7 Best Super Shoes in 2025

How we test super shoes

Just because these are called super shoes does not mean they can stand up against our band saw, dremel, or any other machine. Here’s exactly how a super shoe’s road through our testing process looks: 

1. We purchase the shoes because we concluded we should, and we do so with our own money. We don’t sign contracts with the brand,s and we don’t answer to anyone about what we publish 
2. We test the shoes outside the lab on different test runs (different paces, terrains, weather conditions). 
3. We test the shoes in the lab. All our tests are standardized, which means that all super shoes are given identical treatment, be it the force applied, dremel’s RPM, amount of smoke pumped into it, weight of the ball dropped on it during shock absorption and energy return testing, and so on. 
4. Once we’re done, we publish all the results, and we don’t sugarcoat. Lab data, backed with personal experience, at their finest. 

If you’d like to learn more about how we test super shoes, or any other footwear for that matter, head over to our Methodology page. 

We did make the famous bounce look cool on Instagram, but we all know that looks are for Instagram and real data for the lab. That’s why we’re doing all this. Welcome to the in-depth analysis and lab testing of super shoes.

8 features of super shoes you should know 

The definition of “super shoes” should not be different depending on who you ask. What adds significant value is lab data. Here’s how we differentiate super shoes from the rest - be it super trainers or regular running shoes. 

1. All super shoes are competition shoes. If you’re looking for similar technologies but in a daily/tempo package, best to check super trainers. 
2. Sky-high energy return. We’re talking 70% or more! 
3. Super shoes feature premium foam and a carbon-fiber plate. 
4. Rocker is almost mandatory! Talk about efficiency gains – how to accomplish them without a rocker? Everything is on the table.
5. Platforms are stiff, meaning you can’t twist them a lot. They score 4/5 or 5/5 on our torsional rigidity test. 
6. The majority of super shoes are high-stacked, with an average heel stack height of 37.5 mm.
7. Lightweight or featherlight! We’re talking 8.8 oz (250g) or less. 
8. They are very expensive, with the majority of shoes retailing in the $250-300 range. 

Who super shoes are for?

Super shoes are made for experienced runners who can understand whether the shoe will work for them (depending on the running mechanics) and who are competitive and fast, meaning they can hit the right pace to properly activate the shoe. 

It seems that many competitive runners understand this, given that 44% of marathoners wore super shoes according to Strava’s 2024 trend report! 

If you’re doing research on super shoes, we recommend setting aside time to learn and understand which shoes are the best for you. Shoe designers have to implement, combine, and fine-tune dozens of different elements, from the shape and length of the carbon-fiber plate, its position, the exact foam compound and its thickness, to the platform width, rocker shape and aggressiveness, and other details. This is why one super shoe can work for you but not for your friend. Do your due diligence: read the reviews and lab data to make the investment worthwhile. 

Are super shoes worth it?

Depends on who you ask. 

Yes, if you’re looking to break another PB and if you’re serious about your races and hitting the goals. Super shoes may be less durable, but what you get in return is a chance to shave off a few seconds or even minutes (depending on the mileage) off your current record, and to feel less fatigued during the race and afterward.

If you’re a beginner or an average runner who is not competitive, or fast enough, and still not knowledgeable about foot strike, overstriding, or overall a proper running form, then super shoes are not worth the investment. 

Energy return of super shoes: lab data 

Energy return is THE reason to get super shoes because it’s what makes them so responsive and subjectively so fast. Energy return tells us how much of the energy is returned when a runner lands on the midsole and presses it. Some energy is spent on deformation and heat, and the rest is returned. The higher this number, obviously, the better! 

Testing the energy return of super shoes in RunRepeat lab 

To test the energy return, we stick to the gold standard, ASTM F1976-13. We drop an 8.5 kg mass from a 50 mm height with a total energy input of 5J. The first 25 repetitions serve as a natural break-in of the shoe, so we use repetitions 26-30 for our lab data. 

The thing about super shoes is that they always score remarkably high, above 70%. The average energy return of all super shoes we’ve tested so far is 76.1%. We, of course, always look at the energy return at the forefoot, because that’s the location that matters the most in running, the magic happens at the toe-off. 

Shock absorption: how protective are super shoes?

In the case of super shoes, we can't talk about energy return and simply forget about shock absorption. Supercritical foams are all about leg-saving features and that means you (in most cases) get a great combination of high energy return and high shock absorption. 

Shock absorption is the midsole's ability to dampen the impact forces and when it does that well, significantly less forces are sent to your legs. Less strain on the legs means less fatigue, which is THE goal. This is why we say that running shoes with high shock absorption are very protective; it's not about protection from outside elements like snow or sharp debris, but from the impact forces. 

