Cielo X1 3 vs Deviate Nitro Elite 4

The Hoka Cielo X1 3 is a max-stack carbon racing shoe built for runners who want a big, protective ride without giving up pop at pace. It sits right at the top of the stack rules with a 44mm heel, a carbon plate and a PEBA-based super foam, so it is squarely a marathon and half-marathon shoe rather than a short, snappy 5k racer. The story of this third version is refinement. Earlier Cielo X1 models were brilliant fun but heavy and a handful at slow speeds. This one is billed as the lightest and most stable yet, and that matters because it makes the big platform far easier to actually race in. If you have looked at the Nike Alphafly 3 and wanted something with a broader, more planted feel underfoot, this is the Hoka answer. It is premium at 250 pounds, but for long-distance race day it delivers a genuinely propulsive, cushioned ride.

The Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is Puma's mainstream carbon racing shoe, the one most runners should look at before the pricier top-tier Fast-R. It sits in the same road-racing class as the Vaporfly and the Adios Pro, a plated marathon shoe built to hold pace when your legs start asking questions. For this fourth version Puma went firmer, with a reworked ATPU midsole under a carbon plate, so the ride feels more planted and direct than a soft, tippy super shoe. Where it really separates itself is the PUMAGRIP outsole, which is genuinely excellent in the wet and gives you confidence through corners that many racers cannot match. At £215 it is priced right alongside its rivals, so this is a straight race-day tool, not a do-everything trainer. If you want a stable, grippy carbon racing shoe for half and full marathons and you like a firmer, propulsive feel, we rate it highly. Chase a softer, bouncier ride and you might prefer the Vaporfly 4.