Process for Selecting a Marathon Super Shoe

Easy.

buy a few from places you can return from

try for a workout and a long run.

West what feels best

Don't read reviews. Don't read from the manufacturer. Research the technology.

Some manufacturers are simply trying to get on the plate coat tails.

Alan

If the Next% aren't your best shoes, they are close. With the rest, if you live in a big city try them on in stores and pick one more based on feel. At Boston I tried all the major supershoes and only really liked one other that I tried. I’m pretty finicky on fit. I go back and forth between the Next% and that one and the other and race on what has felt better lately.

I worry more about my feet feeling good for three hours than marginal time differences at the supershoe level.

I've also been trying to look for the best supershoe, have considered the Asics metaspeed edge + since my cadence is quite high (195-200 at race pace) but will probably just stick with the next%s.

I feel like even if there's one that's better, it will be a very small difference and tough to tell during a short test run, and buying multiple super shoes to compare is too expensive. Since I've run so many miles in the next %s (on pair #3) I'd rather stick with what I know works.

The process for buying a marathon super shoe is to pick up a pair of Vaporfly Next%. That's it. Everything else is an imitation that maybe works as well, maybe doesn't. For maybe 90% of people, Next% is the first and last answer to your question.

The best responders are those with the worst biomechanics. Remember this is an efficiency improvement that should translate to a faster time if you can continue with the same “form” throughout.

If you can’t comfort is a better choice

OP, you didn’t mention some key stats, like runners weight, foot shape, foot strike, and expected time. All of these can/do affect which shoes will feel better and give you the most sustained speed for the marathon.

If you’re not already a mid/forefoot striker, some of the shoes will not make you faster and may even slow you down. Fit is obviously important - shoes like Vaporfly have low, tight toe box, while the Alphafly has roomy toe box.

I would say try on in store if you can. If not, buy the two pairs you think may work for you, test them out on long run - using same course- at marathon pace, and send back the pair you like least. Or keep them both.

We still have little evidence. Dustin Joubert’s supershoe study is a great first step but sooooo much is unknown. From the Joubert study, even though one study does not make definitive conclusions, it’s probably safe to say that I f you are a 17:30 or better 5k runner then the answer is pretty simple, buy the ASICS or Nike shoe you like best. May not cover every nickel and dime edge cast but is likely broadly applicable.

If you’re a midpacker, 17:30 5k PR or slower, then it’s actually a lot muddier. There is evidence that there is a considerable amount of non AND NEGATIVE responders to the Vaporfly for midpackers. In which case get what feels most natural, maybe biasing towards the ASICS or Nike shoes unless none of those feel right.

Me? I can’t run with correct toes brand toe spacers (tried, does not end well) so the only shoe that will physically fit with my toe spacers is the Altra Vanish Carbon (which, if Joubert’s case study can be extrapolated more broadly at all is competitive with any “not Nike” shoe). Hard to race if your feet hurt by mile 3. That doesn’t happen for me with Altra and CorrectToes.

*I can’t run WITHOUT CorrectToes. An edit function would be pretty helpful.

Not so fast...

actually, some of the reviews are very helpful. you have to pay attention to how they run (forefoot vs heel striker) and their speed. try and match yourself to a reviewer (below or a youtuber) and you'll probably come pretty close. a lot of people i've talked to don't particularly like the way the shoes feel (unstable due to stack height), but the "free time" they get is worth it (even if it's "only" a minute or two in the marathon). forefoot you're probably gonna do the best with the vaporfly. heel strike, other models might be better.

take a look at this:

outsideonline.com

Supershoe Showdown: The Best Racers Head-to-Head

matt

We ran in ten new supershoes and compared their feel and ride so you can narrow your search for the model that best fits your stride and preferences

Link:www.outsideonline.com/health/running/g...

If you have a local sports lab, maybe you could do a lactate test to see whether there's a difference as you run the same treadmill workout in each pair of shoes. Aside from that, perhaps you could do two identical treadmill runs, monitoring heart rate, and see whether there's a difference. No guarantee that monitoring HR will show you an answer, but it may.

But also know that, as others have noted, almost any shoe will get you some improvement, assuming you aren't a nonresponder for that particular shoe. And once you get that "big" improvement (by buying the shoes), the incremental differences between two really good shoes (Asics vs. Nike, for example, if you would respond to both) may not be enough to worry about.

Forgot to add: doing the test in both pairs of shoes may not be a problem because so many places give you a try-on period

Absolutely false. Heel strikers benefit just as much as anyone else, and all of the current popular shoes intended for marathon racing are going to be much faster than a traditional marathon flat.

Adios Pro 3, Next%, Metaspeed Sky, and Endorphin Pro 3 seem to be the consensus top marathon shoes right now. Pick whichever one of those feels best on your feet.

Easy. Just buy the biggest one.

I will be giving the Adios Pro 3 a go for an upcoming marathon and so far long runs/races have felt good for my current form/stride. I selected them by researching the technology and having previously not done well with carbon plated shoes, I saw Adidas has more flexible carbon rod technology. So far they have not abused my feet as bad as prior carbon plated shoes I used. As another posted said, it is also important for me personally to not have my feet take a beating (as much as possible) in a marathon so cushioning was also a factor.

If you enjoy research and have an idea of what you respond well to, I would suggest you just look at the specs and technology of what is out there. The new Asics offerings have good reviews and are interesting, but I am already committed at this point so may give them a go next year.

The shoe was probably designed FOR Jared Ward. If you look at what little research is out there (Dustin Joubert’s study) the Endo Pro 1 and 2 was something like a 1.3% improvement in RE compared to traditional flats, compared to the 2.6%-5% of the ASICS and Nike shoes.

Incidentally Dustin also tested on himself the Vanish Carbon, and he tested it to be about 2.2% inprovement vs traditional flats, for him ahead of everything except the Puma, ASICS Metaspeed Sky, and the Vapor/Alphafly (in order).

Jared Ward also released a study on supershoes on hills showing the Endo Pro 1/2 was a 1.6% improvement for him compared to a traditional flat. Hardly a ringing endorsement on the super-ness of the Endo Pro.

Are you sure? They were designed to give elite marathoners an edge, and they already have great biomechanics.

The person I know (sub 4 miler) with the best form has responded the most to them, while another person with good form but who is less talented (low 8:0x, low 14s, high 4:0x) responds pretty well to them.