Roll up, roll up for our run-through of the best carbon plate running shoes available in 2023! Now, we immediately need to add the disclaimer that we haven’t manage to test the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1, which certainly seems to be among the best racers, but it’s also mad expensive and barely available. We still have 18 carbon shoes covered in this video from all the major brands, so hopefully you’ll find a racer to suit you. Enjoy!
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
01:19 – Nike Alphafly 2
03:09 – Nike Vaporfly 3
05:14 – Adidas Adios Pro 3
06:56 – Adidas Prime X 2 Strung
09:28 – Hoka Rocket X2
11:42 – Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro
13:20 – Saucony Endorphin Elite
16:27 – Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
18:09 – On Cloudboom Echo 3
20:25 – Under Armour Flow Velociti Elite
22:49 – Asics Metaspeed Sky+
24:52 – Asics Metaspeed Edge+
26:56 – Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2
28:22 – Puma Fast-FWD Nitro Elite
29:53 – Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite
32:03 – New Balance SC Elite v3
34:24 – Altra Vanish Carbon
35:32 – Brooks Hyperion Elite 3
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Adidas Prime X Strung Review:
Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro Review:
Best Carbon Plate Running Shoes 2022:
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Saucony Endorphin Elite vs Saucony Endorphin Pro 3:
Hello and welcome to R testers my name Is Nick and this is our Roundup of the Best carbon shoes available to buy in 2023 this video we're going to go Through all the top options that we've Tested for the road we're going to have A separate Trail Super Shoes vid coming Because there's now so many of these Shoes we can't put them all in one video And if you're looking for super trainers With carbon plates we already have that Roundup up on the channel so that's Already there if you want it we're also Going to do our personal top picks as a Separate video just a quick little video Detailing our favorites although you Probably get the impression of what we Really like during this video but Instead of really focusing on top pick This video is more going to be a Complete Roundup of what we've tested The key features of each shoe and the Pros and cons of each uh that we've Noticed during our testing so we 18 Shoes in this video but there are still Some that we haven't been able to cover And the big elephant in the room this Year is the Adidas adero Pro Evo one Which obviously burst onto the scene With asa's world record in Berlin we Haven't been able to test that shoe yet There aren't very many of them available In general like 521 and it's Ridiculously expensive at £400 or $500
So we aren't going to cover it in this Video but hopefully it'll be one we can Get to down the line and there are a few Other brands we haven't tested really That much in general like cleaning 361 And craft so we haven't got those shoes In this video but there are 18 shoes Like I said so plenty of carbon content For you to dive into let's start right Now I'm joined by Kieran to discuss this First shoe which is the Nike alphafly Nextend 2 now we've already seen the Three in action this year but this is Still the one on sale and it's a very Good shoe big bouncy SL of zoomx foam in There bit of a change to the first Version to be a bit more stable very Propulsive but quite one of the heavier Carbon shoes Kieran what your thoughts On the Ally 2 yeah I mean I it took me a Little bit while to be converted from The Ally 1 to the Ally 2 but the two is Actually my favorite ratio still even Though we've got a slew of other carbon Shoes that have come out for me I just Think it's it's the most kind of Punchy It's the most uh cushioned overall I Think it kind of is the most protective When you're kind of deep into marathon Miles and you need that little bit of Extra and I mean that in terms of kind Of foot fatigue road coming up from you Know through the shoes but also in terms Of what it does for saving and sparing
The legs it's got a really nice dialed In kind of race fit and yeah for Me Overall it's just still the race shoe That I would choose to race over pretty Much all distances I think yeah it's Pretty great I did the marathon last Year in the shoe and it was the B Marathon i' done the bur marathon in the Vaporfly 2 set my PB in Valencia was a Bit of a free shot to nothing I'd been a Bit ill in between just went out and Just ran just what was a really good Maybe the best Marathon run like finish So strongly in the shoe it's so Comfortable in those last few miles you Get so much back from it and actually Have done like a 5 mile race and a 10K RAC and it's pretty good for those I Still think it leans a bit heavy for Those myself and I think it's definitely Had its best on very flat City Marathon Courses when you are just hounding down Long straights with this big bouncy shoe Beneath you but actually I wouldn't Underrate it as a short distance racer As well it's yeah it's it's quick it's Big and it's not the most pretty but It's certainly effective I think yeah I'd agree i' again straight yeah running In big straight lines big city marathons Is where it excels I think kind of Anything a little bit more or too twisty And turny maybe it kind of comes into Question but yeah it's I think it just
Gives you that little extra when you Need it most next up we're talk about The vaporfly 3 now this is a new shoe For this year uh the updates compared to The vaporfly 2 made the shoe a little Bit lighter reduce some of the out soole To add a bit more foam into the mid Soole and make the shoe a little bit Softer underfoot uh for me this is more Or less the perfect racing shoe but K You're not quite as big a fan I think It's F so no I mean I I really love the Thing I liked about the first gen second Gen Vapor Flies was there was a Stiffness to it there was a directness To it there was a you know you almost Had to be running in really good form up On your toes I think to get the most out Of it and it almost encouraged you to do That because it had a bit of that Stiffness it wasn't very forgiving and Although I understand why Nike maybe Have made this a little bit more kind of Soft and a bit more cushioned a bit more Accessible appeal to sort wider broader Section of Runners for me I think it's Just lost a little bit of the edge with The way that I run and yeah it's that That kind of softness that squishiness Just takes I'm talking sort of margins Here but it's just taken a littleit bit Of the fast edge off it for me and to me It kind of makes it feel a little bit Less racy yeah I I can sympathize with
