Vaporfly 4 vs Endorphin Elite 2

The fourth Vaporfly is a shorter-race shoe now, whatever its marathon reputation says. Nike took it lower and firmer, and at 190g it's a very light carbon racing shoe to wear. Reviewers mostly agree the slimmer midsole suits 5k to half marathon better than 26.2. The Run Testers rated it best around the half and thought it short of cushioning for a full marathon unless you like a lower shoe. Believe in the Run graded its performance an A and its design a C, which is a fair summary: quick, but the heel fit lets it down. If you race shorter distances and found the v3 too soft, this is the better Vaporfly for you. If the marathon is your main event, the Alphafly 3 gives you more underfoot for the back half. The RRP is £260, and the price table below shows what UK retailers are asking now.

Saucony swapped the firm foam of the first Elite for something far softer, and the Endorphin Elite 2 ended up as one of the bounciest carbon racing shoes around. Lab testing at RunRepeat rated its midsole the softest they had measured, and reviewers mostly describe a ride that squashes at easy pace and pushes back once you speed up. That makes it a marathon shoe before anything else, and it's also why it wobbles. The Run Testers found it unsettled on fast corners and slippy in the wet, and pointed to the Metaspeed Sky Paris as the steadier pick. The toe box is narrow as well. With steady mechanics and slim feet, you get a very lively half or full marathon shoe. If your form tends to fade late in a race, the Endorphin Pro 4 is calmer and cheaper, and Saucony has since followed it with the Endorphin Elite 3.