What Are The Best Running Supershoes Of 2024?

As a team we’ve run and raced in a lot of carbon plate supershoes in 2024, from taking on 1km time trials to setting new marathon personal bests.

Below are our favourite supershoes of 2024, and if you want to know which supershoes performed the best for elite runners, then we’ve put together a list of the most successful supershoes of 2024 here. 

WHAT IS A CARBON PLATE SUPER SHOE?

It’s a running shoe that’s been designed to be lightweight and fast for racing. A carbon plate is sandwiched between premium performance foam; the foam is super responsive with high energy return, and the plate gives it structure and creates a rocker shape to be propulsive. 

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUPERSHOES?

Most running shoe companies have at least one supershoe, and some have several options. Those brands have their own proprietary foam and plate geometry, plus different shapes for their footbed and upper. 

It’s important to know that the way you run will likely be best suited to a particular shoe and might not work for all shoes – just because you see a lot of elites winning races in Nike and adidas doesn’t mean that those shoes will work for your particular running stride and speed.

As these shoes typically cost over £200 / $250, you want to make sure they are going to work for you, so try some on before you buy, if you can.

DO SUPERSHOES WORK FOR EVERY RUNNER?

Yes, they can work for every runner, but many are designed and optimised for faster runners.

If you’re running slower than around 6:00 per km or 9:45 per mile, then a super trainer might be a better option (these are similar but often have more weight and more structure to the shoes), or choose a more balanced supershoe like the New Balance SC Elite V4 instead of an Alphafly. 

THE BEST SUPERSHOES 2024

Here’s Sarah and James chatting all about our favourite supershoes of 2024, with more details on each shoe below.

ADIDAS ADIZERO ADIOS PRO EVO
Price: £450 / $500
Stack Height: 39mm
Drop: 6mm

The most expensive supershoe on the market, but they’ve been on the feet of Marathon Major winners, world record breakers and Olympic gold medallists, so have proved how fast they are – in fact, they were the most successful supershoe of 2024. Using premium lightweight material and a minimal outsole, these shoes have a short life and you may only get one or two marathons out of a pair. 

The adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evos are for runners who want the fastest and lightest shoes and are willing to pay the huge price tag to get that PB. For those who don’t want to spend so much (because $500 is a lot!), but still want an adidas shoe, the Adios Pro 4 might be a better choice.

ADIDAS ADIZERO ADIOS PRO 4
Price: £220 / $250
Stack Height: 39mm
Drop: 6mm

Read our full review of the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4, but the short version is that these are very fast and very bouncy, and come with an improved fit – a broader toebox, a better heel counter – compared to the previous version. Since their release in the summer of 2024, they’ve already been on podiums around the world. 

Look at the feet of faster runners in big city marathons and you’ll see a lot of Pro 4s going by. They are very popular for the way they help some runners into a very efficient stride, with good comfort and bounce. Overall, because of the aggressive bounce and plate geometry, they are going to be best suited to faster runners over a marathon or half marathon. 

NEW BALANCE SUPERCOMP ELITE V4
Price: £260 / $250
Stack Height: 40mm
Drop: 4mm

The New Balance SC Elite V4 is one of the most comfortable supershoes on the market. It’s got a wider forefoot than most, and a more stable foundation than most (other supershoes can feel unstable, especially running fast around corners), though it doesn’t have as much bounce or excitement as others – but for most runners, that’s actually a good thing and it makes these shoes more accessible. 

It’s a bit of a Golilocks shoe: not the fastest, not the lightest, not the most responsive, but arguably these could work for the most runners and most paces. It’s also a very durable shoe. Well suited to runners of all speeds. 

NIKE ALPHAFLY 3
Price: £284.99 / $285
Stack Height: 40mm
Drop: 8mm

One of the most popular supershoes of 2024, Nike Alphafly 3 is also one of the most successful, and is the shoe that was worn to run both the men and the women’s marathon world records (it’s also been used by some of The Running Channel team for their PBs, including Jess’s 2:59 at the Berlin Marathon). 

They are aggressive and highly responsive running shoes, which creates a thrilling, fast ride. The toebox is fairly wide, but the heel is relatively small, so might not be best for heel strikers. Overall, the records show they’re fast, but they will mostly benefit forefoot runners chasing marathon times under 3:30 (they are fairly unresponsive at slow paces, and the more speed you put in, the more you get back). They’re a durable shoe, so will last a few hundred miles – so wear them for a few races while they’re at their best, then shift them over to your training supershoe. Best for half marathons and marathons. 

NIKE VAPORFLY 3
Price: £239.99 / $250
Stack Height: 40mm
Drop: 8mm

The same stack height and drop as the Alphafly, but the Vaporfly has a very different feel on your feet in comparison. It’s more stable, less exciting, less tipping-you-on-your-toes and blasting you down the street. It’s a bit narrowwe in the forefoot and feels more streamlined, and that makes these a good choice for road races of all distances from a one mile time trial to a marathon, though 5km to a half marathon might be the best distances for the Vaporfly. 