You because it does feel a little bit Different under the foot but I have to Say having run you know I've done that 4.8k race in this and a marathon in this Uh I adore it I think it's so quick I Think as a runner I've got a very high Cadence quite a shuffly star so I love The lightness of the shoe cuz that Really helps me keep turning my feet Over but you do get the extra softness And bounce from this the V 2 is Obviously a brilliant shoe as well if You can still find that on sale I think None of us would disagree with the idea Of going and bagging a bargain on that Shoe but the B Sho for me does just give You that bit more in the marathon so When I did the marathon this shoe I ran The first half fa control with a friend Ran hard second half and it's just did Have a little bit more of the alphafly Tinge to it and how comfortable and Cushioned it felt towards the end Whereas where I've done hard marathons In the vfly 2 I feel it a bit more by The end you know I'm trying to get to The end it still turns over it's still a Very fast shoe but I think you get a Little bit more protection here and it's Still very light and snappy for me when I do those shter races so for me all Round is pretty much the perfect carbon Racing shoe because of the fact it's so Light still well cushioned except the
Outso which they' G very minimal at the Back there I haven't lost any rubber There Tom ripped his to Pieces very Quickly I think in general it's going to Be a slightly less durable shoe than Previous versions of a fly and some Other ones out there but yeah that's Something pry to be wary of I think with The new version time to talk about the Adidas adios Pro 3 a shoe that is now Going to be very much overshadowed by Adidas's insane $500 400 Pro Evo one Shoe but this is the shoe that's Probably going to sell more of and it's A shoe also that's been used to set World Records a very fast shoe big Light Strike Pro midsole ad's energy rods Really big chunky design very Comfortable a cruiser that can also move Very fast Tom fan of the Pro 3 yes I like it I put it in my top five uh It's I've never actively chosen it for Like a big race that I'm doing but it's Always sort of floating around in the Background I think it's a solid Enjoyable good race shoe um that's Better for longer distances yeah I think It's better long distances as well Although when I do go and do fast 5k 5K Races I do see people wearing this shoe Still and it's not slow I've done a kind Of mixed terrain uh 10K racing I think It's a very durable Super Shoe which is Quite a surprise in this category you've
Got really good Continental rubber out Soo there and big thick slab of Light Strike Pro which does hold up to a bit More of a pounding than others I find That I do prefer it for the long stuff Just because it's you know it's kind I Think I get better cruising in rather Than really going flat out fast when Adidas has things like Tumi sen in its Lineup that maybe do that a bit better But I think it is a really good all Around shoe the fit's a bit weird I've Actually gone half a size up in it it's Got some complicated fit issues I think Have annoyed annoyed you Tom annoyed Kieran I know has it come up for you Yeah I've had major issues with my feet My toes rubbing with this shoe so I Definitely think I should have gone up Half size yeah that's something look out For but all around a very good shoe Expecting another one I didn't get Updated this year expecting the pro Four next year but we'll see how the Whole lineup gets shaken up with the pro Evo one coming into it and whether Adidas really intends to make that Properly on sale or not uh if not the Pro 3 is a very good shoe from them Next up we've got the Adidas Prime ex Strung two we'll talk about the one a Bit as well but this is Adidas's uh you Know raw shattering shoe that has a 50mm Stack and two carbon plates in it it's a
Shoe that you know amers can use to race In but Elites don't I probably wouldn't Use this for racing myself but actually That's partly because of other reasons This is a big chunky shoe one that Actually can hoover up a bit of training Mils as well it's got slightly more Stable design its predecessor Tom I know You weren a huge Prime X1 fan but you Like the two a lot right I think I found The prim X1 was a fun shoe I liked Wearing it if I was going for like 10K Around the park and it was flat uh and It and it was and I was very safe to Just enjoy it what I didn't like the Primx one for was when I was going out All out and I raced in the primx one at One point and I it was just too unstable For me for that I just didn't enjoy it For that it just felt like even though I Got performance gains of it which I know Is what people like they love those that Sort of bouncy feeling you get from it I Just didn't feel comfortable in it when I was running at PACE fair enough the Prim X2 is that bit more stable but it's Added a fair bit of weight and for me This moves it more into the almost a Super trainer category in a way in that I really loved using this for training Runs but when I used it for a track Session alongside the primx one like Switching between the shoes it's Noticeable how much lighter and faster I
Think the primx one is I think the only Problem with the primx one I had was That it ripped up the back of my heel uh Really bad heel rub with it so I had to Use it for mostly the shorter stuff Primx 2 they seem to have fixed that Issue although the booty fit won't work For any I know Kieran doesn't like the Fit of this new one because of the booty Style compared to the slightly more Normal uput on the primx one I guess but Yeah you're getting a huge amount of Bounce from the shoe but I think for me It doesn't really necessarily prove that 50 mm is better than 40 mm I think the Pro 3 is a faster racing shoe I Prefer using that things like the Alphafly have similar booming bounce but I think they're faster shoes than the Prime X2 so ends up being a slight Tricky one to recommend because it is Incredibly expensive it is still very Big and uh sometimes people don't want To race in such a big shoe and I not Sure it's necessarily faster than the Shoes but it is a lot of fun uh in the Right circumstances yeah I love it I just I think it's surprising because It is quite a big chunky heavy shoe I Did a park run it a few weeks ago and I Almost got a PB in I wasn't even trying To get a PB but it's surprising how Energy filled it feels when you're Running in it considering the chunkiness
