1. The quick list
2. Best overall
3. Best Nike
4. Best Saucony
5. Best New Balance
6. Best Adidas
7. Best Hoka
8. Best value
9. Most durable
10. How we test
11. How to choose
12. FAQs
Investing in a set of the best carbon plate running shoes can help boost your speed, especially on race day. These shoes are designed to return more energy during your run, making them ideal for training runs and races.
However, this also makes them more expensive than many of the best running shoes, so they're less suited to every day use and are a better option for when you're looking to be at top speed or you're aiming for a new personal best.
But it's hard to know how they fare until you actually have them on, so we've put the best carbon plate running shoes to the test, looking at how they perform during casual runs, races, and training runs to help you find the shoes for your goals.
Our top pick is the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris, which are so lightweight and bouncy we think they're the best carbon plate running shoes for most people. But the Metaspeed Sky Paris is not your only option, and we've also rounded up our favorites across a range of brands and styles.
The quick list
Best overall
The Metaspeed Sky Paris is one of the lightest carbon shoes available but still delivers a tremendously bouncy ride, and enough comfort for long events like the marathon. It’s a perfect modern racing shoe.
Best Nike
Nike has two exceptional racers in its range, with the Nike Vaporfly 3 also being one of the best available from any brand, but we prefer the even more propulsive ride delivered by the Nike Alphafly 3, especially for longer races like marathons.
Best Saucony
The Endorphin Pro 4 is a faster and more responsive racer than the Endorphin Pro 3, while being more accessible and cheaper than the Endorphin Elite. It’s the best all-round pick from the brand, and one of the more stable super-shoes on the market.
Best New Balance
The latest version of the SC Elite is a significant upgrade on what’s come before, with an all-new midsole delivering a much bouncier and more propulsive ride. The SC Elite v4 is a very comfortable carbon shoe, and great for marathons in particular.
Best Adidas
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 uses carbon rods in the midsole instead of a rigid carbon plate. This leads to a more natural feel underfoot as there’s no aggressive rocker.
Best Hoka
Underfoot, the Rocket X 2 feels stable and responsive. It's got a nice snap to it, and a decent amount of cushion. We’d say this is Hoka’s best carbon plate shoe yet.
Best value
Not only is the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 cheaper than most carbon shoes, it’s also one that regularly crops up in sales. It’s also durable and stable enough to use for a lot of training alongside racing, which only increases its appeal as a value pick.
Most durable
The Hoka Cielo X1 is an extremely bouncy and fun shoe that we’ve done around 150 miles of running without any drop in performance. It’s expensive, but a great option for both training and racing thanks to its enjoyable and fast ride.
The best carbon plate running shoes you can buy right now
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Best carbon plate running shoes overall
The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris is more or less a perfect modern racing shoe and our top pick overall. It’s exceptionally light, even for a racer, and still has a high stack of bouncy foam in the midsole. We’ve raced over 5K and marathon distance in the shoe and it excelled for both, with enough comfort and support for longer events and the agile, lightweight feel you want for shorter ones.
While its predecessor — the Metaspeed Sky+ — was a very good racing shoe, the new FF Turbo+ midsole foam in the Metaspeed Sky Paris is bouncier, lighter and softer than the foam used in the Sky+, and the new shoe is a significant upgrade as a result. Asics athletes have been shining while wearing the shoe, with the male and female winners of the 2024 Paris Marathon both wearing the Metaspeed Sky Paris.
The only criticism we have is that the rubber on the outsole of the shoe doesn’t extend all the way back, which means heel-strikers will eventually rough up the exposed foam at the back of the shoe. That said, our shoe still looks good after over 100 miles of use while heel-striking, so it’s not a problem that would put us off the shoe.
Asics also has the Metaspeed Edge Paris in its range, which uses the same materials as the Sky Paris but has more of a scooped plate that sits lower in the foam. The Edge Paris is meant to be better for runners who mainly increase their cadence when running fast, while the Sky Paris is for bounders who mainly increase their stride length. However, in our experience it’s best to just go with the shoe that feels best to you regardless of the marketing, so don’t disregard the Sky Paris even if you are more of a shuffler than a bounder.
