Marathon season is well and truly here. The Boston marathon delivered some record-smashing results yesterday, while in the UK runners are limbering up for a 26-mile dash across London this coming Sunday.
If you're an established runner and race-day fever has you inspired to up your game, I've rounded up some of the very best pro-level running shoes below. All feature a carbon plate that's designed to snap back into place and propel you forward to a John Korir-beating time (or at least a PB) on your next marathon.
There's the Nike Alphafly 3, a common sight on marathon start-lines, and the road racing super-shoe of choice for record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge. Saucony's Endorphin Elite 2 comes kitted out with a full-length, slotted carbon fiber plate to "ensure a smooth underfoot transition with a propulsive feel". (When we compared the Alphafly 3 and Endorphin Elite 2, we found the former delivered more bounce, while the latter shoe shone when it came to softness).
Adidas devotees can choose between the Adizero Adios Pro 4 — which the brand claims is "the world's most winning shoe" — and the Adizero Prime X3, with its unusual strung upper, designed to deliver "flexibility and adaptive support that moves in harmony with your stride". Meanwhile, OnCloud's Cloudboom Max is geared specifically towards marathon training, with "Helion HF hyper foam for energy return and lasting comfort".
According to Footwear News, Korir was wearing an "unreleased Asics Metaspeed Sky prototype" for his recent Boston success. Those might be out of reach for fans, but Sharon Lokedi's footwear of choice is not. The women's race champion was sporting a pair of Under Armour Veliciti Elite 3 as she defended her crown.
A couple of caveats before we kick off. Carbon plate shoes are really for experienced runners looking to shave off precious seconds — if you're not at that stage yet, our general guide to the best running shoes has plenty more beginner-friendly recommendations. It should also go without saying that if you're already in the end stages of training for a marathon, I wouldn't suggesting you switch your tried-and-tested runners for a pair of these at this point.
