which carbon plated shoe is optimal for me?
- Thread starter Mikey58
- Start date
imnothammer
Moderator
I am in the middle of a similar training program (in two weeks I peak at 65 miles a week and I am aiming for a time trial on January 2).
I think a lot of this boils down to personal preference, as evidenced by the fact that folks can't even seem to agree as to whether or not the Alphafly is an upgrade over the Vaporfly. If it makes you feel any better, I think this actually is a "there are too many good options" problem and I don't think there is a "wrong" choice.
I have only run in the Nike Vaporfly 4% Flynknit and I cannot say enough good things about the shoe. I raced a pretty remarkable 45 minute PR in the marathon and while most of that was due to better training (and having a slow record to begin with), the shoe definitely helped.
My 4%s are only just beginning to show serious wear (maybe 300 miles at this point - I very rarely use them for training) and I am picking up a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro's from my local running shop next week or so. I am excited to try these out because I have been training in (and very much enjoying) the Saucony Endorphin Shift. The Pro also comes in about $50 cheaper than the current Vaporfly (and $75 cheaper than the Alphafly), so I think I will be a little more open to using the Pro's for training as opposed to keeping them in a vault until race day.
There's plenty of good competition out there though and Running Warehouse has an article with some thoughts on some of the others. I have heard good comments on the NB Fuel Cell as a training shoe as well as the ASICS MetaRacer (which apparently has fantastic grip).
I think a lot of this boils down to personal preference, as evidenced by the fact that folks can't even seem to agree as to whether or not the Alphafly is an upgrade over the Vaporfly. If it makes you feel any better, I think this actually is a "there are too many good options" problem and I don't think there is a "wrong" choice.
I have only run in the Nike Vaporfly 4% Flynknit and I cannot say enough good things about the shoe. I raced a pretty remarkable 45 minute PR in the marathon and while most of that was due to better training (and having a slow record to begin with), the shoe definitely helped.
My 4%s are only just beginning to show serious wear (maybe 300 miles at this point - I very rarely use them for training) and I am picking up a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro's from my local running shop next week or so. I am excited to try these out because I have been training in (and very much enjoying) the Saucony Endorphin Shift. The Pro also comes in about $50 cheaper than the current Vaporfly (and $75 cheaper than the Alphafly), so I think I will be a little more open to using the Pro's for training as opposed to keeping them in a vault until race day.
There's plenty of good competition out there though and Running Warehouse has an article with some thoughts on some of the others. I have heard good comments on the NB Fuel Cell as a training shoe as well as the ASICS MetaRacer (which apparently has fantastic grip).
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Hi @Mikey58,
@imnothammer said it perfectly. Personal preference is a big part of it. Just based on the two factors you input above. I'd say that there are three really solid options (other than the Nike VaporFly NEXT% which is arguably the best Carbon Plated Racer on the market).
- Saucony Endorphin Pro (or Speed)
- The Pro is one of our favorites here at RW & one of the top sellers in the category (so, other runners are loving it too). The Speed may be the breakout shoe of the year. So, if you want some of the performance with less of the price tag, it is a great option.
- adidas Adios PRO
- The Adios PRO has been a great addition to the Carbon "Plated" Racer line-up. It has some unique features that make is stand out among the Carbon category. Unfortunately, we are all but sold out of our first batch.
- Hoka One One Rocket X
- I found the Rocket X to be provide really solid performance for the price point. It is one of my go-to shoes for getting some of that Carbon Plate responsiveness without worrying about needing to replace something super pricey.
Justin
RW Staff
Thanks, very helpful