped details from Chicago 2025 include: men's winner Jacob Kiplimo in Nike Alphafly 3; women's winner Hawi Feysa in Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 (same racing family we cover in Adios Pro 4 vs Vaporfly 4); several other men's top-10 finishers in Alphafly 3, Adidas Evo line shoes, ASICS Metaspeed models, and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3; women's top 10 mixing Nike, Adidas, ASICS, and Puma. That diversity is the real story — no single shoe swept the board.
What elites wore: 2025 NYC Marathon
Race reporting from NYC 2025 highlighted a strong Adidas showing in the men's race — winner Benson Kipruto in Adios Pro Evo 2, with other top men in Adizero models per results tables published after the event. The women's winner, Hellen Obiri, raced in On Cloudboom Strike LS, which underlines that the "right" shoe at a major is not always the same brand as the men's winner. Top-10 recaps included Nike, Puma, ASICS, Hoka, New Balance, and others, depending on the athlete.
Brand landscape (big picture)
Without pretending to know exact market share on the course:
- Nike — Still the default mental image of super shoes (Vaporfly / Alphafly families); always well represented in elite recaps.
- Adidas — Adios Pro 4 and the Evo line show up repeatedly at the front of majors.
- ASICS — Metaspeed Sky Tokyo / Edge (and related) variants are staples in competitive fields.
- New Balance, Saucony, Brooks, Puma, Hoka, On — New Balance SC Elite v5, Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 / Elite 2, Brooks Hyperion Elite 5, Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, and Hoka Rocket X3 regularly appear in elite top tens and age-group racing; On is a smaller but growing presence. Each has distinct stability and geometry tradeoffs.
Our ranked list scores these against each other for your mechanics — not for podium frequency alone.
Course type: flat vs hilly (editorial)
Chicago-style flat courses reward rhythm and efficient bounce; NYC-style rolling courses reward shoes you can control when legs are tired. That is biomechanics and coaching common sense — not a claim that we measured every finisher's shoe by mile split. Use it to narrow candidates, then try on and short-list.
Wide feet and heel strike
In our coverage, New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v5 remains the clearest elite-tier option offered in Wide (2E). Heel strikers often gravitate toward wider platforms and more heel rubber — see wide feet and heel strikers guides rather than assuming the fastest elite shoe is the right match.
Compare all 12 carbon plate shoes
Scores, specs, and R.A.C.E. methodology — side by side with our comparison tool.
Open the comparison tool →Frequently asked questions
What percentage of marathon runners wear carbon plate shoes?
Races do not publish a single official percentage. After large US majors, post-race commentary often suggests a majority of finishers in super-shoe–class footwear, sometimes described in the roughly half to two-thirds range depending on methodology. Treat that as directional context.
What is the most popular marathon racing shoe?
There is no one answer worldwide. Nike remains the largest brand in running retail, so Vaporfly and Alphafly models are easy to spot. At the 2025 Chicago and NYC elites, Adidas, ASICS, and Nike all logged high-profile wins and podium spots — "most popular" depends whether you mean sales, elites, or your local club.
Do slower runners benefit from carbon plate shoes?
Research generally finds modest improvements in running economy for many people in lab conditions — often discussed as a few percent, with wide individual spread. Benefits are not reserved for sub-3 runners, but shoe stability and fit still matter as much as the plate.
Which carbon shoe is best for the NYC Marathon?
We typically steer uncertain buyers toward stable, predictable platforms for hilly courses — options we cover in rankings and heel striker guides. Obiri's NYC win in On shows that elite choice is individual; use pros as inspiration, not a prescription.
Which carbon shoe is best for the Chicago Marathon?
Flat marathons open up efficient, aggressive racers for runners who can handle them. Our hub and comparisons like Alphafly 3 vs Vaporfly 4 and Adios Pro 4 vs Vaporfly 4 walk through tradeoffs without tying you to one podium shoe.
Related guides
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