The Vaporfly is fast and comfortable, not as impactful and bouncy as the Alphafly, but it’s a very popular shoe with the masses – though it’s not won any Marathon Major medals in 2024 (some athletes have been choosing the previous version this year). It could be a good choice for runners doing Hyrox. 

ASICS METASPEED PARIS
Price: £220 / $250
Stack Height: 39.5mm
Drop: 5mm

Demonstrating how different strides work for different runners, there are two slightly different versions of the Metaspeed Paris: the Metaspeed Edge and the Metaspeed Sky. Fundamentally the same, the difference is the foam placement and plate geometry, with the Edge better for runners who maintain a quick cadence as they progress through a marathon, and the Sky for runners who increase their stride length. 

It’s one of the lightest supershoes, and feels less structured and supportive on the foot compared to others, so it’s going to work best for runners who like a lighter shoe that’s all-out fast and don’t mind sacrificing some stability. 

PUMA DEVIATE NITRO ELITE 3
Price: £195 / $230
Stack Height: 40mm
Drop: 8mm

These striking sunset orange shoes are always near the front of big city marathons around the world. They are one of the lightest shoes around and are one of the bounciest supershoes, with some seriously springy soles, though it feels like you need to land in just the right way to maximise the energy return and bounce. The downside of the bounciness is that they can be a bit unstable for heel strikers and on tight turns. 

They can work for all distances, but may favour 5km to half marathons for most runners. The sizing comes up quite long, and it’s also a little narrow, so try these on before buying if you haven’t run in PUMA shoes before

FAST-R NITRO™ Elite 2
Price: £230 / $260
Stack Height: 40mm
Drop: 8mm

Even more striking in design than the Deviate Nitro Elite 3, the Fast-R Nitro 2 has a two-part decoupled outsole, with the carbon plate visible from the side and poking out the front – it’s one of the wildest shoes we’ve run in this year. 

It’s heavier than the Nitro Elite 3, but depending on your stride you may find this shoe more efficient. Like the Elite 3, it’s worth trying this before you buy, or even holding out a few months as we understand there’s a new version coming in 2025 (and we’re excited to run in it!).

SAUCONY ENDORPHIN ELITE
Price: £280 / $275
Stack Height: 39.5mm
Drop: 8mm

Incredibly lightweight and breathable, with an aggressive plate geometry and responsive foam, plus a stable ride, the Endorphin Elite is for faster runners chasing quick times over the half marathon and marathon. It’s one of the more comfortable supershoes, with plenty of room in the forefoot. There’s an Elite 2 coming in 2025. 

Saucony’s Endorphin Pro 4 is a bit cheaper overall, and less aggressive than the Elite. It’s a very comfortable supershoe with a wider platform than most, and that makes it feel more stable and more approachable for more runners. It’s a good choice for runners of all paces who want a supershoe to run over all distances. 

HOKA CIELO X1
Price: £250 / $275
Stack Height: 39mm
Drop: 7mm

The Cielo X1 is very bouncy and has lots of foam under your forefoot, and that foam is around a plate geometry which gives you a rockered ride which tips you right forward onto your toes – it makes you feel like you’re running fast, and that’s exciting. It’s been a favourite shoe of Tom at The Running Channel who used it for two PBs in 2024.

It’s more squishy than dynamic, which makes it a more comfy shoe than others, but it still has great energy return and it comes with structure and support throughout the shoe (where others can feel unstable in their narrowness or their minimal heel). It’s heavier than some shoes, so bear that in mind.

KIPRUN KD900X LD
Price: £159.99 / $240
Stack Height: 37mm
Drop: 4mm

Kiprun’s updated supershoe has been a popular choice in The Running Channel office. It’s a shoe that reminds some runners of the original Nike Vaporfly, being lightweight and a racing fit designed for speed. The team has used it a lot up to the half marathon distance (including a 75-minute half marathon team relay) and like it for its comfort and responsiveness. It’s a brilliant shoe, especially for the price. 

MIZUNO WAVE REBELLION PRO 2
Price: £210 / $250
Stack Height: 38mm
Drop: 2.5mm

Is this the craziest-looking supershoe of the year? It’s a unique shape and a lot of fun to run in, but it’s the sort of shoe that will either work for you or not. It’s not going to be suitable for a heel-striker, unless it’s for a very short and fast race. Andy raced a 1km time trial in the shoe and described them as impossible to run slow in. Definitely a shoe to try before you buy to get an idea of whether you can run in them – if you can, then you’ll run fast (if you can’t, then try something else).

***

What’s been your favourite supershoe in 2024?