How Much Faster Are Super Shoes Compared To Everyday Running Shoes?

There are so many supershoes on the market that it can be so hard to decide which ones will get you your best time in that next race. Tom and Sarah return to test out 4 more pairs of supershoes over a 1km time trial to see how they compare for different people.

↓↓ Do you run in carbon plated shoes? Which ones would you choose? Let us know in the comments↓↓

What’s in this video?
00:00:00 - Testing the Fastest Racing Shoes Over 1km
00:01:06 - Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3
00:01:57 - Hoka Cielo X1
00:02:55 - The Different Feel of the Carbon Plate
00:03:55 - Brooks Hyperion Elite 4
00:04:50 - Kiprun KD900X LD
00:06:57 - Shoe Test Results

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[TheChrevil]

Confession time, when Sarah talked about the laces on the Hoka Cielo and said "temped to swap the laces out for something a little less stiff and more floppy but that's my personal preference" It tickled my inner child mode and I giggled and I'm still giggling now. don't aks me why its just been one of them days. 🤣

[shanekelly]

Sarah an average runner?!?

Nope not anymore!!! 3:30-45 marathon, soon to be sub-20min 5km.

Maybe she was, but now she is the champion of amateur runners.

Would love to see a stand-in for Anna (though she is an Ultra beast) whilst she is away. Some1 to keep Tom on his toes at the 5-6min/km pace.

Sarah has clearly reached Beast Mode and is only going forwards!! 🎉

[rudolphleroux]

There are so many carbon plated shoes these days, you could probably do a whole marathon just testing over 1 km. It is really hard to tell the difference and appreciate you being able to test these in a video. Surprised that none of the other premier brands like Nike, Puma and ASICS were included in this round?

[alexross]

Just ran my first half marathon yesterday and watched your videos all during my training. Thank you guys for all of your informative and inspirational videos!!!! You guys rock!

[mennodolstra]

I have been loving my current combination of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 and the Pro 4. The Speed has been a good shoe for faster training runs and the Pro has really worked well for me in 10k and half marathon races. I'm probably going to run a marathon in the Pro later this year. I feel i'm still a too slow runner for the Elite but might have to give it (or the Elite 2) a go one of these days

[TheAmd]

Yay! More Tom! Most relatable runner from TRC

[RonnyC]

people focusing on speed but never about how much fun you get when you use it for a tough workout, long run to get used them before a race and overall get bouncy sensations.

[dylanburns]

I have those Kipruns and use them for everything tbh, havent yet used them for marathon but they're great for 5k - HM I've found

[jmikemc]

I personally prefer minimalist, barefoot style shoes, but it is always fun to watch Sarah and Tom!

[MattSwain]

I’ve had a pair of the Adidas shoes for quite a while and I rarely run in anything else because they do everything well. I’m not a fast runner, but even on my slowest recovery runs they’re still comfortable. I’ve never thought of them as being at all unstable and have run on various surfaces in them without issue. I have no idea if they make me faster or not, they just feel great. Mine have done hundreds of km’s now and they still look and feel as good as new

[jennabutler]

Okay now I definitely see the googly love eyes Sarah is giving Tom!!

[garryhost]

Very happy to see you integrating feedback from the community <3
The addidas looked so "unstabled", I was affraid for your ankles !
This is crazy how well the kiprun hold there ground against competitors considering the price difference.
When you talked about uphill / downhill, it got me curious, do you think super shoes have any values for trail runnning ?

[AngellicAkima]

Is this Tom's promotion? Love this type of video TRC.

My rotation is mainly ASICS with a little bit of Saucony. Having watched the other comparison I get the feeling the Metaspeed Sky Paris still edges the win overall given that is was Andy's 5K shoe.

[Jhn.Turnr]

I reckon I get about a minute back on a 5km and maybe two and a half minutes on a 10km (comparable effort and HR) carbon vs normal. I'm sitting around 27 mins for 5km and 58 mins for 10km though, so I guess your mileage may vary... (well not mileage, but time!)

The carbons definitely seem to help with reduced impact and recovery though (at ~105kg I can feel the plate through the foam if I'm not light enough on my feet).

[livewire]

I’d been interested in more info about the durability of these shoes. Super shoes are generally not known for their long life anyway, but will some of these last longer than others?

[Eleanor_Runner_]

Loved this but not sure someone who can reach 3:20/km is an average runner! Echoing comments below on calls for an actual average runner b/c I'm starting to feel EXTREMELY below average 😂(That said, well done on the amazing progress Sarah!)

[jorislal]

I just tried Altra Vanish Carbon 2 yesterday. Those are my first super shoes. That run yesterday made me believe that 90min half marathon is actually possible. Would like to see how those compare to other carbon plate shoes as those are the only ones with wide toe-box which is a must for me.

[mikepenn]

Maybe not a super shoe, but the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is my go-to fave for any run, short or long, and I've recently acquired the Pro 3 (definitely a super shoe) for less than $150 USD and am absolutely loving them so far, even though the insole gets pretty squeaky when soaked in sweat (it's REALLY hot here). They feel so comfortable for me that I'm not tempted to shop around, though your comments about the Cielo have intrigued me.

[marshaklomp]

I remember Andy doing this test in multiple days, but Sarah and Tom did it in one day it seems? Tough cookies! How much rest between the reps?

[MrMaloney]

I went for Adios Pro 3s and love them. I bought them for marathon races, hitting significant PBs over the past 12 months. Partly down to along period of consistent training. Whilst I do feel they make me faster, I feel the big benefit has been that my legs feel much much less fatigued at the end. Like others have said, I'd like to see some feedback over longer distances as I'm sure some will be better suited for 5ks and others marathons. It can't be back to back comparisons like here, but maybe you could share shoes across a range of runners rather than multiple runs by 1 or 2 runners.