Adizero Avanti 2 vs FuelCell SuperComp LD-X 3

The Adizero Avanti 2 is adidas at its most single-minded: a long-distance track spike built for the 5000m and 10,000m, and not much else. This is a race-day tool, not a training shoe. At 170g with a stiff full-length spike plate and Lightstrike Pro foam underfoot, it aims to give you a touch more cushion and return than a stripped bare spike, so your legs survive 25 laps and still have a kick left. On the track it feels fast and direct, with the pins biting hard through the bend. We rate it as one of the more forgiving distance spikes out there, which matters when the gun goes on lap 20 and not lap 2. It sits mid-pack on price for an elite spike at an RRP of 150 pounds. If you race longer track events and want a spike that protects you late, it earns a place in the bag. Shorter, sharper efforts want a different tool, and the Adizero Ambition 2 covers the middle distances better.

The FuelCell SuperComp LD-X 3 is New Balance's long-distance track spike, built for the 5,000m, 10,000m and steeplechase rather than the road. It sits at the sharp end of New Balance's racing line, a full-length carbon spike aimed at runners who live for the last lap. If your events are shorter and sharper, the SuperComp MD-X 3 is the middle-distance sibling, but for the long stuff this is the one. This is a running shoe in the loosest sense. It is a track weapon, stripped down and firm, with just enough FuelCell foam under a rigid carbon plate to give you propulsion without slowing the transition. At GBP 160 it is priced with the premium spikes it competes against. We rate it as a genuine championship-level option for distance track racing, and the steeplechase-ready build widens its appeal beyond the flat. If you race on the track and want carbon propulsion through every stride, it belongs on your shortlist. Just know it is single-minded: this is race day only.