Metaspeed Sky Paris vs Alphafly 3

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.

Most carbon marathon shoes want strong, well-trained legs before they give much back. The Alphafly 3 asks for less than its looks suggest, and that came through in almost every review we read. Nike made the midsole one continuous piece for this version (the Alphafly 2 had a big gap under the midfoot) and took a lot of weight out. Reviewers describe a smoother roll from landing to toe-off, and it no longer feels clumsy on a warm-up jog. Ben Parkes, who has raced marathons in it, reckons it isn't so aggressive that only elites benefit, and thinks plenty of intermediate marathoners will get a lot from it.

It's still a specialist carbon racing shoe, and at £285 RRP it sits near the top of the market. It's also loud on the road, and some feet find it snug. For 5K and 10K races the lighter, snappier Vaporfly 3 makes more sense. For the half and the full marathon, we'd still put the Alphafly 3 near the front of the queue.