Of it yeah it's still definitely fast uh I think but if you're looking for Speed In a package like this I think the primx One is faster just you've got to contend With a little bit more wobbliness so Yeah they're both still available both Good fun shoes if you're going to go for A 50 mm Beast now we'll talk about Another new shoe for this year which is The Hoka rocket X2 this is probably fair To say hooker's first really serious top Tier carbon racing shoe with a peber Midsole full length carbon plate highest Tack we've seen from the brand in the Past generally a very successful shoe Around one that we all like it's Slightly lower drop than many other Super Shoes uh I think we all like the Shoe quite a lot K I don't think you had The best time terms of fit with it no I Mean I the thing I've had it does come Up quite narrow it's got a really kind Of DED in if you're being kind of polite It's dled in it's sort of hugging but It's a bit cramped and I think for me That makes it s question mark over the Longer distances if I'm going you know If I was going for a 4-Hour Marathon or Something I'd find that maybe a little Bit too cramped but beyond that I think This is a fantastic shoe it's definitely Hooker's best carbon racer to date it's Very different I think from the earlier Rocket uh you know it's wonderfully
Light it's agile I think it's kind of It's just right kind of side of softness It's energetic yeah and it feels really Nimble and I think it's a really really Capable carbon racer certainly for me I Think it's great for racing up to the Half marathon that's when I've enjoyed It the most anything beyond that as I Said maybe it's a little bit tight I I Do Wonder actually as well if it's a Little bit firm and direct then for full Marathons if you're going to be out on Feet for longer if you're not a runner Who's going to be done in kind of under Three hours maybe that might not be as Forgiving as you might like and yeah and The fit might might be a question mark Yeah so I have no problems with fit CU I Such I do have very narrow foot so that Works tends to be the case for me with Hookah shoes in general I get away with Them I really like about this shoe is it Feels B more stable actually than some Of the carbon shoes and I was doing a Very twisted 7.2 km a lot of weird distances this Year relay distances um I could really Feel like I could attack Corners really Well in it problems I had probably with It more was I thought it's weird because I think you and Tom both think this is a Really well quite a firm shoe compared To some of on the market I find it Really soft at the heel the way I land
On the shoe and I find actually bottoms Out slightly so that's the reason I Probably wouldn't go for the longest Dist distances in it myself that I'd be A bit worried I'm not getting as much Bounce back from the foam in the midso Or some others but I think it's a really Good racing shoe for short distances Probably the best looking one with this Colorway that's that's certainly comes Into play I reckon and a massive Leap Forward from what we've seen from H in The past I think we're going to see Probably some very exciting shoes coming From them next year as they use this p Phone a lot more but yeah rocket X2 it's Definitely one of the big Winners Big New shoes of the year the Muno wave Rebellion Pro was probably my favorite New carbon shoe of the year in terms of Coming completely out of the blue for me I think it was released at the back end Of last year maybe but we only retested It this year it's mizuno's best carbon Plate racing shoe yet and it's a very Dramatic shoe as you can see from the Design You' got that big heel cutout Huge stack of foam some peber foam in There a carbon plant with a front cut Out of it to make him more comfortable And obviously it's all geared towards That midfoot 4ot strike and then a very Very aggressive rocker to help you power On your way it's build more as a
Marathon racing shoe but is still quite Lightweight and I enjoyed a fast 5k in It running a sub6 at a B SE Park event Earlier in the year also really love Doing long workouts in it and I will say That although it's a very aggressive Looking shoe and it's you know not most Stable the big cut out underneath and This heel cutout like I still found it Worked quite well for me as a shuffly Heel Striker is main running style like I still found being forced onto this Midfoot didn't feel too unnatural for Runs up to about 25k in length I'm not Sure it would be my first choice as a Marathon or I'd recommend it to anyone Who wasn't a natural midfoot 4ot Striker You probably get the best out of it on That distance if you are that but for All the craziness going on here you got A really effective and very fun carbon Racing shoe one of the more interesting Ones out there also probably a little Hint of what might come from other Brands with this big heel cut up because It does seem that it's allowed Mao to Pack even more foam into the midsole There around the midfoot whilst still Being you know in line with World Athletic regulation so yeah certainly a Really exciting shoe best shoe from Zeno We've seen so far the wave for bellan Pro and we'll see I think a lot more Shoes like this and hopefully we'll see
