E'S FAVORITE THINGS: Super Shoes
I’ll never forget my first pair of super shoes. I got them in 2019 about a month out from the Chicago Marathon. I was equal parts giddy and frightened. Drenched in neon green and street cred — the Nike Vaporfly NEXT% may as well have been Cindarella’s slipper when I took them out of the black box. With their large stack height, they were in fact higher than some of the mules in my regular rotation at the time. Within the first 30 seconds of wearing them, making my way down Second Avenue on the upper east side, I felt … free. Unlocked. On what would be my last 12-mile taper run before heading to the Windy City, I ended up continuing until my Garmin flashed 13.1 and hit a distance PR.
Not intentionally.
I got lost in the feeling.
It was the shoes.
Despite my inaugural bliss in the NEXT%, I was still nervous about wearing them for the entire 26.2. As a fitness writer, run coach, and certified trainer — it had been ingrained in my mind for years — “nothing new on race day.” Come Chicago a week later, my original plan was to give a girlfriend a pair of ~other~ sneakers and plant her at mile 17, should I decide that I wanted to pivot and make a shoe swap. The night before, over rigatoni bolognese and a single glass of Montepulciano at Ciccio Mio in River North, I committed.
No back-up shoes.
Just faith.
I went on to run 3:28:08 on October 11, a 21-minute personal best. I was elated. Beyond elated. And while most of that credit goes to my training, I couldn’t help but wonder: How much of it was the shoes?
And so, my adoration for super shoes grew. The PRs continued to rack up. As did the competition from other brands. Since 2019, I’ve run slews of fast times in options from Saucony, Asics, New Balance, Brooks, Asics, and — as noted — Nike.
Before I give some insight into my go-tos, I want to outline what makes a shoe a “super shoe.” Introduced first in 2016, the archetype is a high stack height with a carbon plated mid-sole. The plate is often crafted in a scoop shape, which helps to enhance performance and propel the wearer forward, assisting with energy return every time their foot makes contact with the ground.
One more question to tackle before I highlight a few of my favorites: If I adore the feeling of super shoes, can I just wear them all the time? Well, not exactly. Even if you did have the cash to throw regularly at super shoes (costing on average between $200 and $250), wearing them day-in and day-out can lead you to injury. The fast whipping that comes with each stride has potential to stress tendons and ligaments beyond what they’re used to. Research published in 2013 found that runners who split their mileage among at least two different pairs of sneakers had 39 percent fewer injuries than those who did most of their running in the same pair.
Now, my picks. Of note: There are a few brands missing from this list. I only recently got my hands on a HOKA Carbon X, so I don’t have enough miles in them to give them a solid review. I’ve run in the Adidas Boston, but not in their Adios Pro 2 (which would be comparable to the NEXT%), but have heard great things. Any questions about the below (or even the above)? Feel free to comment below.
1. The Nike Vaporfly NEXT% ($250)
Without a doubt, these are the most springy of the super shoes I’ve worn. I sincerely feel (to this day) like I have an advantage wearing them, cruising faster on straightaways and getting a little extra push going uphill. The ZoomX foam is super plush, so much so that it certainly feels a bit odd walking around in these if you’re not moving fast. But don’t let that first post-unboxing pace around deter you from trusting the tech. I’ve raced everything from a mile to a marathon in these, and while cornering is something to get used to in the NEXT% — they’re my go-to. Of note: The NEXT% is advertised as good for up to 150 miles or so. I’d say they’re best sub-100.
2. The Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 ($200)
This is my workhorse. I love the Endorphin Pro 2, and I wear it on most of my long runs. It offers propulsion similar to the NEXT%, but with a much more stable feel. My foot feels secure and locked into this shoe (thanks to what the company calls “FormFit,”). If someone asked me for a speed shoe recommendation that they could feel comfortable wearing for more than just racing, this would probably be my pick.
3. New Balance Fuel Cell RC Elite v2 ($225)
This is another workhorse shoe in my opinion, but it doesn’t give as much forward propulsion at the Endorphin Pro 2. I’d say the carbon plate is almost indiscernible on the move (but obviously, runners still reap the plate benefits). I dig the rubber outsole, which really makes me feel like I have a good grip on the road. It’s a great partner in crime to my other go-to New Balance, the Fresh Foam 1080 v11, which I do a bulk of my training in (alongside the Nike Pegasus 37, which are currently on sale for around $78).
For a while, this pick was my go-to for quick track stuff (think 400m repeats). It feels absolutely nothing like the other ones on this list, with a lot less cushion. Runners get that extra boost thanks to the carbon plate, so much so that the best word I can use to describe it is snappy. In my experience, it also runs a tad on the narrow side. I’ve never worn a track spike, but in my mind this is the version of that without the actual spike.
4. Brooks Hyperion Elite 2 ($250)
I ran a half marathon in these once, and I definitely liked my experience. The catch: These really feel more like a base mileage sneaker than a super shoe. For some, who really lean into a more stable feel — that’s great! I probably wear these about once every other week.
Notably, Molly Seidel wore a version of this (the Deviate Nitro Elite, which is sold out) in her Olympic marathon. I’d put the Deviate Nitro in the same category as the Saucony Endorphin Pro. This sneaker is designed for racing, but engineered to be stellar for up to around 250 miles — at least. That makes it a great buy for anyone who really wants to get the most out of their super shoe (and wear it beyond race day). Puma completely redesigned their running selection over the past year in a big, impressive way. I’m excited to see what happens as their innovation continues.