Sonicblast 2 vs SC Rebel 1

Fordy Runs calls it a big step up from the first version, and the spec sheet backs that up. The Sonicblast 2 keeps the layout of the first version (FF Turbo Squared on top, FF Blast Max underneath, a Pebax plate between them) but the plate is now forked, and reviewers say it's noticeably lighter and bouncier than before. It's a plated super trainer for tempo sessions, marathon-pace long runs and the odd race, not a soft shoe for recovery days.

Doctors of Running graded it A-, and another review's three testers liked the ride too, though all of them found it firm at easy pace. The catch is price. At £170 RRP it sits right beside the Superblast 3, which is still the better choice if you want one shoe for easy days as well as fast ones. If most of your running is at tempo or marathon pace, the Sonicblast is the sharper of the two, and it gets easier to recommend once it drops below full price in the table.

The SC Rebel is New Balance's carbon-plated super trainer: a running shoe built to handle your long runs and faster sessions during the week, then line up with you on race day. It pairs Infinion foam with a carbon plate on a 40mm heel and 36mm forefoot with a 4mm drop, and at a listed 218g it is light for a shoe with this much underfoot. Put the numbers next to the SC Elite 4, New Balance's marathon racer, and they read almost identically: same stack, same drop, and the Rebel is listed lighter. At £180 against £280, that is the story. In our view it suits runners who want one plated shoe for tempo work, marathon-pace long runs and the race itself, rather than an expensive racer saved for a handful of days a year. It is not an easy-day shoe or a stability shoe, and the low drop asks a lot of your calves.