Some maybe slightly more regular shoes From Mauna as well that will cater to a Wider amount of Runners this is build as Four fast Runners with that midot 4ot Strike I loved using it but it probably Won't be everyone's cup of tea but it is A very cool shoe for sure next up we've Got the Sak endorphin Elite which is one Of the shoes probably the first shoe Released in 2023 came out very early in January it's whole new shoe for S with a New midell phone called Power run HG After the very successful s endorphin Pro 3 Tom's one of Tom's favorite shoes This is a slightly more aggressive Racing shoe it's got a more aggressive Rocker you've got slightly higher Rebound foam and this is a shoe that I Think is very good in C stoker sizes for Me but Kieran I know you've done loads Of different distances in it quite a big Fan right yeah I really liked it and one Of the things I did that I found was Really interesting I ran a couple of Ultras in it so I did uh 50ks on big Flat very straight in a tunnel and I Wondered whether or not this shoe would Perform well for that distance and it Absolutely did and there's a couple of Reasons why I think it's still it's fast It's kind of Punchy it's it's nice and Agile but there's one thing it's got a Really it's got quite fussy uppers but Actually when you step into it it's got
Quite a traditional feel I think in Terms of the the fit it's a bit roomier It's a bit easier it's a bit you know if We're talking about the hoker rocket X2 Being tight and narrow this one's got a Little bit more space and it just feels A little bit easier and more natural on The foot for me and it for me it got Over that distance it it just ticked Over really nicely even when I was going Through a different range of Paces so I I changed up the pace in that 50k some Of them were faster miles some of them Were slower miles and even at the end I Was running good Paces with good Efficiency and good energy and I was Surprised by how well it coped over that Long distance I've also done marathons And stuff in it and I I actually think That I think it's a very very capable Show I think it's a bit more subtle Perhaps than some of the other shoes Where you've got the bigger kind of Stacks or that kind of more sort of Bouncy sort of feel to them which I Think maybe is why works over over Longer distances my only problem really With it the the uppers do feel fussy They've made a sort of various different Components that it's a bit sort of a Mad Upper and also just the price I think it Was put right up there more expensive Than the vaporfly even and that was the One thing I think that would sort of
Dissuade me from maybe buying it over Some other shoes but it did perform well For longer distance yeah I think when it First came out in all our reviews we Talked about the price quite a lot and Then I I did a race I did a 10K racing Sh year I thought it's a good race but I Found it quite harsh Bas I find it got It's got two quite different rides if I'm mooching around at kind of Fairly Relaxed race or even slower race Paces Feels very comfortable I think and then When I push to faster Paces I find there A very firm snap through of that rocker For me really aggressive ride and Actually I get a little bit of four of Fatigue over time as a result but Recently I used it for a half marathon Thinking it' be good to get it out again Hoping it start to drop in price Although that doesn't seem to actually Really happened yet um and I think it's Just I think it's a really good shoe but It's not my shoe at all I don't love Running fast in a shoe I like running Generally in it but if I come to race Day I find it just wears me down a Little bit more but I do think it's Incredibly efficient and fast and I Think a lot of people will really like It I hope it does drop in price I think People will try it and enjoy it and find Out if they do like it it's also I think One of the more versatile in terms of
Distance not just the ultra stuff Kieran's done I think it really works Well for very short races as well as Marathons and everything beyond that Which isn't always true with carbon Shoes but yeah I find the ride just Doesn't quite suit me we've all actually Run quite quick in it I think but Tom Also has I think Tom's pbd in the shoe And thought I still don't really like it That much it's yeah so it's not a shoe I've fallen in love with but I do think It's very effective next up we've got The saky endorphin Pro 3 this is a Slightly older shoe saky hasn't released A new version of this shoe in 2023 Instead launching the Endorphin Elite Which you've already spoken about However it's still a very good shoe and One that's in sales quite a lot now and The biggest fan of the shoe in the Run Testers is Tom who actually PB in it for The second time just recently right Tom Indeed yeah I've I've done two pretty Substantial PBS in the uh the pro three So far and uh no sign of not of stopping Doing that that's in the marathon Actually by way done loads of other PBS But two Marathon PB yes yeah it's still My goto Sho I was really struggling when I was doing um burin Marathon to choose My shoe but landed back on this one Again just cuz it's safe bare hands so It's got the power run PB Mido it's got
A soft Dr it's basically very it's very Accommodating right it's very friendly It feels good but it's still very fast I Guess that's probably the main pros of This shoe right yeah I think for me the Just the beauty of this shoe is that When I go out for a jog in it it doesn't Feel like uh like the Ally or something Like that it feels like a fairly Comfortable enjoyable shoe but when I do Races it suddenly kick into gear and I Start getting PBS in it so it's just a Really nice accessible but very fast Shoe yeah it's really probably one of The most vertile carbon races in that It's very good for all distances it's Quite lightweight but very cushioned it Is very nice actually to pootle around In at slower Paces which you probably Won't do much of but you can do in the Shoe it's a really good daily trainer Almost I think the fact that s released The Endorphin Elite puts it in a little Bit of Shadow and shade like it's not a Top class carbon racer but it's a shoe I Think is really good I personally prefer Other shoes I think they're a little bit Faster but you know Tom's got his pick Pretty much everything and keeps going Back back to it so I think it's a pretty Pretty good shoe and one you can get for A little bit less than others these days Definitely I'm tempted to get another Pair soon actually see probably
