Adizero Avanti 2 vs Air Zoom Maxfly 2

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 Nike Air Zoom Maxfly 2 is a pure sprint spike, built for one job: getting you down the track as fast as your legs allow. This is not a distance racer or a road shoe you loosen up in. It is a rigid, aggressive carbon racing spike aimed at 60m through 400m, the kind of tool you see under athletes on the world-record stage. The stiff FlyPlate and forefoot Zoom Air pods work together to fire you off your toes, and the whole shoe wants you up on the front of your foot and driving. In our view it is one of the most complete sprint spikes on the market, but it demands a lot in return. You need real forefoot strength, clean sprint mechanics and a track to use it on. Get all three and it is exceptional. If you are a distance runner, the Nike Air Zoom Victory 2 is the stablemate you actually want.