If The Run Testers team had a 5K road race tomorrow, which shoe would be the first they’d look to lace up? That’s the question we answer in this video as Testers Tom, Nick, Mike and Kieran pick their top 5K race shoe picks, along with a runner-up shoe if they can’t find that top pick.
What’s your go-to 5K race shoe? Surprised by any of our picks? Let us know in the comments. Enjoy.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:33 – Nick’s Top 5K Race Shoe
03:35 – Tom’s Top 5K Race Shoe
07:16 – Kieran’s Top 5K Race Shoe
09:54 – Mike’s Top 5K Race Shoe
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Hey this is mik from the Run testers and In this video we have posed the question If we had a 5K race to do tomorrow what Would be the first shoe that we would Look to grab and ultim if we couldn't Find that shoe what would be the runner Up now I have posed this question to the Rest of the Run testers team and these Are the responses they came up with Along with sharing their current 5K race PBS as well so let's get into [Music] It my pick for a 5k racing shoe would be The Nike vaporfly 3 nothing too exciting Or novel about that pick it's obviously A very popular racing shoe but it it's Just really perfect for a 5k it's very Lightweight and Nimble while still giv You that aggressive repulsive punch that You get from a big stack carbon shoe Like this which benefits you even over 5K I think you're still really enjoying That extra bounce you get there the Difference between using a shoe like This over a racing flat over 5K I think Is much smaller compared to like the Marathon where the extra benefits you Get from a big shoe like this really Come into play but certainly still helps Over 5K I think it's an amazing shoe to Use for it it's Nimble it's aggressive It's not the most stable but you can Still attack Corners at speed and if I Was picking one shoe to use for every
Race maybe some like the Nike Alpha fly Would come into play it's still a very Good 5K shoe but if you're just looking At 5Ks the lightness of the VAP fly I Think really puts it out just a little Bit ahead I've done like Park on in the Shoe but also probably the biggest race Around this distance I've done this year Was a 4.8k leg of a relay event where I Actually was pretty much on track to my 5K PB Pace at a time that I really Didn't think I was in that kind of shape It's just an excellent shoe for smashing Out short fast races in time the real Competitor here that might have come to Play for this video for me which I Haven't tested thoroughly enough yet to Put in is the aex Met speed Sky Paris or Indeed The Edge Paris we haven't had That coming yet just because they are so Lightweight they certainly be up there As contenders for me but I've got a lot More track record with the Bly having Done those short races in it and past Models of the shoe and it's just perfect For it cuz like I say lightweight fast That's what you want in the 5K you don't Have to overthink it you don't to think Too much about comfort and bounce when You're just looking to set a fast time Over that short distance and then my Second pick would be the Adidas Tumi sen 10 now this I don't think it's got quite The same explosive punch of the vaporfly
When you're on good courses so the Course I ran the vaporfly was like three Laps or of a cycling circuit and that's Perfect for the V big open road closed Road obviously sweeping Corners Tumi Sand I think has a little bit more Agility and it's almost a 5K race you'd Have for all those races which aren't on Perfect courses or Park runs and stuff Like that like my local park runers a Couple of laps of a course which can be A bit slippy there's a couple of sharp Turns and lots of Park runs are like That and actually a lot of 5K races have A few little turns like that and that's Where the dumi S really comes into its Own CU it's that little bit lower stack It's very Nimble and aggressive around Corners you can really attack Corners Hard in the shoe and not really lose too Much pace and then the low stack feel of It means you can really pick up your Feet again and start accelerating again Once you have gone around the corner It's also got really good Continental Rubber out Soo which gives you good grip If you are thinking about things like All weather paths and parks and that Kind of thing so it's a very practical 5K Racers for lots of races you'll do Maybe that aren't necessarily on perfect Courses you know when you're going flat Out for a PB so the VAP fly probably be The shoe I'd pull on if I went down to
Friday Night Under The Lights in Battery Park and did a couple of circuits of a Perfect course going all out for a PB Having prep for it the Tumi s's probably The 5K RAC you use week in week out if You are going down a local park run or Doing a little club race over 5K Something like that this really has the Chop to run very fast and I think you're Losing a lot compared to the vaporfly But when you're on those perfect courses The extra punch you get from the Vaporfly does come into play which is Why I give it the Edge slightly to keep Be say to be another shoe to consider Though for 5K [Music] Races so I actually found this pick Really difficult because I have a lot of Race shoes that I use for part runs Every week as well as 5Ks and to be Honest there's not a lot in it for those Shoes for me there's maybe a couple that I go for more than other shoes but I did Have a big pile of shoes that uh I would Often pick for park run just because I Like wearing them and I don't see a Massive difference when I'm running 5Ks But when it comes to my top pick and This is probably a strange one for some People because it's not really a shoe That everyone Associates with 5K Distance or shorter distances but it's Still the Nike alphafly 1 and the reason