Expecting the Endorphin Pro 4 next year So we'll see what that brings next up we Do have a brand new shoe for 2023 which Is the on cloud boom Echo 3 now like a Few others have spoken about in this Roundup this is the year that on really Got serious with this carbon plate Racing shoe whacked in a PE phone Increased the stack heite right up to Towards 40 mm carbon plate running Through it with a big scoop so you get That Tippy forward ride and then Propulsive you know right propulsive Punch from the foam and the plate Combining this is a lot better than what We've seen from on in the past M Especially yeah absolutely I mean uh you My experience is the first to I think Definitely think I saw improvements in The second generation of this shoe but I Think with the third version you know It's definitely a shoe that I've had to Warm to but when I have kind of you know Gone out and I've raced in it I've done Obviously we did the I did the 10k race When we um went out at Le Valley Park I Did a I've done a 5k racing it as well And it has been a really enjoyable shoe To run in and it feels like on finally Has a shoe to kind of sit with those Kind of other top tier carbonx it just Feels nice and propulsive I think the Out so is great on it as well the upper Is nice and thin the kind of upper you
Want to see on a kind of race focused Shoe and yeah it definitely feels like a Lot better than what we SE before it's Expensive and that's going to we against It but um it's definitely a much nicer Shoe than the first two yeah the upper Is great on just always do really good Up think it's fair and I do agree the Ride is really good like it's it's good At easy Paces when you really start Running hard you can feel the plate Engaging get a really nice propulsive Ride like I did that 5K raceing it I Think this is a shoot that you can do Any distance racing I find it Comfortable enough to go all the way to The marathon for sure I will say that I Don't agree on the outso being good Though because I do think it's a very Non durable outside now this section at The back is okay for me Tom ripped it Off St Tom does that shoes it's fair to Say Tom just rips outsid off but a lots Of people actually reported the outside Flaking off quite quickly I can see it Started to go I think Kieran can see Here started to go a little bit on even Put on the box this will last four Marathons which is already quite a small Amount of durability and it turns out The outside won't last any near near That so that is definitely a problem and The price is a problem let you say but I Think you got a really good ride here I
Think it's one that's comparable I still Think there are better ones like the V 3 And some other ones but price is really High and I think You' got a shoe here That's a really good shoe and a great Shoe for on but if you put it up against You know the vaporfly 2 in a sale for 150 qu less I think you're probably Still getting a better shoe by going for The Nike and a more durable one Surprisingly so the price is definitely A problem but definitely a massive step In the right direction for on the cloud Meco 3 another new Caro this year and Another new entrance into the category Is the Under Armour flow velocity elite Under armour's first really serious Carbon racing shoe you've got again They've introduced some peba foam into It the peber top layer slightly fir Material under underneath then a carbon Plate this is I think one of the more SLE carbon shoes uh it doesn't feel so Explosive when you first put it on but It has quite a wide wide range of uses I Think it's fair to say Kieran yeah I Think that was the one thing that struck Me with the shoe is it's very versatile And it's it's definitely not as Punchy It's definitely more subtle you know It's not in up there for me in Competition with the alpha fly in terms Of picking a really fast and you know Marathon shoe that's going to give you
Efficiency gains but it's almost to me Where it might sit a sweet spot it's too Expensive for this but it feels like a Really good super trainer you know it's A good daily trainer a Punchy daily Trainer I think it's got that kind of Versatility they' have dropped the price And kind of put it into that bracket I Think it might even come up as being one Of the best daily trainers that we've Seen this year and you know it's like Again it's light and roomy it's got Quite a traditional sort of design and a Quite a traditional fit in terms of the Uppers I I think it encourages fast foot Foot turnover because it is sort of Slightly firmer not too spongy and and Too um too bouncy it's got good Stability for a super shoe as well I Think overall and I think that lends it You that's why it kind of lends itself To lots of different distances and lots Of different efforts that you might be Doing but yeah on the downside lacks the Punch I think of the top Racers could be A little bit firm for some people over The much over the longer distances when You get into the kind of marathons and Again that long time on feet and again You know the price if you're thinking of It as a bit more of an allrounder that You can use for lots of training runs as Much as racing it's it's probably a Little bit pricey yeah exactly what my
Notes were this is a really good uh Super trainer training part in the shoe It can do a bit of everything it is Quite stable it's got very natural ride Doesn't feel too weird it's not Aggressively rocked even really it's got Quite a nice snap through to it you're Trying to turn your feet over but the Price is too I think under arour Actually are a brand that do quite a lot Of deals on shoes so I think it might be One I'd look out for there only downside Possibly with using it like that is that It obviously has the molded out Soo Rather than a thick layer of rubber this Has held up pretty well for me but um it Might be something that does reduce its Dur durability a little bit if you are Going to use it a lot more like a daily Trainer but again encouraging signs from Another brand who've come into the Market with a really decent shoe all Around and we hope to see more from Under Armour in the future but yeah I Think I agree with UK I don't think it's Quite got the top tier performance we See from some shoes yet but maybe in the Future next we've got the first of two Aex shoes now aex hasn't updated its Carbon plate races this year yet Probably not going to happen now before The end of the year and the metas speed Sky plus is probably our favorite one of The two they have it's the one that's
