The Best Super Shoes of 2026: Carbon-Plated Power Rankings (Nike vs Adidas vs ASICS vs Puma)

Shop these shoes at Running Warehouse (free shipping on EVERYTHING and 90-day no question returns): 👉 https://bit.ly/MH-RunningWarehouse Carbon-plated super shoes now dominate marathon racing — but which ones are actually the best in 2026? Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr break down the definitive super shoe power rankings, based on elite podium results, real-world marathon data from Chicago and New York, and hands-on testing of every major racing shoe on the market. We rank Nike, Adidas, ASICS, Puma, Saucony, New Balance, On, and more — including the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2, Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, Nike Alphafly 3, ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo, and other carbon-plated marathon shoes. This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order And by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com We cover: - Which super shoes dominate World Marathon Majors - Why nearly two-thirds of marathon runners now wear carbon plates - Which shoes are overrated, underrated, or aging fast - The future of super shoes in 2026 and beyond Timestamped Chapters: 00:00 – Super Shoe Power Rankings Explained 02:05 – Why 2026 Is a Huge Moment for Super Shoes 04:10 – Chicago & NYC Marathon Shoe Data Breakdown 07:50 – Which Brands Dominate the Marathon Field 11:45 – Why the Nike Alphafly 3 Is Everywhere 15:05 – How We Ranked the Best Super Shoes 27:10 – Shoe #10: The Surprise Entry 31:15 – Shoe #9: A Fallen Giant 35:20 – Shoe #8: The Robot Shoe 39:45 – Shoe #7: Built for Elites Only 44:30 – Shoe #6: The Workhorse Super Shoe 49:55 – Shoe #5: The Most Underrated Racer 52:20 – Shoe #4: The Most Controversial Pick 57:45 – Shoe #3: The ASICS Takeover 01:00:55 – Shoe #2: The Fastest Feeling Shoe 01:04:15 – Shoe #1: The Best Super Shoe in the World 01:07:30 – Our Personal Rankings (Where We Disagree) 01:16:10 – Most Overrated & Underrated Shoes 01:19:45 – Super Shoe Trends for 2026 01:23:40 – The Future of Sub-2 & Brand Rivalries 01:27:40 – What’s Next for super shoes Marathon Handbook Super Shoe Power Rankings (Winter 2026): 1. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 2. Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 3. ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo (Sky / Edge) 4. Nike Alphafly 3 5. Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 6. Adidas Adios Pro 4 7. ASICS Metaspeed Ray 8. On Cloudboom Strike LS 9. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 (V2) 10. New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite 5 Alex Cyr’s Top 10 Super Shoes: 1. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 2. Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 3. ASICS Metaspeed Tokyo (Sky / Edge) 4. Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 5. Nike Alphafly 3 6. ASICS Metaspeed Ray 7. Adidas Adios Pro 4 8. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 (V2) 9. New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite 5 10. On Cloudboom Strike LS Michael Doyle’s Top 10 Super Shoes: 1. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 2. ASICS Metaspeed Sky/Edge Tokyo 3. Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 4. Nike Alphafly 3 5. Adidas Adios Pro 4 6. ASICS Metaspeed Ray 7. Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 8. On Cloudboom Strike LS 9. Nike Vaporfly 4 10. Tracksmith Eliot Racer Previous Power Rankings (Summer 2025) 1. Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 2. Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 3. Nike Alphafly 3 4. Adidas Adios Pro 4 5. ASICS Metaspeed Sky/Edge 6. Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 7. On Cloudboom Strike LS 8. ASICS Metaspeed Ray 9. Nike Vaporfly 4 10. Tracksmith Eliot Racer 11. On Cloudboom Strike 12. Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 Brand Podium Scores (World Marathon Majors + Worlds) (Gold = 3 pts · Silver = 2 pts · Bronze = 1 pt) • Adidas — 22 podiums | 46 points • ASICS — 11 podiums | 21 points • Nike — 10 podiums | 20 points • On — 3 podiums | 8 points • Puma — 3 podiums | 5 points • Under Armour — 2 podiums | 5 points • Saucony — 1 podium | 1 point • Hoka — 1 podium | 1 point • Xtep — 1 podium | 1 point 📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at podcast@marathonhandbook.com. 🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook 📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter We make a small commission on any affiliate links you make click through and purchase shoes on, so thanks for your support! #supershoes #RunningShoes #MarathonTraining #Marathon #RunningPodcast #NikeAlphafly3 #NikeVaporfly4 #AdidasAdiosProEvo2 #AdidasAdiosProEvo1 #AdidasAdiosPro4 #ASICSMetaspeedSkyTokyo #ASICSMetaspeedEdgeTokyo #ASICSMetaspeedRay #PumaFastRNitroElite3 #SauconyEndorphinElite2 #NewBalanceFuelCellSuperCompEliteV5 #NewBalanceFuelCellSuperCompEliteV4 #OnCloudboomStrike #OnCloudboomStrikeLS #TracksmithElliotRacer #HokaCieloX1 #HokaCieloX1V2 #HokaRocketX3 #BrooksHyperionElite5 #UnderArmourVelocityElite3 #DiadoraGaraCarbon2 #PumaDeviateNitroElite3 #AdidasPrimeXEvo #MizunoWaveRebellionPro #TYRCarbonElite #CEPOmniSpeed #Xtep160X35Pro #AntaCarbonPlate