So you’re looking for a pair of carbon fiber running shoes that’ll help you PR your next marathon? While no shoe will replace hard training and good nutrition, in recent years, shoe brands have added carbon fiber plates to their race day running shoes, designed to improve energy return on the run. The carbon fiber plate is combined with soft, responsive foam, and shaped with a curve at the arch of the foot, which bends downwards under the ball of the foot. This is said to help give runners a boost as they toe-off, effectively making them run faster.
Nike was one of the first brands on the market to add carbon fiber plates to its running shoes, but these days, nearly all of the top running brands on the market have experimented with carbon. However, carbon shoes have a shorter life, and if you don’t plan on racing, take a look at the best running shoes for everyday miles.
But which are the best carbon fiber running shoes for you? We’ve been running (and racing) in some of the best carbon fiber shoes on the market to help you work out which pair to buy in 2022.
What are the best carbon fiber running shoes?
The best carbon fiber running shoes for most runners to buy are the Nike Vaporfly Next% 2, which are one of Nike’s most popular race day speed shoes. We chose these over the slightly more expensive Nike Alphafly Next% running shoes, as we found them more stable underfoot on the run. Can’t pick between the two? Read our Nike Alphafly Next% vs Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 face-off here.
If you prefer an Adidas running shoe, the Adidas Adios Adizero Pro 2 was the shoe worn on the feet of both of the Boston Marathon winners, as well as the male and female runner who crossed the finish line first at the New York City Marathon 2021. It’s a brilliantly fast, lightweight race shoe, that’s making its name as a podium winner this year, making it one of the best carbon fiber running shoes out there.
Finally, at $200 the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 is the cheapest carbon fiber shoe on this list, so if you’re hoping not to spend upwards of $200 on a pair of running shoes to wear on race day, these are probably your best bet. Underfoot, they are a brilliant shoe, with soft, responsive PWRRUN PB foam and what Saucony calls ‘Speedroll technology.
The best carbon fiber running shoes you can buy
Best carbon fiber running shoe overall
There’s a reason why you’ll see this shoe a LOT at every major road marathon — they are one of the most popular racing shoes around, and it’s easy to see why. The Vaporfly Next% 2 use ZoomX foam — the lightest and most responsive midsole Nike makes, plus there’s a full-length carbon fiber plate which helps for a faster toe-off. The shoe feels fast, it’s incredibly lightweight and fits true to size.
The drawback here, of course, is the price — these shoes are definitely an investment and are one of the most expensive pairs on this list. They also might not actually last you for too many miles. While Nike doesn’t give an exact figure, as a race day shoe, it’s often thought that you won’t get all that many miles out of these, so we wouldn’t recommend them for your training miles. That said, if you can afford them and you’re looking for a PR, you won’t be disappointed.
Read our full Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 review.
Most affordable carbon fiber running shoe
The Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 are a great race day shoe that’s more affordable than a lot of the other carbon shoes on this list. Fans of the first Endorphin Pro will be pleased to hear not must has changed between the two shoes, with Saucony making some slight tweaks to the upper, heel, and lacing. This shoe isn’t as bouncy and soft as say, the Nike Vaporly Next% 2, so if you prefer a harder racing flat, you’re bound to love the Pro 2.
That said, don’t let the firmer, snappier midsole of the Endorphin Pro 2 put you off — this shoe still flies at faster paces. Saucony has used its PWRRUN PB foam in the midsole, an S-shaped carbon fiber plate, and what it calls the ‘Speedroll’ geometry of the outsole, which helps you propel through each stride quickly. The snug heel fit and the anti-slip races are designed to fix some of the most common problems with the original Endorphin, where runners found their foot slipped towards the sides of the mesh upper. The feeling is much more secure, but as someone who overpronates slightly, I didn’t find them as secure as other shoes on the list.
The outsole handled wet, leafy, sidewalks amazingly and it goes without saying, the shoe looks fantastic. This is a great racer for runners who don’t love the feel of overly bouncy foam — and who want to save a few bucks.
Best New Balance carbon fibre running shoe
The New Balance FuelCell RC Elite v2 is one of the best-looking carbon fiber running shoes, as well as one of the plushest. With the second version, New Balance has attempted to tweak a few of the issues it had with its Elite racing shoe, which was super soft, but a little unstable around corners. It’s extremely comfortable, and it feels fast underfoot.
On our first few runs, the Elite felt bouncy and exciting. The FuelCell foam is extremely soft, and there’s a lot of it, giving this shoe the feeling of gliding along the pavement as you pick up the pace. Unlike other best carbon fiber shoes on this list, the FuelCell RC Elite v2 also coped well with slower paces — we didn’t feel unstable during the warm-up and cool-down sections of the run, where the pace was less snappy.
While it’s not really a downside, you definitely can’t feel the carbon fiber plate as much in this shoe as much as you can in, say, the Nike Vaporfly Next% 2. The shoe also doesn’t have that aggressive rocker geometry we’re seeing in more and more racing shoes, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. All in all, this is a fantastic shoe that would easily cope well and keep you comfortably running your fastest over a half marathon or marathon distance.
Best Brooks carbon fibre running shoe
When Des Liden won the Boston Marathon in 2018, she was running in a blacked-out prototype of the Hyperion Elite running shoes. With the second version, Brooks made a few tweaks to its super shoe, making the midsole softer and the stack height higher for a faster ride and more cushioned feel underfoot. It’s an excellent racing day shoe, which feels stable and fits well.
