No. 02 — The index

Every racer
on the shelf.

28 current shoes, all measured the same way: weight, stack, drop, plate, and how many kilometres the foam stays fast for. No stars, no sponsored placement, no shoe of the month. The order is whatever the numbers say.

Brand

Built for

Fit

Max price · £500

Road legal only

Order

28 of 28 shoes

#	Shoe	Weight	Stack	Drop	Race life	Price	Verdict
01	ASICS Metaspeed Ray	129g	39.5mm	5mm	130km	£250	ASICS answering the Adios Pro Evo directly. At 129g it is the lightest shoe here, and it feels like almost nothing on the foot.
02	adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2	138g	39mm	3mm	120km	£450	The lightest marathon shoe ever sold and, on the evidence, the fastest. At 138g it is closer to a track spike than a road shoe.
03	adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 11 specs est.	160g	33mm	6mm	250km	£180	A short-distance specialist with real carbon underneath. Firm, aggressive and brilliant for 5K and 10K where a marathon shoe feels like too much.
04	Nike Streakfly 2 specs est.	170g	32mm	6mm	300km	£155	A proper short-distance racer for people who find full super shoes unwieldy at 5K pace. Lower, firmer, more connected to the ground.
05	New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v3 specs est.	170g	33mm	4mm	280km	£180	A rare thing — a short-distance carbon racer with room in the toe box. Excellent for 5K and 10K.
06	PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3	170g	39mm	8mm	240km	£260	The most aggressive shoe on this list. The decoupled heel and exposed plate make it feel like it is actively throwing you forward.
07	PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 3 specs est.	175g	38mm	8mm	300km	£200	The sane sibling to the Fast-R. Light, versatile, considerably cheaper, and easily the most underrated racer here.
08	ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo	181g	39.5mm	8mm	250km	£250	The cadence runner’s version of the Sky. Higher drop, more aggressive roll, same foam and plate package.
09	New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v5	182g	40mm	4mm	250km	£250	The best super shoe for wide feet, and one of the most stable at full stack. A 4mm drop and a broad platform make it unusually forgiving late in a marathon.
10	ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo	183g	39.5mm	5mm	250km	£250	For stride-length runners — the Sky is built to let your stride open up rather than turn over faster. Arguably the best all-round marathon shoe currently made.
11	Nike Vaporfly 4	184g	35mm	6mm	240km	£255	The most versatile super shoe on sale. Light enough for a 5K, cushioned enough for a marathon, and the fourth generation fixed the upper problems that made the VF3 divisive.
12	Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 4 specs est.	185g	39mm	6mm	260km	£220	The cut-away heel forces you onto your forefoot whether you meant to or not. Divisive, distinctive, and fast if it suits you.
13	Saucony Endorphin Elite 3	190g	39.5mm	8mm	240km	£270	The softest ride at this level by some distance, and the third generation finally made it serious rather than just fun. A genuine top-tier option.
14	On Cloudboom Strike specs est.	195g	39mm	6mm	250km	£270	A genuinely competitive marathon racer and the first On shoe that belongs in this conversation on merit.
15	Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 specs est.	196g	39mm	8mm	280km	£230	Unfashionable and quietly good. Firmer and more controlled than most of the field, which suits heel strikers and heavier runners.
16	Saucony Endorphin Elite 2	199g	39.5mm	8mm	240km	£250	Superseded by the Elite 3, which means it is now one of the best-value top-end racers you can find if you catch it discounted.
17	HOKA Rocket X 3 specs est.	200g	39mm	5mm	280km	£220	HOKA’s legal racer, and much the better shoe for anyone who actually needs to comply with the rules. Balanced and predictable.
18	adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4	210g	39mm	6mm	260km	£230	The best value at the very top of the market. Within touching distance of the Evo 2 for performance at half the price and twice the life.
19	Saucony Endorphin Pro 4	217g	36mm	8mm	350km	£210	The stable, sane super shoe. Lower stack, wider base, far less demanding than the flagships and much longer lasting.
20	Nike Alphafly 3	218g	40mm	8mm	250km	£285	Still the reference marathon shoe. The Air pods give a propulsive forefoot that nothing else quite replicates, and the wider platform makes it manageable late in a race when your form has gone.
21	ASICS Magic Speed 5 specs est.	218g	38mm	7mm	500km	£150	The best entry point to carbon. Real plate, real super foam, durable enough to train in, and about half the price of the flagships.
22	HOKA Cielo X1 2.0	230g	46mm	7mm	350km	£250	Enormous, cushioned and surprisingly stable. For heavier runners and slower marathoners it may genuinely be the most comfortable way to cover 42km fast.
23	Nike Zoom Fly 6	248g	40mm	8mm	600km	£165	The sensible answer for a first marathon. Carbon plate, durable foam, a third of the cost per race of an Alphafly because it lasts more than twice as long.
24	ASICS Superblast 3	248g	45.5mm	8mm	700km	£200	The best plateless shoe in the world and a cult favourite for good reason. Enormous stack, superb foam, and it will train and race happily for 700km.
25	Saucony Kinvara Pro	269g	42mm	8mm	600km	£190	A plated long-run trainer rather than a racer. Comfortable, durable, and very good at what it is actually for.
26	New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v4	269g	47mm	6mm	650km	£190	A max-stack plated trainer that makes easy miles feel effortless. Beloved for long runs.
27	adidas Prime X 3 Strung	275g	50mm	6mm	500km	£250	Deliberately built past the rules. Enormous stack, huge cushioning, and superb for long training runs or any race that does not apply World Athletics regulations.
28	HOKA Skyward X	314g	48mm	5mm	700km	£225	A cushioned plated trainer built for comfort over long, slow miles rather than speed.

Manufacturer-stated specs, men's US 9 / UK 8 unless noted. Gauge: heel stack against the 40mm road limit — red exceeds it. Index last reviewed 2026-08-13.