Designed for bounding Runners but I'm a Shuffle Runner and I like it a lot Mike You're also a fan of the Met speed sky Right yeah I I mean for me I've used Both of the shoes I've raised with both Of the shoes slightly different Distances in terms of uh what I've done But I think the sky passes just work for Me a little bit better uh I think Particularly longer distances um I like The fact that from the previous version Which I spent a lot of time in that it's Now got that extra kind of midsole foam In there I still think you get a similar Kind of you know Lively um ride out of It and it just feels like a very Enjoyable excitable shoe to run in and I Think over across you know a range of Distances as well yeah it's one of the More versatile ones CU it is a really Lightweight shoe despite having that big Stack of cushioning the FF turbo foam is Not as soft and Squishy as some but it's Got a really high rebound factor and I Think it's a shoe that really rewards You when you are feeling good and you Lean forward you get that big bouncy Forfeit going I've pbd in this shoe and Uh over half marathon and over 10K as Well with the previous version and Really like it but sometimes feel if I Settle back a bit when I'm really tired At the end of a race it doesn't quite Tip you forward as much as some like the
Vaporfly so that's maybe one area I Don't like it quite as much as others But overall really strong shoe very Excited to see what aex does with the Line next year and it's an interesting Idea having the two different Super Shoes with different kinds of Runners I Still feel just overall i' probably Recommend the sky more than the edge to Almost anyone just CU I think it's a More exciting Super Shoe but it's a nice Idea yeah similar for me I think that The only thing I would add to that um We're seeing similar kind of thing in Terms of the durability of the shoe um In terms of the outsole and again a Little bit like you said um I found when I've kind of eased off maybe in places In races it you know it it's doesn't Feel as nice to be in uh as a shoe but When you are going and you're feeling Good and you're running well then it you Know it definitely rewards you uh from That point of VI yeah quick note on the Durability is it just doesn't extend Very far back the rubber on the outside So you can rip up the back of the heel a Little bit which uh if your heel strike Like myself now for the Met speed Edge The other ax carbon racing shoe this is A higher drop than the metas speed Sky You've got a bit less foam under the Forefoot you get slightly more Tippy Forward feeling but otherwise You' got a
Lot of similar elements you got the FF Turbo foam carbon plate lovely motion Wrap up uh outside doesn't quite extend Far enough back but all in all a Slightly it's a slightly more natural Feeling I think when you're running in This shoe compared to the sky mik yeah I Would say that I think uh what I found In comparison with the sky plus I I've Kind of preferred it at kind of shorter Distances I still think it has that kind Of similar kind of characteristics to The Sky Plus and I still think you can Get you know it feels great to run quick In I think ultimately I I'm not sure 100% if I you know really kind of prefer The longer distances for me compared to Sky Plus but I do think is a strong Shoter shoe that works uh for racing you Can you know it does feel nice to run Quick in but as I said it's very similar In terms of you're getting with Sky Plus And I think the Sky Plus just gives you A little bit more at least based on what I've seen in my testing it's good I am a Shuffle Runner and I like being tipped Forward and that has got that slightly More Tippy forward feeling but actually The thing I had when we first reviewed It was I feel like it's very similar in Lots of ways to the vaporfly 2 but the Vfly 2 she's got a better foam and I Used them both in the track workout and I felt like you got the same kind of
Tippy forward feeling with then a lot More bounce from the vaporfly foam Whereas the sky feels not that much like Everything else on the market so it's a Bit more of a standout shoe and then Actually maybe with the bfly 3 getting a Little bit softer if you did love the Bfly 2 and don't like the bfly 3 maybe The Met speed Edge might be the one to Go for CU it's got a slightly firmer Midell foam than the Nike think all it's A slightly overlooked shoe and I think Of atics just released it by itself it Have been a very popular carbon racing Shoe option but compared to the sky I Think the just gives you that little bit More Super Shoe feeling and the edge I Think just struggles to stand out like I Said cuz there a few shoes that feel Like it and maybe just a little bit Better yeah I'd probably go i' I'd say Exactly the same I think you know and Also in terms of the things I think Probably to look out again the kind of Durability of this shoe you know it's Not something that I think you're going To want to use for lots of training Sessions it's probably one you're going To want to reserve for kind of racing And if you do that I do think you get You know really nice experience from it It just it just feels like the sky plus Just stands out a little bit more all Right back to talk about three humor
Shoes we're going to do these all in a Row Tom uh first up we've got the DV8 Nitro Elite 2 this is the successor to The shoe that mly Sidell wore at the Olympics famously to win the bronze Medal it's the most normal of pummer Carbon Racing shoes it's a really good All around shoe with a great outso I Actually used this a bit as a daily Trainer when I was traveling with it and It's still a very fast and lightweight Shoe but maybe doesn't quite hit the top Tier in terms of all that performance Tom yeah I I I I think it's uh I mean if If it was like four or five years ago This shoe would be top tier race SHO Basically I think now we've come to get Used to shoes that have got a bit bouny Of foam in them a little bit more Propulsion a bit more noticeable sort of Turnover things like the VAP fly alply I Think it's a solid really fast great Shoe I just I prefer wear wearing shoes That have a little bit more bounce and Oomph in them yeah I saying I he's got Quite a traditional ride doesn't feel Like outlandish or weird so that's a Positive if you don't like the feeling Of some of these Super Shoes you got That great outsole it's a nice little Mixed terrain racer there a lot of situ Sitations where I think it's quite a Good shoe to use and have available it's A great training shoe as well but it
