Metaspeed Edge Tokyo vs Endorphin Pro 4

The Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is ASICS at its sharpest: a 159g carbon racing shoe built to chase a personal best on the road and not much else. It is the Edge, so it is tuned for cadence runners, the people who get faster by turning their legs over quicker rather than by reaching for a longer stride. If that is you, the geometry here works with you instead of fighting you. At 38.9mm in the heel and a 6.9mm drop it sits right at the front of the modern marathon shoe pack, and the carbon plate gives you a firm, snappy platform that wants to roll forward. This is a race-day tool, not a do-everything trainer. Step on at easy pace and it feels stiff and a touch unforgiving. Hold goal pace and it comes alive. If you lengthen your stride to find speed, look at the stride-biased Metaspeed Sky Paris instead. At £230 it is a serious outlay, so be honest about whether you will use it.

Saucony softened the Endorphin Pro for version 4, and most reviewers think it was the right call. The Pro 3 was quick but harsh by the second half of a marathon; this one gives up a little of that snap for a ride that stays comfortable over the full distance. Women's Running UK rated it highly and recommends it for marathon and half marathon runners who care more about finishing strong than about the last few seconds. The trade-off is weight, since two reviews found it heavier than the Pro 3. It's a carbon racing shoe with an 8mm drop and a stable, wide base, which makes it one of the easier super shoes to run a whole marathon in if you land on your heels. The Endorphin Pro 5 has since replaced it at a lower RRP, so the Pro 4 makes most sense when a retailer is clearing it well below £230.