If you're a forefoot striker, look at the shoes above that scored the highest in that area. Keep in mind, though, that shock absorption at the forefoot is always lower than at the heel (don't expect 130 SA, the average for the forefoot shock absorption of super shoes is 112.0 SA). 

The role of carbon-fiber plates in super shoes

Carbon-fiber plates come in different designs and locations. They can be full-length or significantly shorter; they can be a single full piece or more like a fork; they can be placed closer to the insole or the outsole, etc. This is what the brands have to figure out: which carbon-fiber plate design and location brings the best performance benefits to the table.

The importance and trend of carbon-fiber plates are evident in the scientific world as well because new studies done on them keep popping up! Here are the highlights from the last 3 years: 

• Running shoes with carbon-fiber plates create a more efficient toe-off thanks to a more propulsive push-off (Spencer et al., 2025)
• Curved carbon-fiber plates, unlike the flat ones, can reduce the mechanical load on the hip and knee joints (Xu et al., 2025). 
• Another study looked at the plate curvature: Both flat and curved plates make force transmission more uniform, without increasing peak stress on key bones. Curved plates, however, reduced the forefoot pressure more than the flat plates and they improved how forces were distributed across the metatarsals without increasing bone stress. This suggests they may offer better injury protection (Song et al., 2024)
• Thicker carbon-fiber plates placed lower, near the outsole, reduced the forefoot pressure and strain the most. Plates positioned just under the insole actually increased the stress on the metatarsal bones (Song et al., 2023)
• Carbon-fiber plates may boost performance while reducing the injury risk by reducing the load on the knee and changing how the leg muscles work, especially at faster speeds. Caveat: runners should transition to these shoes gradually because of the increased tibialis anterior activity (Yang et al., 2025)
• When comparing a non-plated shoe (Nike Streakfly 6) and a plated one (Nike Vaporfly 4%), the plated one has proven to be better because it reduced metabolic cost by about 3.8% on level ground, 2.8% uphill, and 2.7% downhill. The Vaporfly 4% saved runners the most energy on flat ground (Whiting et al., 2022)
• Looking at the carbon-fiber insoles and not plates embedded in the midsoles, researchers found that the insoles didn’t produce real performance gains, but runners had experienced a psychological boost because they felt less tired and more explosive while wearing them (Dierickx et al., 2023)
• Carbon-plated running shoes (so-called TARS - technologically advanced running shoes) were compared to conventional cushioned running shoes and minimalist shoes and were shown to reduce ankle loading and lower forces in calf and foot muscles without adding extra load anywhere else. This suggests that carbon-plated running shoes may offer a safer and more efficient biomechanics (Kim et al., 2025)

If you’re interested in running shoes with a carbon-fiber plate, we recommend reading our guide, Best carbon-plated running shoes. 

What is premium foam and why is it so important?

Running shoe midsoles can feature standard foam, premium foam, or both. When it’s a combination of the two, premium foam is put on top for responsiveness, and standard foam is put at the bottom for durability. 

Premium foams are also called supercritical foams. The name comes from a gas in a supercritical state (not a gas and not a liquid), which is injected into the standard foam to create the premium one. 

Supercritical foams are much more responsive and lighter than standard foams. This is why we find them in race shoes and some other running shoes like super trainers. They are also less durable, which is why standard foams dominate the daily trainer realm. Standard foams are also more durable, which makes sense given the needed mileage buildup that they should endure.

If you’re new to foams, we can not emphasize enough how important it is to get familiar with the types, their features, pros and cons, and other details in our Ultimate guide to running shoe foams. Or, skip everything and start with premium foams immediately. 

Rocker in super shoes 

The rocker design in super shoes varies, with some having a more aggressive forefoot rocker and a very mild slope at the heel, or having an aggressive heel rocker as well. 

In the lab, we surround the shoe with rulers, which allows us to precisely see when the rocker starts (e.g,. early rocker vs late rocker) or how aggressive (high) it is. 

If you’re still unsure whether you covered all the basics about rockers, look no further: All you need to know about rockered running shoes. 

Lab data for stack height and stiffness of super shoes

Most of the super shoes are high-stacked but lower than 40 mm to honor the official rule. This is a no-brainer, for a midsole to have great energy return and comfort for long-distance races (like half-marathon or marathon), it has to be high-stacked. Not just that, there also needs to be enough foam above and below the carbon plate. So, high stack it is. 

