FuelCell SuperComp MD-X 3 vs Air Zoom Maxfly 2

The FuelCell SuperComp MD-X v3 is New Balance at full send: a carbon-plated middle-distance track spike built for the 800m through the mile and into 3000m. This is not a road shoe you can jog in. It is a racing spike, all pins and plate and pop, meant for hard efforts on the track and nothing else. At around 170g it is light without feeling flimsy, and the FuelCell foam under the carbon plate gives you more bounce underfoot than a traditional bladed spike, so you get some cushioning to hold form on the back half of a longer rep. New Balance sits it above their long-distance sibling, the SuperComp LD-X, which is tuned for 5000m and 10000m. In our view the MD-X is one of the sharper middle-distance super-spikes going, and a serious option if you race on the track and want plate-and-foam propulsion under a spike plate. Just know exactly what you are buying.

The Nike Air Zoom Maxfly 2 is a pure sprint spike, built for one job: getting you down the track as fast as your legs allow. This is not a distance racer or a road shoe you loosen up in. It is a rigid, aggressive carbon racing spike aimed at 60m through 400m, the kind of tool you see under athletes on the world-record stage. The stiff FlyPlate and forefoot Zoom Air pods work together to fire you off your toes, and the whole shoe wants you up on the front of your foot and driving. In our view it is one of the most complete sprint spikes on the market, but it demands a lot in return. You need real forefoot strength, clean sprint mechanics and a track to use it on. Get all three and it is exceptional. If you are a distance runner, the Nike Air Zoom Victory 2 is the stablemate you actually want.