SC Rebel 1 vs Zoom Fly 6

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.

The Nike Zoom Fly 6 is the carbon plate experience for everyone who is not racing. It sits in the super trainer slot: a plated, well cushioned road shoe built to handle tempo work, long runs and the odd race without the price or the fragility of a true marathon flat. At 265g it is no featherweight, and that is the point. Nike has traded the raw speed of its race line for durability and a more forgiving daily ride, so you get the snap of a full length carbon plate stacked on a soft, bouncy midsole that holds up over the miles. If you want the actual race rocket the Vaporfly 4 is lighter and faster, but the Zoom Fly 6 is the one you can train in week after week. We rate it as one of the best value carbon trainers around for runners who want one shoe to cover their faster days.