Adizero Adios Pro 5 vs Cielo X1 3

£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 Hoka Cielo X1 3 is a max-stack carbon racing shoe built for runners who want a big, protective ride without giving up pop at pace. It sits right at the top of the stack rules with a 44mm heel, a carbon plate and a PEBA-based super foam, so it is squarely a marathon and half-marathon shoe rather than a short, snappy 5k racer. The story of this third version is refinement. Earlier Cielo X1 models were brilliant fun but heavy and a handful at slow speeds. This one is billed as the lightest and most stable yet, and that matters because it makes the big platform far easier to actually race in. If you have looked at the Nike Alphafly 3 and wanted something with a broader, more planted feel underfoot, this is the Hoka answer. It is premium at 250 pounds, but for long-distance race day it delivers a genuinely propulsive, cushioned ride.