2025 Favourite Race Day Shoe Introduction
To end the year, we take a look at our 2025 favourite race day shoe. There have been many options to choose from this year. Nike relaunched the Streakfly. ASICS unleashed the new FFLeap on the world to great fanfare and brought the price of hypershoes down a touch with the launch of the Metaspeed Ray. PUMA seemed to take the crown for the social media shoe of the year. But, what took our fancy and helped us push the paces on race day?
For the more generalist daily shoes, look here. If you want an easier day option look here. Or, if you are after trail offerings, our daily faves are here and the racers are here.
Thys’ 2025 Favourite Race Day Shoe – ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo
Without a doubt the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is in a league of its own. Very little, maybe even nothing, that I dislike about this shoe. Ultra-lightweight, a great lockdown and an aggressive race day shoe that feels like you are getting those (not-so) marginal gains. I only put this shoe on on race day, having run a longer (10 miler) and shorter (8k) race in them. They are unbeatable in weight, feeling really like you are barely lifting your feet, which is not a given with high-stack race day shoes, especially those that I tested this year.
The new FF Leap foam may be to thank? Or maybe this shoe is just perfectly suited to my forefoot, high cadence running style. Whatever it is, the Japanese brand have yet again outdone themselves in the latest iteration of their racing shoe. It’s not just me who loves them, you see more and more podiums and professionals – even in the triathlon world, opting for this pair, as they truly are the top of the line racing model. Not to throw shade to any other brands, but the Metaspeed Edge sits far clear of most, if not all of the other racing shoes I have tested this year.
Ivan’s 2025 Favourite Race Day Shoe – PUMA Fast-R Nitro 3
Of all the race shoes I tried this year, the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 stands alone. For most of the year, the Nike Vaporfly 4 was my top contender. I still haven’t managed to test the latest Asics Metaspeed Edge, which has long been one of my favorites. PUMA, however, brings something very different, and it simply works for me. I also believe the geometry suits many runners, not just cadence or stride types. The shoe feels extremely aggressive and very direct. The bounce pushes you forward, and the snappy geometry also works for high-cadence runners like me. I can’t judge PUMA’s own efficiency claims, but my own data supports the shoe’s benefits. My perceived effort also matches what the numbers show. I love seeing real innovation in this category.
My favorite last year was the adidas Pro Evo. I don’t find its new version a major upgrade, but PUMA truly stepped up this year. This year, I will race the Valencia Marathon in the Fast-R 3. I know its aggressive nature won’t suit everyone over a marathon. Still, it performed well in my longest marathon workouts, so I have to trust it on race day.
Andy’s 2025 Favourite Race Day Shoe – HOKA Cielo X1 2.0
My favourite race day shoe of the year probably has to be the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0. I was lucky enough to run in a few different carbon plated beasts this year. The streets of Barcelona saw a very enjoyable half marathon in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB. This is a very welcome upgrade to the dead foam in the previous version. I was also lucky enough to test the Hyperion Elite v5 which takes it a level higher. There was also the Speedland RX:CCD. This is a very different kind of race shoe built with ultra distances in mind. Then there was the Streakfly 2, a super aggressive road spike which saw me run some of the best races I had of 2025 over our short distance road relays. But that is a little too limited for the overall race day crown.
HOKA also provided me with the super durable Rocket X 3. A shoe which is perfect for hard workouts and challenging long runs which just falls short of the real race day feelings I want.
This is where the Cielo X1 2.0 really came into its own. The wild ride, which was far too unstable for some, really gelled with my running style. It was a shoe which genuinely made me feel fast when I ran in it. My Strava paces may have disagreed with my definition of fast but the psychological feel was there. It was lighter, more aggressive and more comfortable than the previous version and it really hit the spot for me!
Tim’s 2025 Favourite Race Day Shoes – Nike Alphafly 3 and Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB
Unlike some of my teammates, I’m a heel-to-midfoot striker. I think it’s important to mention this upfront because when it comes to pure racing models, where performance and efficiency are the main goals, running mechanics probably matter even more than with any other type of shoe. Another thing worth noting is that I tested fewer racing shoes this year compared to last year, simply because I raced less in 2025.
That being said, aside from the HOKA Rocket X 3 and the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure, which I could realistically consider for a 5 km or 10 km race, I always end up coming back to two models from 2024: the Nike Alphafly 3 and the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB. The Alphafly 3 is definitely not the lightest shoe on the market, and for that reason it’s not my first choice for shorter distances given my running style.
However, for longer efforts like the marathon, or a marathon within an Ironman in my case this year, it’s my favorite option. It strikes the perfect balance between comfort and performance. The amount of cushioning is spot on, the last works perfectly for my feet and helps prevent blisters. Meanwhile, the overall stability limits unnecessary stress on my ankles and knees. The combination of ZoomX foam, plate and Zoom Air Pods, along with the geometry of the shoe, makes it incredibly efficient. In terms of durability, it’s also quite impressive, especially when compared to other Nike racing models like the Vaporfly series, or even some competing brands.
For shorter distances, I mostly raced in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB. In my opinion, it’s probably one of the most accessible racing shoes on the market. It suits a very wide range of runners, except those with very wide feet, thanks to its stability. If you compare it to more extreme and demanding models like the ASICS MetaSpeed series or the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure mentioned earlier, it’s crazy how stable this shoe is for its geometry and specs. It’s light, the upper works perfectly for my feet and the midsole setup with DNA Gold foam and the SpeedVault Race+ plate makes it very efficient for my running mechanics.
So unlike last year, my racing shoe of 2025 is actually a model released in 2024. That said, I’m fully aware that I’m missing a few major players, like the PUMA Deviate Nitro Fast-R 3 and the ASICS MetaSpeed Edge Tokyo. The good news is that if you’re looking to save some money, there are plenty of excellent racing options discounted, and I can confidently say you won’t be compromising on performance.
