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If your pockets are deep enough – and your running goals are strong enough – these are the shoes to help you race at your best

Running shoes with a carbon fibre plate in them are here to stay, whether you like it or not (and chances are you do, especially if chasing a PB). A technological advancement in running shoe tech, born out of the Nike Breaking 2 project, now has pretty much every running shoe brand producing carbon plate running shoes – though not all are created equal and they most certainly don't perform the same.

The shoes listed below, unless otherwise stated, are designed for racing longer races from half marathon onwards. That's not to say that they won't feel good on a gentle 5K plod, but it's not what they are ultimately designed for, so the recommendations are based upon use at pace, in longer races.

Why is pace important? When you run fast (whatever fast may be to you), you run with greater efficiency and these shoes are built to enhance that efficiency, so that's when you get the most benefit from them.

Carbon plate running shoes all sit around the 40mm stack height (the max height for a shoe stack as set by World Athletics), which is a lot of foam/shoe. This means that if you're a minimal shoe wearer or just someone who likes to 'feel' the ground when running, these might not be for you, as there is a certain amount of disconnect that takes place with any larger shoe. This is not to say that you'll be stomping around unable to feel your feet on the ground, but there is a degree of instability that comes with a larger shoe.

The shoes have been tested by a variety of runners of all shapes, size and ability over a wide range of distances, but focused primarily on the marathon.

The shoe that can trace its roots back to the beginning, the Nike Next% 2 is still the benchmark at which other carbon fibre running shoes aim, at least in popularity. You only need to glance at runners' feet at races and the flashes of green and pink will tell you just how commonplace they are now.

They are slightly more hardy then previous versions and will get you through several races before they're destined for the back of the cupboard, but they're still a lightweight, stripped back race shoe and this means you don't want to be doing too many training runs in them.

When race day comes however, you'll find that

If major races won is a barometer of how good a shoe is, since it first appeared, the Adizero Adios Pro has helped a number elites to the top step of the podium, such as Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, who took gold in the women's marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This latest version is a fast and comfortable shoe, with no carbon plate as such in the midsole, but five energy rods (mimicking the five metatarsal bones of the foot). The lack of a full carbon plate does not diminish the performance of these shoes, and if you're after a race day shoe for under £200, then these are the real deal.

They're also some of the better looking shoes in this list – so you know you'll look sharp on race day.

The most expensive shoe in the list and perhaps the most revered, this is the one if you have Kipchoghe levels of expectation from your shoes.

With dual airpods under the forefoot, combined with a wedge of ZoomX foam and a custom carbon plate, it truly is a thoroughbred race shoe. And though it's comfortable when plodding about, it just wants to go fast and show you what it's capable of. You just need to make sure you are ready to keep up!

If your criteria of what a race day shoe delivers is comfort just edging performance, then the New Balance FuelCell RC Elite is the shoe for you. It's large stack height of FuelCell foam offers a plush ride, while the carbon fibre plate adds that zing you need when upping the pace.

The only real payoff for the comfort is a little more weight to the shoe compared to others, but it's marginal when other factors are taken into account. If you're a NB fan then its carbon offering is a solid choice.

ASICS entered the carbon shoe battle a little later than others, but it came in with a bang with the Metaspeed Sky. Comparative to the Vaporfly from a performance point of view, ASICS has done a great job in striking the right balance between ride comfort and all-out speed.

Differing from the Vaporfly, however, is the 33m stack height and slightly firmer ride feel. This gives the shoe a snappy and fast feeling across all race distances. The shoe's versatility and performance has really impressed us.

Since Des Linden won the Boston Marathon in a prototype of the first shoe, the Hyperion Elite has always had the performance kudos of a carbon shoe but initially failed to deliver (firm ride, short self-life etc).

Version 2, however, is different, and for the current price – £100 less than the top-tier shoes – delivers in spades with its springy ride feel.

A real plus of the shoe is that, once on the foot, it feels less noticeable than some of the other shoes, but still goes great-guns when you up the pace.

If there were such a thing as an everyday super shoe, then the Carbon X 3 would be it. It's usability and versatility are what make this shoe so great, rather than it's out-and-out performance.

This might well be a negative for those who just a pure race shoe, but if you want to spend your hard earned money on a shoe that can be used for training AND racing and some other bits (and you're happy you might not be X% faster), then these are a smart option.

The feel on the run is more understated than the likes of the Vaporfly or RC, but it's no lame horse – remember Jim Walmsley running 100K in the Carbon X 2? It's just that it doesn't quite have the same punch as the other shoes on this list.

A PEBA midsole, carbon plate and rocker profile all contribute to the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 being one of the best shoes we tested. The shoe feels nimble for a tall shoe, delivers a smooth ride thanks to the rocker, and there's a real sense of propulsion from the plate when you dig in.

We're also really into the orange and yellow block colourways, which offer something a little different from the patterned fluro that's become commonplace with carbon shoes.

If you're chasing a marathon PB this year, you really can't go wrong with this shoe.

All our testers rated this shoe, which to be honest, we were pretty surprised by. Puma has been a bit hit and miss with running shoes in recent years, but the Deviate line has been impressive and this shoe is the crowning glory of it.

For £160 you get a lot of good stuff for little weight: it's got all the trademarks of a proper race shoe, like a special nitrogen infused PEBA midsole and carbon plate but comes in lighter than most carbon shoes (around 200g, size dependent). This delivers a speedy yet comfy, cushioned ride feel, which will see you flying on race day. Carbon performance at a slightly more affordable price.

This being an On shoe, the ride is firm and direct and the carbon plate only enhances these traits. The rocker profile of the shoe gives it a fluidity through the gait cycle that makes it feel efficient and stable – more precise, perhaps, than some of the other shoes on this list. However, it does lack cushioning and that becomes more noticeable the further you run in them.

The price is the biggest boundary to selecting these shoes. It places them bang in the middle of the Vaporfly, RC and Metaspeed, which our testers universally agreed delivered more bang for their buck when it came to comfort and performance.