- Read our full Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris review
Best Nike carbon plate running shoes
The Nike Alphafly 3 is the shoe that Kelvin Kiptum used when setting the world record at the Chicago Marathon 2023 and a strong contender for the title of the best carbon racing shoe overall thanks to its incredibly propulsive ride, which is powered by a tall stack of bouncy ZoomX foam and a full length carbon plate.
We have raced various distances in the Alphafly, and clocked over 80 miles in the shoe in total including several hard training runs, and it’s outstanding. It saves your legs on long, hard runs, while being light and nimble enough to help you speed through short races and interval sessions.
The Alphafly 3 is closely rivaled within Nike’s range by the Nike Vaporfly 3, which is lighter and perhaps a better pick for 5K or 10K events. However, the Alphafly’s more propulsive ride makes it our preferred Nike racer overall, and it also has a more durable design, with the outsole in particular being more hard-wearing than the Vaporfly’s.
It’s one of the most expensive carbon shoes available, and has been hard to get hold of so far with Nike only releasing the Alphafly 3 in limited quantities, but if you can get your hands on it the shoe will not disappoint.
- Read our full Nike Alphafly 3 review
Best Saucony carbon plate running shoes
The latest version of the Endorphin Pro is not actually the most expensive carbon racer in Saucony’s range — that honor belongs to the Endorphin Elite — but it is the best Saucony racer for most runners. That’s because it’s cheaper and more comfortable than the Elite, and also has a more natural and stable ride, while still delivering the propulsion and efficiency benefits you expect from a carbon plate racing shoe.
There are notable improvements to the upper, midsole and outsole of the Endorphin Pro 4 compared with the Endorphin Pro 3, though the latter is still a good racing shoe itself if you can find it in sales. The biggest upgrade is in the midsole, which now includes two foams, with a top layer of PWRRUN HG — the foam used in the Endorphin Elite — and a bottom layer of PWRRUN PB — the foam used in the Endorphin Pro 3.
This set-up produces a faster, more responsive ride than you get from the Endorphin Pro 3’s entirely PWRRUN PB midsole. The Endorphin Pro 4 also uses Saucony’s Speedroll rocker geometry to create a smooth and speedy transition onto your forefoot with each stride.
The new upper is more comfortable and creates a secure fit for racing, and the updated lattice-pattern outsole grips better than the rubber on the Endorphin Pro 3. We’ve used the Endorphin Pro 4 for several long and hard workouts, as well as racing 5K in the shoe, and it’s a great super-shoe that is more stable than many rivals, though not quite as springy as the very best on the market.
Best New Balance carbon plate running shoes
The SuperComp Elite has changed a lot over the four generations of the shoe that have been launched, and the 4th version is the best yet thanks to the all-new Peba-based FuelCell foam in the midsole. This is softer and bouncier than the foam used in the SC Elite v3 in particular, and creates a more propulsive feel that helps you to maintain a pace during long training runs and races.
While it’s not a lightweight — our US 9.5 is 8.6oz and heavier than most other carbon shoes — the springy midsole foam and EnergyArc carbon plate combine to create a fast ride, and the SC Elite v4 felt great for a long session running mile reps at threshold pace with minimal recovery.
The extra weight does tell when pushing to your fastest paces though, and the SC Elite v4 wouldn’t top our list for racing 5K or 10Ks, when a lighter, nimbler carbon shoe like the Nike Vaporfly 3 has the edge.
For cruising through marathons, however, it is an excellent option thanks to the comfortable and efficient ride, with the rocker geometry on the shoe helping to roll you onto your toes and keep moving even as you tire.
Best Adidas carbon plate running shoes
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 was launched in June 2022 and so is an older carbon shoe, but still a top option for racing and far more accessible than the Adidas Pro Evo 1, which is the rarely-available and very expensive super-shoe Adidas elites use.
Unlike other super shoes on this list, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 is slightly different, as Adidas use carbon rods in the midsole instead of a rigid carbon plate. This leads to a more natural ride and still delivers the propulsion you expect from a modern day racing shoe.
