I used to use ASICS, adidas, New Balance and Nike carbon plate running shoes. Comparing these four brands is not to choose the “best”, but to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the four pairs of carbon plate shoes and find out the “most suitable” shape.
[Note: The reporter sorted out the information after the interview, and wrote the runner’s impressions in the form of the first person]
To enter the world of carbon skate shoes, it is recommended that runners have the ability to complete a full marathon at a “five-point” or faster speed, and have a certain amount of strength training every week, otherwise they will not be able to control these “speed weapons” and increase the risk of injury.
Table of contents
1. Four pairs of carbon sneakers
2. Comparison list of four pairs of carbon sneakers
3. Comparison 1: Upper
4. Comparison 2: Midsole
5. Comparison 3: Running shoe structure
6. Comparison Four: Outsole
7. Summary
This time I compared the following four pairs of carbon sneakers:
We will comment on the upper, midsole, running shoe structure and outsole. The upper includes comfort and coverage, the midsole is for cushioning and propulsion, the running shoe structure refers to the impact of the midsole material and arch support on the swing of the sole of the foot, and the outsole is the grip of the running shoe.
Upper: New Balance is soft and well-wrapped
The upper material of New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v3 seems to have a little cotton, which is the softest among the four pairs. ASICS is also good but slightly inferior to New Balance, Nike is not hard but not soft, and adidas is really hard.
New Balance uses socks to design the upper. Some foreign shoe reviewers think that top running shoes should not be designed in this way, but this upper is very “clamped” with my foot shape. Although there are only four shoelace holes, unlike traditional running shoes, which have more segments to adjust the tightness step by step, but because the tongue and the shoe body are integrated, and the position of the shoelace holes is higher (meaning closer to the ankle) One end), even if the number of shoelace holes is small, the overall is stable enough, and it does not loosen when running. In addition, the material of the upper is soft enough, so that the covering is strong and the hoop is not too tight, but it feels secure and solid.
The coverage of adidas is also good, but maybe my soles are thicker, and the height of the shoe cage is not enough, which leads to “pinching”, and the bone under the left toe is pinched red, swollen and painful. The tongue is worthy of praise. The material is thin and does not scratch the feet. It will not swing when running, and it is firmly attached to the instep, which is very comfortable.
The ASICS shoelaces must be praised. They are the lightest and thinnest among the four pairs. The other shoelaces are relatively thick and “sweat-absorbing”. Moreover, the ASICS shoelaces are designed with zigzag edges, and they never flick the shoelaces after they are tied.
In terms of air permeability, the four pairs of carbon sneakers are all very breathable, but when it comes to running, the soles of the feet can feel the air flow, adidas and ASICS are the first to count.
As for Nike, the comfort, air permeability and covering power of the upper are quite satisfactory, and the midsole is its most “bad food”.
Further reading:
Running Shoes 2023｜New Balance’s latest carbon sneakers are covered with surprise cornering points in the actual measurement
Midsole: Nike propulsion is thrown away
The midsole is the soul of carbon plate running shoes. The characteristics of thickness, softness and propulsion coexist, even subverting the history of running shoes. The competition record can best reflect the cushioning and propulsion of the midsole of carbon board shoes. Nike Vaporfly NEXT% is far behind other competitors.
The softness of the midsole material means how much space the carbon plate has to rebound after being compressed, which directly drives the propulsion of the running shoe. The Nike midsole material ZoomX is the weakest among the four brands. Once I put it on, my feet feel unstable; even if I am a heavy runner (weight 80 kg), the ZoomX foam is enough to remove the momentum.
I used to wear Nike to run a marathon race, Tempo Run with a “quarter-length” pace, and 100-meter and 200-meter acceleration runs on the sports field. Carbon plate rebound), the propulsion is the most ferocious among the four pairs, and the specific description is “to be as fast as the running shoes”. adidas and New Balance are more balanced, and will not be pushed out of control. “As many pairs of shoes as you give, as many pairs of shoes as you.”
Using the analogy of a sports car stepping on gas to accelerate from zero, Nike is 0 to 100, adidas is 0 to 80, New Balance is 0 to 60, and ASICS is 0 to 30.