Doesn't have the top tier performance I Think when you just picking on that one Say Marathon a goal you're going to Choose a different shoe over it I'd say But it's a shoe that pops up in sales Quite a lot and if you saw it at a Really good price you can get a pretty Much fantastic shoe uh that has a wide Range of uses even if it might not be Your a r if you're someone who does rack Up a few carbon shoes at home which I Know a lot of our viewers do yeah Puma's Short distance carbon racing shoe is the Fast forward which obviously has this Incredibly aggressive underfoot toe cut Out there you've got a big cutout Underneath as well you've got a carbon Plate running through it the same Nitro Elite foam you get on the DV Nitro Elite Which is a peer based foam nitrogen Infused and it's a great shoe this is a Really weird but very fun shoe to run in Pum they want want to make a spike for The road and it does give you that Similar feeling of aggression and Excitement when you pull it on for fast Races uh to I've done a 10K and a 5K in This what what do you think on The Fast Forward yeah I think it's definitely I Actually probably mainly used this for Track sessions when I was uh when I was Testing it and um I do think it's it's a It's a strange shoe uh it's definitely Not for everyone I think a lot of people
Might pick the sh up and go I don't Really know what to do with this you're Not going to get the same experience you Get with a lot of other Super Shoes but It's not designed to do that um it's Definitely a short distance shoe for me It feels very nippy very fast uh lovely Bit of acceleration on it from that that Toe off um but yeah it's it's not very Versatile shoe yeah I enjoy doing 10K Racing the shoe uh I still don't really Think actually of any of the really Short distance roting shoes out there They really outperform the best long Distance shoes like the vfly things like That I think I'd probably still rather Use for 5K 10K actually I really like Using the Puma deviate Nitro Elite for 5K 10K as well but I think it's the Start of something potentially this Design and we might see some interesting Places it goes from here really fun shoe To run in but again not quite shoe I'd Really I struggle to recommend basically Just because there so many great shoes Out there I think can do its job and Then be a bit more versatile the last of The Puma Trio of carbon shoes is the Fast AR uh there's the fast R2 coming Out soon we believe and I think the pros Starting to use it which will have a Slight redesign so with the fast R You've got Nitro Elite foam under the For foot but then a harder foam at the
Back which encourages a very fast Snappy Transition but don't think a lot of People really like the foam of feeling At the back of the shoe although I did Quite like it I think we're going to Have Nitro Elite foam throughout it with The next version and obviously you've Got the decoupled midsole with the Carbon plate exposed there it's a Strange looking shoe but a very fast and Propulsive shoe I think pum says it's a More propulsive RAC than some of their Other shoes I like the shoe quite a lot Tom uh what do you think of it um I I Wouldn't say it's a shoe that I I warmed To straight away I found it a little bit Awkward to running straight away I think The uh the heel section I I'm a midfoot Striker I didn't really notice the heel Being harder anyway it wasn't really Anything I I spotted when I was running It um I did find it to be uh there was a Nice bit of proportion in the shoe um I I think I don't think I did got up to Long distance in it I think I maybe did Half marathon tops in it uh but again I Still enjoyed this for short distances As opposed to going further in it just Cuz it just didn't feel like it had the Sort of Bounce and the the proportion That I'd want from um a sort of faster Shoe see I I ran the plushy half in this Last year basically my first running the Shoe and I really liked it but I got
Such an aggressive snap Pro from the way They set up with that decoupled mid as a Heel Striker shuffling snapping through It was a bit bit of four foot discomfort By the end so I'd probably top out a Half in this but at the same time I Think actually half is almost The Sweet Spot cuz I do think I don't find it Quite as Nimble as other shoes for 5K 10K including pummer other carbon Options but again it's the start of Something I think I think a lot of pum The start of something I'll be reallying To see how the fast R is I think it's it Is a slightly more bouncy propulsive Shoe than the DV8 Nitro Elite 2 which is A shoe overall I prefer but this has a Slightly more Super shoy ride I think The fastar and I think going forward it Will probably be the one that maybe ends Up being the top option for those long Races but this first version uh I think Is now at this point probably wouldn't Be encouraging people to go rush out and Buy it with a new version coming and I Think within Puma's range in general we Probably would say the DVA Nitro Elite 2 Is the is the top pick all around for Most people mhm right now we're going to Talk about the New Balance super comp Fuel cell Elite V3 I might have got some Of those words the wrong way around There are too many words in the name um This is another one from well it's