The midsole is made from Adidas's Lightstrike Pro foam, which is bouncy but a little firmer than many of the foams used in carbon plate shoes. It's also pretty durable, and the Adios Pro 3 is one of the few super-shoes that we found you could use for regular training without too much fear of wearing it out before race day.
Best Hoka carbon plate running shoes
Hoka's second-generation Rocket shoe has a new upper and a brand new midsole foam. This isn't an update, this is a completely different running shoe to the Rocket. The shoe has a scooped carbon fiber plate for a fast toe-off, and Hoka's full Peba midsole foam.
On the run, the shoe feels even lighter than it is, and we'd go as far as to say this is the brand's best carbon plate running shoe, though the Hoka Cielo X1 is also a great option, especially for marathons.
The first thing you'll notice about this shoe is the upper — Hoka has opted for the kind of mesh upper we saw in the original Vaporfly Next% a few years ago. It's extremely lightweight, and the internal cage hugs the foot tight in the shoe. One thing to note is the shoe has unisex sizing, and fits pretty snug — you don't want an awful lot of room in your racing shoes, but if you're between sizes, you might want to size up.
Underfoot, the Rocket X2 feels stable and responsive. It's got a nice snap to it, and a decent amount of cushion. The Peba midsole foam surrounds the carbon fiber plate — it's softer above the plate, for that sink-in comfort as you pick up the pace, and firmer below the plate, to help your foot propel forward.
Best value carbon plate running shoes
The original Puma Deviate Nitro Elite was the shoe used by Molly Seidel when she won bronze in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, putting Puma on the map as a maker of serious carbon racing shoes. The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 is certainly a serious racer, and it has the added benefit of being cheaper than most rivals and often in sales — especially with the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 now available.
While we rate the very best racers from other brands as a little quicker and more propulsive, the Peba-based Nitro Elite midsole foam used in the Deviate Nitro Elite 2 is a springy material, and the shoe tips you forward onto your toes quickly and efficiently. A full-length carbon plate adds extra pop, and the fact the shoe has a lower stack height than most super-shoes helps to make it feel nimble and speedy for short intervals and races.
The Puma Fast-R 2 Nitro Elite is the more comfortable and bouncy option in Puma’s line-up and ideal for marathons, but it’s heavier and more expensive, and also has a less natural ride than the Deviate Nitro Elite 2. The natural feel, along with the fact that the Deviate Nitro Elite 2 is more stable than most carbon racers, means it’s great for doing a lot of training as well as racing. It’s proved durable for us, and the Pumagrip outsole is outstanding, even keeping us upright when charging around a 5K race on icy pavements.
Most durable carbon plate running shoes
We’ve done more running in the Hoka Cielo X1 than any other shoe in 2024, using it for a couple of races as well as many hard marathon training sessions, including a 24-mile run. We’ve run around 150 miles in the shoe and it’s holding up well, with no signs of wear and tear or loss of bounce in the midsole, making it a great option for people who want a durable carbon plate running shoe to use for training as well as racing.
It’s also perhaps the most fun carbon shoe to run in thanks to the outrageously bouncy ride. No matter how long your run is, the Cielo X1 feels bouncy underfoot, and it’s perfect for protecting the legs and keeping a spring in your step on very long runs in particular. It’s a great marathon racing option for sure, and while the Rocket X2 is the lighter Hoka racer that’s more suitable for short distances, the Cielo X1 still works well for 5K and 10K.
The weight is its main drawback compared with other super-shoes — the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris is almost 3oz lighter, which makes a big difference on race day. However, the extra bounce you get from the Cielo X1 does make up for some of that extra heft, and we found it a fast shoe for short intervals on the track along with longer speed sessions on the road.
Given its size and the springy foam underfoot, we also found it a fairly stable shoe that we could run slowly in without it feeling too wobbly and unnatural, which again helps the Cielo X1 to be a great training shoe alongside a racer. While the price is high even in the inflated carbon shoe market, the Cielo X1 is an outstanding and long-lasting option to consider.