Running shoe structure: ASICS is stable and less swinging
We use the degree of swing of the sole of the foot (that is, “Roll, Roll foot”) as an indicator of the structure of running shoes. There are two factors:
1) Will the softness of the midsole material make the soles of the feet easy to swing?
2) Is there enough support for the arch of the foot?
For example, running shoes tend to cause the soles of the feet to swing, which means that runners need more muscle strength to control, which will increase the burden on the calf during the process. The more you run, the more tired you will be. If the muscle strength is insufficient, there is a high chance of calf pain or even injury.
Among the four pairs of running shoes, although ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ does not particularly strengthen the arch support, if you just touch it with bare hands, the arch support of New Balance and Nike is even better than ASICS, but because the foam in the midsole of ASICS FF Blast Turbo is relatively solid, so The most stable overall, with the least ball swing.
If you want to feel the “Roll, oh Roll feet” of carbon shoes, in addition to whether you can stand firmly after wearing them, you can also feel the twisting range of the running shoes and the swing of the soles of the feet when running corners.
Further reading:
Running shoes 2022｜METASPEED Sky+ measured stability greatly increased due to invisible changes
Outsole: adidas king of grip well deserved
Although the texture of the outsole of PRO 3 is not too much, it uses Continental rubber, which outperforms the other three brands in terms of grip. Whether it is dry or wet ground in the sports field, dry concrete and flat roads, ups and downs on Fei’e Mountain, bends, or even a small amount of wet rocks, the ground bite force is still invincible, and there is no “slipping” at all.
Among the four pairs, Nike is the most “skinny”. I believe that runners who have used Nike running shoes have experience in this area.
Further reading:
Running Shoes 2022｜Adidas ADIOS PRO 3 is a people-friendly version of high-end running shoes with clear pros and cons
Summary: Carefully understand the details and choose the one that suits you best
Speed + Muscle Strength = Basic Conditions for Driving Carbon Shoes
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, if you want to enter the world of carbon shoes, you can complete the full marathon at a speed of “five points” or faster, which is the basic condition for my suggestion. If it is too slow, the propulsion of the midsole carbon plate will be useless at all, and it will not help runners save energy.
In addition to speed, strength training other than running is another indicator for choosing carbon shoes. The midsole of carbon plate running shoes is softer than other running shoes, and with strong propulsion, it is very important for runners to have enough muscle strength to withstand the Responsiveness of the midsole and control their walking to reduce the swing of the soles of the feet, otherwise it will be easy Sore feet and even injuries, such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and knee pain, are common injuries.
The four pairs of carbon sneakers have their own uses, not just for advancement
The above four pairs of running shoes are positioned based on personal level and running experience. I think ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ is suitable for runners who have speed but lack muscle strength training, or who want to try carbon shoes after recovering from injury. If you have regular running every week and occasional strength training, try New Balance’s FuelCell SuperComp Elite v3. adidas ADIZERO ADIOS PRO 3 and Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% are relatively high-end. Runners need to control these two pairs of running shoes. In addition to running, they also need to have two to three extra classes of muscle strength training every week (the physical fitness before and after running is not counted), Among them, the propulsion of Nike is fierce, and that of Adidas is relatively soft.
Personally, I would choose Nike for off-field races, especially if I want to run my best; if it is an easy race or daily Tempo Run and interval running, New Balance must be on my running shoe list, and ASICS is also a good choice for Tempo Run; no I only use adidas because of the wrong foot shape. In terms of various functions, PRO 3 is definitely an excellent model.
If you want to see more running shoes reviews, please click below:
Running Shoes Recommendation 2023｜ASICS New Balance and other detailed shoe reviews Champion running shoes are newly available
Which runners are carbon plate running shoes suitable for?
Thinking of carbon shoes, it is recommended to complete the full marathon at a “five-point drape” or faster. Muscle strength training is another indicator. It is recommended that runners must do muscle strength training every week (physical fitness before and after running is not counted), otherwise they are prone to foot pain or even injury.
How to compare the advantages and disadvantages of carbon plate running shoes of major brands?
The comparison can be made from the comfort and coverage of the upper, the cushioning and propulsion of the midsole, whether the structure of the running shoe will increase the swing of the sole of the foot, and the grip of the outsole.