For that is when I started running in The alphafly I was running in the Vaporfly quite a lot that was my main Shoe for every distance basically um and I was using the alphafly for longer Distance events so half marathons and Above but what I found about it is that Over time I started to gravitate more Towards the alpha fly for sh distance Fence as well so for 10ks and even 5Ks And quite often now if I go out for a 5k PB attempt I will still go for the alply One now I know it's a slightly chunkier Shoe than uh what people normally Associate with running a 5k um but for Me it just works uh and I always seem to Just have the best races in this shoe I Love the fact that there's loads and Loads of cushioning in it I love the Fact that it just feels so bouncy and For my style of running and the speed That I run at it just seems to work Perfectly for me and I I opt for this Over any of the Vapor Flies as well at The moment actually prefer this to the Alphafly 3 um but for me it's definitely A shoe that just works for my style of Running and I just love the feeling of Bounce that you get from it so I'm going For the Ally one still uh even though It's a 5K distance now the second pick I've got is a very different shoe uh to The alphafly one and one that I didn't Think that I would like that much so
That's the Adidas Tumi S1 I know Nick's Picked this as well as his uh runner up Shoe it is a shoe that on paper wouldn't Necessarily work very well for me I like Loads of midell foam I like boun I like Cushioning I like softness um and on Paper it doesn't necessarily look like The shoe will do that um but having run A couple of 5Ks in this shoe I really Really like it it is deceptive in how um How much softness you get in that Midsole so there's a nice little bit of Cushioning in it which is surprising Considering the um height of the the uh Midol stack um and it just it's so fast For 5K it just works perfectly for me um I don't really necessarily need loads of Cushioning for a 5k but this just does Just enough for it but it feels so light And Nimble that I the first time I took This shoe out I got exactly the same Time uh that I got on the same course With the Ally one um and I didn't think I had but by the end of it I looked at My watch and thought wow that's quite Impressive because um I didn't think I Would do so well in a shoe that was Significantly less stuck um I know Nick Says this as well but it is great for Corners it's great for traction on on The ground um sometimes you do a 5K and There's a switch back um if I'm in the Alphafly one it can be tricky to turn Quickly because you've got that sort of
Unstable midal in it this doesn't you Can just really quickly just snap back And and accelerate again um it's a great Shoe uh it's not as noticeably Propulsive or uh bouncy as the AL one But it's just light Nimble and yeah it's A fantastic shoe uh if you're looking For a really good short distance one I Probably wouldn't go over 10K in the Shoe just because it doesn't have enough Cushioning for me but for that 5K Distance it's absolutely [Music] Perfect now I don't really race a lot of 5Ks and in reality unless it's a really Twisty course or you're facing some Off-road bits like you'll getting many Kind of Park runs here in the UK Particularly I tend to reach for my Regular car race shoe to go and attack That distance so i' definitely be Looking at some of the older generation Shoes that are in my big shoe pile at The moment as options like the vaporfly 2 I think is a cracking 5K shoe but Right now I think if we're looking at Kind of more recent shoes that we've Seen Lan my top pick of the moment would Be the aex metas speed Sky Paris now I've been doing a bunch of fast interval Sessions in this shoe recently and it's Got a lot of the light compact Precision That I would look for in a shoe for These faster efforts like over the 5K
And the flight foam turbo plus p mids Soole it's really nice and Punchy I like The fact there's a real good stiffness To the rocked midsole here as well that Creates a really springy toe off it's Incredibly light on the foot lighter Than the vaporfly 3 in fact in my tests Size but it manages to be light without Feeling too stripped back and too Exposed it delivers the main thing I Look for in a shoe when I'm trying to Push top paces and that's a light Disappearing feel on the foot but Without leaving your feet feeling too Exposed either with The Landings that Are too direct and too harsh but Crucially with uppers that hold well and Feel comfortable overall now I find the Paris delivers those good Landings where You can feel the ground you get kind of That nice kind of ground contact Initially but the midsole play and Rocker combo kicks in at the right time To help you kind of drive forward and You definitely I think have to be a Little bit more focused have a fast foot Turnover that gets more out of the shoe This isn't one of the kind of big Bounding carbon shoes I think for me Anyway like the alphafly and I like that Overall though for shorter faster Efforts now my runner up pick is the Hoker rocket X2 it's a well balanced Carbon racer that for me offers a ride