How we test the best carbon plate running shoes
It’s quite simple really, we run in them! All of the shoes above have been put through their paces on a number of different sessions — from speedier runs around the track, to longer, slower, tempo sessions on the sidewalk.
We’ve also worn most of them for races of different lengths — including faster 5K’s and longer half-marathons to test how they make us run and feel on race day.
When testing running shoes, we look at the fit and feel of the shoe, as well as stand-out features, like laces that are designed to stay tight as you move (because who wants to stop and re-tie their shoe mid-race?) and cushioning around the Achilles.
How to choose the best carbon plate running shoes for you
When it comes to choosing the best carbon plate running shoes for you, there are a few things to consider. First, the fit. Like the best sports bras or best running leggings, the best running shoe for you will fit your foot comfortably and not rub, pinch, or slip as you run. Some brands are likely to fit your foot better than others, so it’s good to try them before investing. If you have a wider foot then take care when picking a shoe, as many racers are quite narrow — the New Balance SuperComp Elite v4 is one carbon shoe that does have a wider fit.
Next up, you’ll want to think about the weight of the shoe, and the event you’re planning to race. Some carbon shoes are built to be especially bouncy and comfortable over marathon distance, like the Nike Alphafly, which makes them a bit heavier than others, and less well-suited to 5K or 10K events. If you mainly stick to short distances then very light carbon shoes like the Nike Vaporfly will be better.
Finally, the price of the shoes. There’s no question that carbon plates come at a price. If you’re not able to spend upwards of $200 on a pair of running shoes that you can’t do the majority of your training in, it might be worth looking for older models in the sales, with the Adidas Adios Pro 3 and Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 being two carbon shoes that are often discounted in our experience.
FAQs
How to look after your carbon plate running shoe
Unlike your day-to-day running shoes, carbon plate running shoes have a much shorter shelf life. Most shoe retailers say they'll last a few hundred miles, but the softer, bouncier foams, and the carbon plates mean you'll probably only get a couple of races out of your carbon plate shoes.
It's important to note that these shoes aren't for a gentle jog in the park, they are for road racing and striving for a PR. You'll probably want to do a couple of speed sessions and perhaps a long run or two in your carbon plate running shoes before the race, but that's about it.
Of course, this does make things a little more expensive, but you're better to train in an everyday pair of running shoes, and save these for the big day to extend the life of your carbon plate shoes.
Are carbon plate running shoes worth it?
How much of a difference can a pair of running shoes really make, we hear you ask. According to a study published in the journal Sports Medicine, carbon plate running shoes may improve running economy by 3-4.2%. While this might not sound like a lot, this is linked to a 2% improvement in finish time, which is nearly 5 minutes off a 4-hour marathon.
How long do carbon plate running shoes last?
One of the biggest drawbacks when it comes to carbon plate running shoes is that they won't last as long as your everyday running shoes, purely because the carbon plate wears out faster than the midsole foam. Most carbon plate running shoes will last around 150-180 miles, and some of the best carbon plate shoes on the market aren't allowed at certain races, after World Athletics made the rules about wearing carbon shoes stricter.
Are carbon plate running shoes legal?
Yes, at the moment, the World Athletics rules state that running shoes with a carbon fiber plate are still legal, but they have to abide by a couple of rules to be used in road races. First, they can’t have a stack height of over 40mm, and second, they can’t contain more than one carbon plate in the midsole.
All brands have a racing option that sticks to these guidelines for their elite runners to use, but many now also have a rule-breaker in their line-up, like the Adidas Prime X2 Strung, which has a 50mm stack height at the heel and two carbon plates in the midsole. This would make it illegal for elites to use in races, but the rules don’t really apply to amateurs not planning on hitting the podium, so it’s more a personal choice whether you use an ‘illegal’ shoe or not.
Note that the rules are different for track races, where the stack height limit is 20mm for shorter events up to 800m, and 25mm for races above that distance, so super-shoes cannot be used — lightweight spikes or racing flats are what runners use instead. From November 2024 the rules will be simplified to make the limit 20mm for all events on the track.
