Best carbon plate shoe for 5k road?

The shorter the distance the less high stack carbon plated shoes are liable to be a help. The 10k road world record was run in Adidas Takumi Sens, a traditional flat. The track world record was run in the Dragonfly distance spike, a similarly low stack shoe with a Pebax plate (not carbon).

honestly would do a 5k in the nike LT streaks still and not a carbon shoe

There was a study that showed the Vaporfly improved times for all runners in the sample over 3km. That was compared to a racing flat, can't remember which one, think it was a Saucony.

Truth is, the only shoe for which we have objective evidence that it improves performance is the Vaporfly. The others might help but who knows for sure. If you have them, wear the Next% for any race 3km or above

If you're comfortable in Next% then yes. Many elites prefer still Next% over Alphafly. Cheptegei ran his road 12:51 road 5k in Next%.

Next% has worked well for me at 5k (and even 1 mile). Something like a Razor Elite might be better due to weight, but I don't have it and I think owning both is a bit redundant.

I'd normally reach for the Nike Streak LT or Saucony A9 first, but my Achilles are in rough shape right now...ymmv.

I broke a huge well renowned world record wearing the Carbon X by Hoka.

Carbon X 2 is out in January just in time for my Olympic marathon attem......

Dam

If you are going to go carbon plate, get the next%. Just because a shoe has a carbon plate, it does not mean it's faster... the Nike ones are supreme because of the combination of carbon plate and their unique foam.

I would get the Nike zoom streak LT's though. I have big feet, though, so any high stack shoe makes my feet so much heavier.

If you're just looking for 5k and not planning to use them for anything longer, New Balance's 5280 might be the way to go. Still a carbon plate but much lower stack height and it was specifically designed for mile-5k on the road.

runderun wrote:

There was a study that showed the Vaporfly improved times for all runners in the sample over 3km. That was compared to a racing flat, can't remember which one, think it was a Saucony.

Truth is, the only shoe for which we have objective evidence that it improves performance is the Vaporfly. The others might help but who knows for sure. If you have them, wear the Next% for any race 3km or above

Fun fact. That same study also showed subjects who were 8% slower in the vaporflies than in their regular trainers.

Done 5k's in Vaporflys and Alphaflys recently and I felt like the Alpha's were significantly faster but that doesn't fit the letsrun narrative...

You know, I have done road 5Ks in both the NEXT% and the New Balance Fuel Cell 5280 and I think I just barely prefer the 5280? That would probably be my pick.

Try NB? wrote:

If you're just looking for 5k and not planning to use them for anything longer, New Balance's 5280 might be the way to go. Still a carbon plate but much lower stack height and it was specifically designed for mile-5k on the road.

Just this to add about the NB5280 - you really need to be a mid to forefoot striker if you are going to use these shoes for anything over the mile. I read up a lot about them before I bought mine and read/watched a number of reviews. I have only used the 5280s for three road mile races, they are feather light and responsive.

I also own a pair of Next%s. I wore the Next% for the first time in a 5K race in Ohio less than two weeks ago. I was pleased with the way they performed. I plan to use them on a scheduled 10K on Thanksgiving. Hoping for good results again.

I've done recent road 5Ks (~17mins) in Nike LT4s, Next %, Adizero Pro and Metaracer. My preference would be:

1. Next %

Shoe feels too 'big' at the beginning, but that foam really helps in the last 1-2K and keeps you working hard. I want to hate these shoes, but they work. As someone above said, it's not the carbon plate - it's the way Nike have combined it with the ZoomX foam.

2. Metaracer

Feels light and fast; would have no hesitate using these for a 3K, they just lack a little something when you're tired. These shoes feel better the faster you go.

3. LT4s

The lightest and cheapest shoe here by far. Perfect for a road mile, or maybe longer on a perfectly smooth surface. I'm not light enough (170lb) or fast enough to run a road 5K in these. Tailor-made for long reps on the track.

4. Adizero Pro

More of a tempo shoe than a racer...although I love doing hill efforts in these. Would be my last choice for a 5K, unless it was wet/rainy, uneven and slippery - the Conti sole on these shoes is superb & better than anything else here.