Adizero Adios Pro 4 vs Endorphin Elite 2

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 Endorphin Elite 2 is Saucony's no-compromise carbon racing shoe, built for one job: chasing a personal best on race day. At 199g with a 39mm heel stack and a full-length carbon plate, it sits right at the top of the marathon shoe class alongside the Nike and adidas super-shoes. The star is the IncrediRUN foam, a soft, aggressively bouncy midsole that stores and returns energy when you load it at pace. This is not a do-everything running shoe. It feels twitchy and over-eager at easy jog pace, and the 6mm drop plus stiff plate ask for a confident forefoot or midfoot landing. Hold half-marathon to marathon effort and it comes alive. If you want the same Endorphin DNA for less money and more daily versatility, the Endorphin Pro 5 is the calmer, cheaper sibling. But for pure race-day return, the Elite 2 is one of the most propulsive carbon marathon shoes we have run in.