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Oct 14, 2024

The best carbon plate running shoes 2024 | Tom's Guide

Boost your speed with a carbon plate When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. 1. The quick list2. Best overall3. Best Nike4. Best

Boost your speed with a carbon plate

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

1. The quick list2. Best overall3. Best Nike4. Best Saucony5. Best New Balance6. Best Hoka 7. Best value8. Most durable9. How we test10. How to choose11. Also tested12. 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 I'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.

My top pick is the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris, which are so lightweight and bouncy I think they're the best carbon plate running shoes for most people. But the Metaspeed Sky Paris is not your only option, and I've also rounded up our favorites across a range of brands and styles.

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.

Read more below

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 I prefer the even more propulsive ride delivered by the Nike Alphafly 3, especially for longer races like marathons.

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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.

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Best New Balance

The SC Elite v4 is a very comfortable carbon shoe, and great for marathons in particular, with an all-new midsole delivering a very bouncy and propulsive ride.

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Best Hoka

Underfoot, the Rocket X2 feels stable and responsive. It's got a nice snap to it, and a decent amount of cushion. I’d say this is Hoka’s best racing shoe just ahead of the Cielo X1

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Best value

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is a little cheaper than most carbon shoes, and Puma also reduces its racing shoes more than other brands. It’s still a top-class racer too, and offers better grip and durability than most rivals.

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Most durable

The Hoka Cielo X1 is an extremely bouncy and fun shoe that I’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.

Read more below

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Our expert review:

The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris is more or less a perfect modern racing shoe and my top pick overall. It’s exceptionally light, even for a racer, and still has a high stack of bouncy foam in the midsole. I’ve raced over 5K, half marathon and marathon distances in the shoe and it excelled for all of them, 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 I 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, my shoe still looks good after over 100 miles of use while heel-striking, so it’s not a problem that would put me 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 my 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.

Our expert review:

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.

I've raced various distances in the Alphafly, and clocked over 80 miles in the shoe in total including several hard and long 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 my 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.

Our expert review:

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.

Our expert review:

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 — my 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 my list for racing 5K or 10Ks, when a lighter, nimbler carbon shoe like the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris 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.

Our expert review:

Hoka was one of the first brands after Nike to make a carbon plate running shoe, but it wasn't until the Rocket X2 came out in 2023 that the brand had a proper super-shoe that could compete with the best on the market.

It has a full Peba foam midsole with a carbon plate, and the Rocket X2 is much lighter, bouncier and faster than Hoka's earlier attempts at a super-shoe, like the Rocket X and the Carbon X3. It's a more rounded racer than the also-excellent Hoka Cielo X1 as well, with the Cielo being more focused on marathons.

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 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.

Our expert review:

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is the best carbon racing shoe Puma has made to date, and although it’s a little more expensive than its predecessor, it still has a cheaper list price than most racing rivals. In addition, Puma has a welcome track record of discounting its super-shoes, something that isn’t common with other brands, so you might be able to get the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 for even less if you’re patient.

That value doesn’t come at the cost of performance either. The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is a very lightweight shoe with an aliphatic TPU midsole foam that delivers great energy return. It’s not as soft as some super-shoes, but still comfortable over long distances, and definitely fast enough to help you set PRs in any race.

One standout feature of most Puma shoes is the excellent grip they offer, and the Pumagrip outsole rubber on the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 provides reliable traction on wet pavements, and I even found it a good option for races on light trails.

This rubber and the aliphatic TPU material in the midsole are both long-lasting materials, and the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is one of the more durable racing options out there, which only increases the value it offers to runners.

Our expert review:

I’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. I’ve run around 180 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, I 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.

It’s quite simple really, I 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, longer half-marathons and the odd marathon to test how they make me run and feel on race day.

When testing running shoes, I 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.

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.

I've tested almost every carbon plate running shoe available from the major brands and while most of them don't make it into the main round-up above, there are some great shoes that still merit a mention. Here are a few more carbon contenders to consider.

Nike Vaporfly 3The latest version of the original carbon plate running shoe is a fantastic, lightweight racer for events of any distance. I've run a marathon in the Vaporfly 3, and one of my fastest 5Ks, and while I prefer the Alphafly 3 in Nike's range and Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris overall, the Vaporfly 3 is still worth considering.

Read our full Nike Vaporfly 3 review

Asics Metaspeed Edge ParisThe Metaspeed Edge Paris is Asics's other super-shoe, and has a slightly different design to the Sky Paris with a more scooped carbon plate. It has a different feel to the Sky Paris, and I prefer the Sky, but the Edge is a phenomenal racer in its own right and one to consider for events of any distance.

Read our full Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris review

Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2The Wave Rebellion Pro 2 has one of the wildest designs of any carbon shoe, with a huge heel cut-out that more or less forces you onto your midfoot when running. It's also one of the bounciest shoes available, and certainly quick, but I found the design can feel unnatural to run in and wouldn't pick it for long races in particular myself. It will suit some runners perfectly though, and it's one of the few super-shoes you can usually find in sales as well.

Read our full Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 review

Under Armour Velociti Elite 2The Velociti Elite 2 is Under Armour's best racing shoe yet, but still falls short of the standards set by other brands. The dual-density midsole has a top layer made from a responsive Peba foam, but this is dulled by the layer of Flow foam underneath, and the overall design of the shoe is quite heavy for a racer. I enjoyed using the shoe for interval sessions but it lacks the propulsive punch of the best super-shoes.

Read our full Under Amour Velociti Elite 2 review

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.

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.

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, mostly because they are built to be lightweight and fast rather than durable, so they have minimal uppers and outsoles.

That said, you will still get several hundred miles of running out of most carbon shoes, even if they're only that absolute best for racing for the first 200 miles or so of use in my experience.

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.

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Nick Harris-fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.

Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 after six weeks of training for a magazine feature and subsequently became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 27min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K, and has run 13 marathons in total, as well as a 50-mile ultramarathon.

He runs 50-80 miles a week and races regularly with his club, which gives him a lot of opportunity to test out running gear: he has tested and reviewed hundreds of pairs of running shoes, as well as fitness trackers, running watches, sports headphones, treadmills, and all manner of other kit. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.

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