That is a little reminiscent of the old Vaporfly 4% that's a good thing it's Light Lively it's compact it's nicely Agile there's a snappiness and a Stiffness that works with that rocker For a light fast feel and it puts plenty Of spring right under the ball of your Foot has a good race ready feel overall The ride is everything I think that you Want in a Snappy racer with a good Dollop versatility to boot I find There's good control in titer turns one Blessing of the really kind of glov like Quite snug Grace fit here is that There's no slipping off the midso even On tight turns Pace it's among the Lighter carbon shoes as well and there's A nice Precision to it when you're Running with that all out you know well Sort of intentioned or you know on in Your best form basically attacking a 5k The good thing as well is that it's not Just good for 5Ks either it will happily Take you up to the half marathon and for Some Runners it may well even go [Music] Beyond so if I had a 5K race tomorrow And I was looking for shoe there I kind Of wanted to run my hardest try and run My quickest I would be grabbing the Night vapor fly 3 and I'm sure not the Only one in this video is going to be Talking about a Nike shoe now I actually Actually haven't run my quickest 5K race
In this shoe not far off but I still Think this is the shoe I would go for Because I think it has all the Ingredients I think for me that make it A very very good shoe to run at that Kind of shorter 5K distance I think First and foremost for me I like the Fact that it's nice and light and I do Think you know it's not a shoe that you Can of struggle to get on as well but it Locks you in like you want on that kind Of you know when you are racing and I Think also as well I like the fact There's a good amount of padding at the Hill as well so you're getting good lock Down there as well as getting this nice Kind of light breath ball kind of shoe In general and then you get into that Midell where that you've got that zoomx Balce you get that balce over that Distance and you really can when you are Kicking up at your kind of quicker Paces But there is a kind of a more firmer Edge to it at the foref foot which I Think gives you that kind of responsive More aggressive and kind of propulsive Fi I think that mile just works really Well when you are running your hardest And you obviously running hard in that 5K distance you want something that kind Of works gives you that liveliness but Also gives you that responsiveness as Well and I think you get that in good Amounts here on the VAP 5 feet and then
The outso it's not a huge amount of Rubber here but I think in terms of the Race I did do in this shoe and it was Kind of just shy of kind of sub20 in it The outsole was very very good I think From a kind of traction and gripping Point of view very solid kind of cording Was very good as well too and as I say You're getting it from a outso that is Not massively you know it's not massive Amounts of rubber there so for me if I Was doing a 5K race tomorrow and I Wanted to go and try and run my hardest And my quickest I would be picking the Nik vaporfly 3 so if I could locate my Pair of Nike vaporfly 3 for whatever Reason I think the other shoe that I Would be scrambling around or pair I Would be scrambling around for would be The Hawker rocket XC which is the shoe That I have run my quickest 5K race in And I think that there's a lot of Quality is there that I think make it a Good shoe for that distance now a little Bit like the vapor fly three it has a Nice light fit and upper as well so That's something I think I would want on A racing shoe particularly at that Distance I think also as well in terms Of what you'll getting in the midsole it Is not as you know it's a different Experience from the vaporfly 3 it's a Little bit softer I think it's got a Nice rocker there I think it's good side
Of kind of responsiveness on that shoe As well so at that distance I think you Can really pick it up in that shoe Despite it being maybe a touch heavier Than the vaporfly 3 I still think it Runs really nice and light at that Distance and I think the outsole well in The 5K race that I did when I kind of Ran my kind of sub20 it was a little Slippy in places I think generally the Grip is very good on the rocket X2 so I Think all of the kind of qualities I Would look for in a 5K race shoe I think Are there in the rocket X2 as well and I'd be happy if I couldn't find my v53 To run in the rocket X2 because I think At that distance it works really really Well and I think despite it being a kind Of half marathon or kind of you know Potentially a shoe you could use the Marathon distance which I think I would Be maxing out maybe half marathon I Think it's a shoe that really kind of Delivers a really good experience over That kind of shorter kind of sharper Kind of runs and distances as well okay So they have it those are our top 5K Raoes was there anything there that Surprised you in terms of what we picked Do let us know in the comments as always Like And subscribe hit that little bell To find out about our latest videos and We'll see you for next round this [Music]
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