Adidas · Race shoe · Not yet tested
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5
177 g, 4 mm drop, 39/35 mm stack, carbon plate, LIGHTSTRIKE PRO foam.
177 g · 4 mm drop · 39/35 stack
$275
MSRP
Shoe guide
The best race shoes
Race shoes are the most specialised shoes you can buy: light, propulsive and built for one effort. The right pick depends on your distance – 5K racers favour weight, marathon racers favour protection.
Every shoe here is race-legal and carbon-plated. Break them in with two or three short, fast sessions before race day.
ASICS · Race shoe · Not yet tested
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo
170 g, 5 mm drop, 39.5/34.5 mm stack, carbon plate, FF LEAP / FF TURBO PLUS foam.
170 g · 5 mm drop · 39.5/34.5 stack
$270
MSRP
ASICS · Race shoe · Not yet tested
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
170 g, 5 mm drop, 39.5/34.5 mm stack, carbon plate, FF LEAP / FF TURBO PLUS foam.
170 g · 5 mm drop · 39.5/34.5 stack
$270
MSRP
ASICS · Race shoe · Not yet tested
ASICS Metaspeed Ray
129 g, 5 mm drop, 39.5/34.5 mm stack, carbon plate, FF LEAP foam.
129 g · 5 mm drop · 39.5/34.5 stack
$300
MSRP
Brooks · Race shoe · Not yet tested
Brooks Hyperion Elite PB 4
205 g, 8 mm drop, 40/32 mm stack, carbon plate, DNA GOLD foam.
205 g · 8 mm drop · 40/32 stack
$250
MSRP
HOKA · Race shoe · Not yet tested
HOKA Rocket X 3
226 g, 7 mm drop, 41/34 mm stack, carbon plate, dual-density PEBA foam.
226 g · 7 mm drop · 41/34 stack
$250
MSRP
HOKA · Race shoe · Not yet tested
HOKA Cielo X1 3.0
213 g, 7 mm drop, 37/30 mm stack, carbon plate, PEBA foam.
213 g · 7 mm drop · 37/30 stack
$275
MSRP
New Balance · Race shoe · Not yet tested
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite 5
214.9 g, 8 mm drop, 40/32 mm stack, carbon plate, FuelCell PEBA foam.
215 g · 8 mm drop · 40/32 stack
$265
MSRP
Nike · Race shoe · Not yet tested
Nike Streakfly 2
145 g, 4 mm drop, 27/23 mm stack, carbon plate, ZoomX foam.
145 g · 4 mm drop · 27/23 stack
$200
MSRP
Puma · Race shoe · Not yet tested
Puma Deviate NITRO Elite 4
170 g, 8 mm drop, 40/32 mm stack, carbon plate, NITROFOAM ELITE foam.
170 g · 8 mm drop · 40/32 stack
$250
MSRP
Saucony · Race shoe · Not yet tested
Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
206 g, 8 mm drop, 39.5/31.5 mm stack, carbon plate, PWRRUN PB / PWRRUN HG foam.
206 g · 8 mm drop · 39.5/31.5 stack
$240
MSRP
Nike · Race shoe
Nike Vaporfly 4
The lightest mainstream super shoe. ZoomX and a carbon plate make race pace feel easier, especially from 5K to half marathon.
185 g · 8 mm drop · 40/32 stack
$260
MSRP
Specs and role judgements are reviewed editorially and carry a last-reviewed date on each product page. This is decision support, not medical advice.
Read before you buy
Shoe basics · 4 min
What is a race-day shoe?
A race-day shoe is lighter and more propulsive than a trainer, built to make a specific pace feel easier for a specific distance.
Read →Shoe basics · 4 min
Carbon plates and super foams
Plates and super foams make fast shoes feel faster and more protective, but they work best for runners who already train consistently.
Read →Race preparation · 6 min
Your first half marathon
Twelve to sixteen weeks of consistent running, with a long run built to about 18 km (11 mi), is the standard path to a first half marathon.
Read →