Actually slightly released at the back End of last year with this New York Edition I've got here but then the real Release was earlier this year we not Expecting a new New Balance super shoe And in the rest of this year I hope they Don't surprise us now but this was Another really good Sho for New Balance Fuel cell foam is very good it's very Bouncy very soft very Lively you bounce Tweak it quite a lot and I will say the Version you have in this shoe is very Different to the one in the FC trainer V2 it's a much better racing foam a 4mm Drop with a very aggressive rocker the Energy Arc carbon Plate System with that Big scooping cutout in the middle of the Canyon essentially in the middle of the Outsole there which helps the center the Foot on a soft foam lightweight shoe Just a really good carbon racing shoe Mike yeah this is lovely yes obviously We had the the Prototype version I've Got the kind of white version that they Launched and they've done a couple of Other coloriz it's a shoe that looks Great um I think the only thing a little Bit different in terms of the kind of These kind of sock like style up as well I think if you you have to work a little Bit to get a really good fit with it but Ultimately I think in terms of Experience I think it's a really you get A really smooth ride with it you know it
Does feel like a really nice shoe to run Quick in I think the other thing I for Me is I think it's a versatile shootter So I don't necessarily think you have to Save it for race that it does feel like One of those complexes I think you could You know do training sessions with and I Feel like you'll get a good you know Amount of life out of it so I've had a Really good experience in this shoe it Was one I was going to use in London had I not got injured so um so hopefully Yeah next year I'm I'm looking see what They're going to do with the Next Generation because I think this is Probably best you know new balance's Best kind of race kind of compx shoot That they've had yeah I do Step Up on What we saw from them before I really Like I mean the previous version of the Shoe the RC it was a really comfortable Shoe that actually was brilliant for Training but probably lacked just that Little bit of aggression for full racing You've got that aggression here the foam Is really good I think it's very durable Like you say I still think they may lack A little bit of the pop and punch from The very best Foams on the market I Think that might be where they go with Their development of the line next year Is changing the Foams up a little bit But certainly a really good shoe does a Lot of distances very well feels very
Good with that rocker I found and like I Agree with you Mike I think it's a good Shoe to do a lot of training in as well Cuz although it looks a bit mad it Actually is not that unstable the phone Bounces back really well and doesn't Seem to you know lose any of its bounce In the worrying way like some of the Super Shoes which probably have shorter Shelf lives yeah definitely next up We've got the alra vanish carbon first Carbon plate shoe obviously brand well Known for having zero drop shoes with Big wide toe boxes you can see the Foot-shaped toe box on the shoe there Although they have now released a 4 mm Drop shoe which we've covered on the Channel as well you've got their best Foam the ego Pro foam in the midsole Here which is a nitrogen induced foam It's not very bouncy though it's quite a Firm feeling foam you get a decent Amount of response from it and you can Run fast in the shoe for sure but hasn't Got the sink in and spring that you get From some of the best phones on the Market got a really noticeable 4ot Rocker there which does mean that even Though this is a zero drop shoe it Didn't feel necessarily like that to me On the Run overall I found this is an Okay shoe like I don't think it's up to The standards of the best carbon plate Racing shoes out there I think this is a
Shoe that people are only really going To use and buy if they're very committed To zero drop and outra running shoes in General it was an interesting shoe to Use for me and put a bit of more strain On my cares than usual because it is Zero drop you might be wondering you Have in a rotation if you find it nice And cheap somewhere as a zero drop fast Workout option but I think if you're Looking for allout racing you can find Better options in this video for sure in Terms of Pure Performance got to really Buy into all the other stuff out's got Going on for them if you are going to Look at the vanish carbon in particular I'd say lastly we're going to look at The Brooks Hyperion Elite three uh this Is not a very good carbon rating shoe I Say straight away uh the changes Brooks Made to the third version were just Related to the upper which is now this Woven material which actually made the Shoe considerably heavier they left the Midsole intact and this is DNA flash Which is a lightweight foam it's a Nitrogen infused Eva but it certainly Lacks the punch the the bouncy Propulsion you get from other shoes You've got a carbon plate in there but The whole package Mount to what is Fairly Hefty shoe that isn't even Actually maxed out in terms of Stack out Doesn't give you a whole lot of Bounce
It really for me feels more like a Supert trainer and actually in that Category I think there are more Impressive shoes things like the Endorphin Speed 3 or the ads Boston 12 I Would rather have for any kind of run Really than the herian Elite 3 so if You're looking at it as a racer it Certainly doesn't really live up to the Standard set elsewhere I'm sure Brooks Is going to make some big changes to the Shoe uh in the coming years I expect Different phams to be introduced to add More bouncing there's already prototypes Being leaked online and that kind of Thing so for now I would stay clear of The Hyperion Elite 3 to be honest I Think actually if you're going to look At a brook shoe you really want to stick With that brand then the Hyperion Tempo Hyperion Max are far shoes that actually Probably do just as good a job even Without the carbon plate it's just not Really got the propulsive performance You expect from a carbon shoe so yeah That's the Brooks Hyperion 3 All righty that is our Roundup of the Best carbon shoes on the market at the Moment if you're still watching thanks Very much well done for making it Through to this far it's a long video Which why we split out some other videos Like I said we'll have our top picks
Video to come that will just be a short Quick Punchy video where we talk about The shoes we love the most although you Probably have seen in this video which Ones we really like but for now please Do dive in the comments say what your Favorite carbon shoe is do like and Subscribe and ring the little bell and We'll see you next Time
