Adizero Adios Pro 4 vs SC Elite 4

Reviewers mostly liked how the Adios Pro 4 runs, and their complaints were about their toes. On speed they're close to unanimous: softer and bouncier than the Pro 3, a lot lighter, and properly quick once you're at 10k to marathon effort. The Run Testers found it lighter and cheaper than the Alphafly 3, if a little less springy. On fit, the toe box tapers, it runs a little short, and several testers had sore toes by the end of a marathon. So this is a carbon racing shoe for neutral runners with normal to narrow feet who race with some intent, from 5k up to the full distance. It's less happy at jogging pace or under a heavy heel strike. The newer Adios Pro 5 has a lower RRP and more padding at the heel, so check the price table before paying full whack for the older shoe.

The New Balance SC Elite 4 is a full-fat carbon marathon racer, and it wears that brief proudly. This is a tall, soft, aggressively cushioned racing shoe built to keep your legs alive deep into the back half of a marathon rather than to feel featherlight off the line. At 237g it is on the heavier side for a carbon racing shoe, so it does not have the darty, snappy feel of a lighter racer like the Nike Vaporfly 4. What you get instead is a big, forgiving platform and a rolling, momentum-holding ride once you are up to pace. With a 4mm drop and a full carbon plate it sits firmly in the marathon-and-half super-shoe class. At £280 RRP it is a premium buy, but for a runner who wants cushioning and protection over knife-edge sharpness, it is one of the more comfortable ways to race a long road event.