Adizero Adios Pro 4 vs Metaspeed Edge Tokyo

The Adizero Adios Pro 4 is adidas at its most focused: a carbon marathon racer built to chase a personal best and little else. At 188g it is light for a shoe with this much stack, and the EnergyRods give it a firm, forward-tipping snap that wants you up on your toes and moving. Pair that with a high, responsive midsole and you get a ride that protects your legs deep into a race while still feeling fast. It is happiest on smooth tarmac at marathon and half pace, where a quick, efficient cadence unlocks the best of it. This is not a do-everything trainer, and it does not pretend to be. If you want one shoe for easy miles and race day, look elsewhere. But if you are after a sharp, single-minded racer for the days that count, the Adios Pro 4 is one of the best around.

If you want a lighter, softer ride for the same job, the Nike Vaporfly 4 is the obvious rival.

The Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is ASICS at its sharpest: a 159g carbon racing shoe built to chase a personal best on the road and not much else. It is the Edge, so it is tuned for cadence runners, the people who get faster by turning their legs over quicker rather than by reaching for a longer stride. If that is you, the geometry here works with you instead of fighting you. At 38.9mm in the heel and a 6.9mm drop it sits right at the front of the modern marathon shoe pack, and the carbon plate gives you a firm, snappy platform that wants to roll forward. This is a race-day tool, not a do-everything trainer. Step on at easy pace and it feels stiff and a touch unforgiving. Hold goal pace and it comes alive. If you lengthen your stride to find speed, look at the stride-biased Metaspeed Sky Paris instead. At £230 it is a serious outlay, so be honest about whether you will use it.