Metaspeed Sky Paris vs SC Elite 4

The Metaspeed Sky Paris is ASICS at full race trim: a carbon racing shoe built for one job, chasing a personal best on the road. It is the cadence runner's racer, the half of the Metaspeed line tuned for runners who get faster by keeping their stride length and turning their legs over quicker, while the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo handles those who lengthen their stride. At 215g with a full-length carbon plate and a 5mm drop, it is light, aggressive and unmistakably a marathon shoe rather than a do-everything trainer. The bouncy, springy foam and stiff plate work together to roll you forward and reward a committed effort. Hold goal pace and it comes alive. Jog it easy and you will wonder what the fuss is about. In our view it sits right at the top of the carbon racing shoe pack alongside the Nike Vaporfly 4, and at £260 it is priced like the elite tool it is.

The New Balance SC Elite 4 is a full-fat carbon marathon racer, and it wears that brief proudly. This is a tall, soft, aggressively cushioned racing shoe built to keep your legs alive deep into the back half of a marathon rather than to feel featherlight off the line. At 237g it is on the heavier side for a carbon racing shoe, so it does not have the darty, snappy feel of a lighter racer like the Nike Vaporfly 4. What you get instead is a big, forgiving platform and a rolling, momentum-holding ride once you are up to pace. With a 4mm drop and a full carbon plate it sits firmly in the marathon-and-half super-shoe class. At £280 RRP it is a premium buy, but for a runner who wants cushioning and protection over knife-edge sharpness, it is one of the more comfortable ways to race a long road event.