Adizero Adios Pro 5 vs Hyperion Elite 4

£220 is a lot for a pair of running shoes, but it's £30 under the Adios Pro 4's £249.99 RRP, and on paper you get more for it. adidas has swapped the old EnergyRods for an ENERGYRIM carbon ring taken from the Adios Pro Evo 3, packed more Lightstrike Pro foam directly under your foot, and brought the listed weight down to 177g. The early reviews are strong. Doctors of Running and RTINGS both rate it best for half and full marathon racing, with a softer, bouncier ride than the Pro 4 and a heel that no longer slips. It's less convincing at 10k pace, where some testers found the soft forefoot a touch less snappy, and it was never meant for easy miles. If you race 13.1 or 26.2 and can hold your form late on, this is one of the first carbon racing shoes we'd shortlist, next to the Vaporfly 4.

The Hyperion Elite 4 is Brooks going all in on the marathon: a carbon racing shoe with one job, and it does it with a surprisingly light touch. At 196g it is not the lightest super shoe on a shelf full of sub-190g rivals, but the balance is where it wins. The nitrogen-infused foam feels bouncy without the top-heavy wobble some race shoes carry, and the carbon plate keeps you rolling forward once you settle into pace. This is a road running shoe built for race day, not your easy miles. It suits a runner who wants a stable, predictable ride they can trust for 26.2 rather than the twitchiest, most aggressive tool in the pack. Against a Nike Vaporfly 4 it trades a little raw pop for a calmer, more planted feel. At £245 it sits right in premium carbon territory, so it earns its place on merit, not price.