Adizero EVO SL 1 vs Streakfly 2

The Adizero EVO SL is adidas taking its marathon race foam, stripping out the plate, and giving you a lightweight speed trainer you can actually run every day. At 224g it feels closer to a racer than a daily shoe, and that is the whole point. This is a running shoe for the runner who wants one pair for tempo sessions, strides, parkrun and the odd long run, without the rigid, all-or-nothing feel of a carbon racing shoe. You get lively, propulsive cushioning and a low 6mm drop that keeps you up on your forefoot. At an RRP of £150 it undercuts most super-trainers and plated tempo shoes, which is a big part of why it has been so popular. In our view it is one of the most versatile shoes adidas has made in years. If you want the plated race-day version, the Adizero Adios Pro 4 is the sibling to look at.

The Streakfly 2 is Nike's short-distance specialist: a featherweight carbon racing shoe built to fly over 5K and 10K, not to baby your legs through a marathon. At 165g it is one of the lightest plated road racers you can buy, and that shows the moment you lift the pace. This is the rare super-shoe that stays nimble and low to the ground, so it turns and accelerates like a racing flat while still giving you the carbon snap you expect from a modern running shoe. Compared with the Vaporfly 4, which is built for the full and half, the Streakfly trades stack and long-haul cushioning for speed, agility and a more connected feel for the road. We rate it highly for parkrun PBs, track 5Ks and sharp interval sessions. At 170 pounds RRP it is a focused tool, and we would buy it knowing exactly what it is for.