Adizero Adios Pro 4 vs Rocket X 3

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 Rocket X 3 is Hoka's do-it-all carbon racing shoe, the leaner, cheaper stablemate to the maximal Cielo X1. Where the Cielo goes big on stack and cushioning, the Rocket X 3 keeps things sharp: a PEBA midsole, a full carbon plate and a 40mm heel that stays legal for racing. At 210g it is not the lightest super shoe on the shelf, but it is versatile in a way the pure marathon rockets are not. This is a race shoe you can genuinely run across distances, from a 5K where you want turnover to a marathon where you want protection late on. We rate it as the sensible carbon racer for runners who want one fast shoe to cover everything rather than a shelf of specialists. At an RRP of 239 pounds it is priced with the elite pack, so you are paying for that flexibility.