Here, you must be careful if you signed up for an official race, as 40 mm at the heel is the legal limit. The average heel stack height of super shoes is 37.5 mm, while the overall average heel stack height for all road running shoes we’ve tested so far sits at 34.8 mm. 

A tall premium-foam platform needs something to make it more stable. Next to the carbon-fiber plate, it’s the torsional rigidity. 

Assessing the torsional rigidity of a super shoe: 1/1 the most flexible, 5/5 the most rigid. The average torsional rigidity for super shoes is 4.3 and for all road shoes 3.5

Most of the super shoes are rigid or very rigid (scoring 4/5 or 5/5 on our test). 

And, if you’re curious about the torsional rigidity of the highest super shoes, look no further: 

When it comes to stiffness, many think of longitudinal stiffness first. This is also something we test in our lab. We measure how much force is needed to bend a shoe to 30 degrees, after adjusting for its rocker. 

The more force needed = the stiffer the shoe. At the moment of writing this guide, the average stiffness for all road running shoes we tested in the lab sits at 15.2N, while the average for super shoes is 19.9N. 

Lightness of super shoes 

Given that super shoes are race-day shoes, they have to be lightweight. But, how light are we actually talking about? Let’s look at some numbers: road shoes, on average, weigh 9.3 oz (265g). Super shoes, on the other hand, weigh 6.9 oz (195.6g) on average!

Why is this featherlightness so important? Because weight significantly impacts running shoe performance. And because it’s the super shoes that finally made the unimaginable possible: having a highly cushioned running shoe that is not, by default, significantly heavier, but the opposite. 

How durable are super shoes?

Depends on which part of the shoe you’re inquiring about. In our lab, we test the durability of the outsole and the toebox, but what usually happens with super shoes is the premium foam bottoming out. It loses its main feature: energy return. This does not happen overnight, but runners do feel it and understand that it’s time to move on. 

For the time being, we recommend looking at the always-up-to-date overview of premium foams with their main pros and cons, because when the foams are not durable, we do say so! 

Testing the durability of the super shoe outsole. The deeper the hole, the less durable the outsole

Outsole durability is very important in the world of super shoes because adding thicker rubber at the bottom means adding more weight and, not just that, but often there’s significantly less rubber coverage than you may be used to, all with the purpose of making the shoes as light as possible. 

Here, we can also look at the outsole thickness. 

These numbers actually tell us how deep the dent was after our durability test. This measurement is taken with a tire tread gauge. The average outsole durability of super shoes (the average hole depth) is 1.5 mm, while for all road shoes it is 1.1 mm. 

In extreme cases, it’s worth noting that we always perform the test at the heel, and if the shoe has no rubber there, the damage is obviously much bigger (as is the case with Vaporfly 4).

If the super shoe’s upper is what’s worrying you, let’s look at the lab test results. 

Testing the durability of the super shoe’s toebox: the rating is done on a 1-5 scale, where 5/5 is the most durable

Super shoes with the best traction

Given that super shoes often skimp on the rubber coverage on the outsole, we all wondered about their traction at some point. Not just that, but the outsole rubber, when present, is often quite thin (as we’ve shown in the chapter above). So, what about traction? 

Testing the traction of super shoes in RunRepeat lab (SATRA TM144 protocol)

When performing this test, we press a super shoe with a force of 500N at a 7-degree angle. The surface is wet concrete, and we measure the dynamic coefficient of friction (CoF) at the forefoot. The higher it is, the better. To be on the safe side (running in dry and wet weather), we recommend a CoF of at least 0.45. There are shoes that score higher than 0.80! 

And, in case you were wondering, yes, we do have a list of super shoes with the lowest traction. And it’s not nearly as bad as one could think. This is because the unsafe feeling that you may get in super shoes usually comes from the instability (wobbling). 

Super shoes vs. regular shoes 

What makes them super, and why do they stand out from regular shoes? Let’s look at the breakdown. 

Super shoes vs. super trainers 

We’ve covered the topic of super trainers in great detail in the Best super trainers guide. 

Again, we think that a 1:1 breakdown is the best way to understand the differences! 

Affordable super shoes - how to find them

Is there such a thing as an affordable super shoe? When it’s on sale, sure. These are pricey! Let’s look at the numbers: the average price of road running shoes is $149, while super shoes average at $259! And, the thing is, most of them have to cost a lot because of the amount of research put in and the materials: premium foams cost more than standard foams, carbon-fiber plates add to the overall cost, same as other parts of the shoe that have to be as light as possible to deliver the best possible performance to the race day, and so on. 

However, you can always use our page dedicated to running shoe deals. Fingers crossed!