Hyperion 3 vs Endorphin Speed 4

The Brooks Hyperion 3 is a lightweight speed trainer built to add a bit of zip to your faster days without asking you to buy a dedicated racer. It is a neutral road running shoe aimed at tempo runs, intervals and strides, and at 244g it is light enough to feel quick underfoot the moment you pick up the pace. There is no carbon plate here, so you will not get the springboard snap of a super shoe. What you get instead is a simple, honest tempo shoe with a firm, responsive ride and a versatile streak that lets it double as a lighter daily trainer. The 11.3mm drop is on the traditional side and rewards heel strikers. Against the plated crowd it gives up some return, but at £130 it undercuts most of them and asks for less commitment. If you liked the Brooks Hyperion 2, this is a familiar, refined update rather than a reinvention.

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 is the do-everything plated trainer, and one of the most complete running shoes in its class. At 233g with an 8mm drop it sits in the sweet spot between a cushioned daily trainer and a stripped-back race shoe, so one pair covers your tempo days, your long runs and the odd parkrun. The plate gives you a gentle nudge through toe-off without the aggressive, all-or-nothing feel of a full carbon racer, which is exactly why so many runners keep coming back to it. We rate it as the shoe to reach for when you want speed without committing to a dedicated marathon shoe. It is not the cheapest tempo option at RRP, and the plusher Endorphin Speed 5 has since taken over the line, but the Speed 4 remains a brilliant buy when it drops in price. If you want the plate but not the price, this is the one to watch.