Designed for road running, this shoe has soft, light, cushioning, in the form of Brooks’ DNA Flash midsole, which is built to last between 200-400 miles. They are one of the most stable super shoes we’ve tried, with the broad misole and wide toebox keeping the foot over the plate as you move. Brooks has also added what it calls ‘Rapid Roll technology’, by creating a curved shape of the heel. This is designed to rock the foot forward and keep you on the balls of your feet as you move, so might be an issue for heel strikers.
The unisex sizing can be a bit of a struggle to convert with the Hyperion Elite 2. As always, it’s recommended that you run in at least a half size bigger than your regular, everyday shoe, but female runners will also need to subtract 1.5 from their running shoe size to find out their men’s size (unisex shoes usually run off men’s sizing, as they do here). For example, a women’s size 8.5 would be a men’s size 7.
Best Adidas carbon fiber running shoe
For a good few years now, the Vaporfly Next% has been the king of the racing shoes, but recently, the Adios Pro 2 seems to be stealing its crown. Peres Jepchirchir won a gold medal in the Olympic marathon and the New York City Marathon wearing these carbon fiber running shoes. The shoe was also on the feet of the men’s NY marathon winner, Albert Korir, and Benson Kipruto and Diana Chemtai Kipyoge when they won the men’s and women’s Boston Marathon respectively.
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2 was launched in June 2021 and saw some tweaks from the previous version. The upper is made from Adidas’ CELERMESH 2.0 and the midsole has also changed, with a new design that’s created to reduce energy loss in the shoe.
Unlike other super shoes on this list, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2 is slightly different, as Adidas use carbon rods in the midsole instead of a rigid carbon plate. This leads to a more natural ride, but doesn’t have the same rocker geometry as other super shoes. While it doesn’t have the same propulsion, don’t let that put you off, as this energy-saving shoe can still take seconds off your PR.
Best super-shoe for the marathon
When Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line of the first-ever 1:59 marathon, rumors began circling about these shoes, and runners called for them to be banned. A couple of years later, they’ve become one of the most popular carbon fiber running shoes on the market, despite their huge stack height and even heftier price tag.
Underfoot, these running shoes make you feel as if you’re flying. There’s nothing quite like it on the market, and the two Air Zoom units in the forefoot make this one of the most reactive running shoes we’ve ever tested.
But are they worth the hefty price tag? If you’re not Kipchoge, the Alphaflys can feel a little unstable. There’s no ifs or buts, they’re extremely fast, but in the nicest possible way, if you don’t have the muscles or foot strength to support them, you’ll really feel it the next day. (However, you’ll probably have a new PB and a shiny medal round your neck, so who cares, right?)
Read our full Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% review here.
Best Hoka carbon fiber running shoes
Hoka’s latest carbon fiber running shoe is a brilliant option for runners who want the experience of a carbon fiber plate, without having to spend a fortune. The Carbon X3 is a responsive running shoe, that’ll help you pick up the pace when you need to, without breaking the bank.
The Carbon X3 is lighter than the Carbon X2, Hoka’s previous iteration of this endurance racer, and has a new EVA foam midsole and knitted upper, both designed to make the shoe more comfortable underfoot. The midsole is definitely softer and more responsive than that used in the Carbon X2, but nowhere near as bouncy as that used in some of the other shoes on this list. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — this shoe feels great on easier long runs, and would definitely be a good choice for a road ultramarathon.
The downside here is that this shoe definitely sits on the firmer side of the carbon fiber plate list. It’s not as bouncy underfoot as the Vaporfly Next% 2, or the New Balance Fuelcell RC Elite, and this makes it feel a little more like a training shoe, than the kind of shoe you’d race a marathon in. That said, if you prefer the stability of a harder shoe, this is a good choice.
How to look after your carbon fiber running shoe
Unlike your day-to-day running shoes, carbon fiber running shoes have a much shorter shelf life. Most shoe retailers say they’ll last a few hundred miles, but the softer, bouncier foams, and the carbon plates mean you’ll probably only get a couple of races out of your carbon fiber shoes.
It’s important to note that these shoes aren’t for a gentle jog in the park, they are for road racing and striving for a PR. You’ll probably want to do a couple of speed sessions and perhaps a long run or two in your carbon fiber running shoes before the race, but that’s about it.
Of course, this does make things a little more expensive, but you’re better to train in one of our best running shoes, and save these for the big day to extend the life of your carbon fiber shoes.
How we test the best carbon-fiber running shoes
It’s quite simple really, we run in them! All of the shoes above have been put through their paces on a number of different sessions — from speedier runs around the track, to longer, slower, tempo sessions on the sidewalk. We’ve also worn most of them for races of different lengths — including faster 5K’s and longer half-marathons to test how they make us run and feel on race day.
When testing running shoes, we look at the fit and feel of the shoe, as well as stand-out features, like laces that are designed to stay tight as you move (because who wants to stop and re-tie their shoe mid-race?) and cushioning around the Achilles.
What to look for in a pair of carbon fiber running shoes
When it comes to choosing the best carbon fiber running shoes for you, there are a few things to consider. First, the fit. Like the best sports bras or best running leggings, the best running shoe for you will fit your foot comfortably and not rub, pinch, or slip as you run. Some brands are likely to fit your foot better than others, so it’s good to try them before investing.
Next up, you’ll want to think about the weight of the shoe, especially if you are trying to reach the podium yourself. Most of the shoes on this list are designed to help you run fast, but if you are a particularly speedy runner, you might find the New Balance FuelCell Elite v2 that little bit too heavy on the run.
Finally, the price of the shoes. There’s no question that carbon fiber comes at a price. If you’re not able to spend upwards of $200 on a pair of running shoes that you can’t do the majority of your training in, it might be worth looking for last-season models, such as the Nike Vaporfly Next%, or the Brooks Hyperion Elite.