Top 5 Carbon Plated Racing Shoes of 2023

Introduction

2023 was a strong year for carbon plated racing shoes. New foams, new plate shapes, and some genuinely bold designs all landed at once, and picking favorites meant balancing stack height, weight, foam feel, and the distance you actually plan to race. This list covers five shoes that stood out, starting at number five and working up to the top pick for racing marathon miles.

5. Salomon S/LAB Phantasm 2

The Phantasm 2 is very different from last year’s version, largely because Salomon brought PEBA into the mix. It is a tall-stacked shoe, with 37 mm of stack in the heel and a 9 mm drop built around a plate. It has a retro look and, in some ways, a retro feel, with a bit of nostalgia working in its favor.

What keeps it current is that it feels more updated than it looks: a little more responsive and a little firmer than the older-school shoes it might remind you of. Overall it is an excellent racer with a personality of its own.

4. Adidas Takumi Sen 9

The Takumi Sen 9 is one of the most enjoyable shoes in the series to run fast in, but it takes the number four spot for a simple reason: it is not really a marathon racing shoe. It is designed for 5K and 10K racing, and the setup reflects that.

It uses Lightstrike Pro with only 33 mm of foam in the heel and a 6 mm drop. The energy rods on the outsole are not carbon; they are reinforced with glass fiber. Even so, what you get is an extremely lightweight, extremely agile shoe that is a lot of fun at short race paces. It also shines in marathon training, particularly mile repeats at threshold pace, where it is just about perfect.

3. Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro

Mizuno is a new name on this kind of list, and the Wave Rebellion Pro earns the spot with an unusual, bold design. It technically falls within World Athletics specs, with 39 mm of stack in the heel and just a 4 mm drop, which is a nice profile for marathon-effort workouts and racing.

The upper fits really well, and despite the quirky looks, it is a genuinely fun shoe to run in. If you want a marathon racer that does not look like everyone else’s, this is the one.

2. Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1

The Adios Pro Evo 1 is one of the rarest and most expensive racing shoes you can find, coming in at $500. It is also absurdly light: 134 g, or 4.7 oz in a US men’s size 9. The magic is a special non-compression molded version of Lightstrike Pro, which makes the ride extra spongy and extra exciting. That process is also what makes it expensive, since the foam essentially has to be hand carved from a block.

The trade-off is a shorter lifespan than a conventional racer. For a non-elite runner, racing a full marathon in it may be a stretch, which is why it takes the number two spot rather than the crown. It is still a thrilling shoe to run in, and it hints at where marathon racing is heading.

1. Saucony Endorphin Elite

Released early in 2023 and easy to overlook by year’s end, the Endorphin Elite earns the top spot. Saucony developed a new foam for this shoe, PWRRUN HG, a supercritical PEBA foam combined with a forked plate that literally looks like a fork made of carbon fiber.

The forefoot has a nice wide landing pad that provides plenty of cushion and plenty of area to spring back into the next stride. The upper is extremely breathable and lightweight, and despite how big the shoe looks, it comes in at just 7.2 oz, or 204 g. The hard part of marathon racing shoes is maximizing foam while keeping weight down, and this combination does both. That balance makes it the best carbon plated racer of the year for marathon miles.

How to Choose the Right One

Match the shoe to the distance. If your race day is a 5K or 10K, the Takumi Sen 9’s agility and light weight are hard to beat. For the marathon, the Endorphin Elite offers the best mix of cushion and low weight, while the Wave Rebellion Pro is a fun, low-drop alternative with plenty of stack. The Phantasm 2 suits runners who want a firmer, slightly retro feel at tall stack heights. The Adios Pro Evo 1 is a special-occasion tool: extraordinary to run in, but expensive and short-lived, so treat it as a race-day-only shoe.

Conclusion

The takeaway from 2023 is that there is no single best carbon plated racer for everyone. Short-distance specialists, marathon cruisers, and collectors of ultra-light oddities each have a genuinely great option here, and the Endorphin Elite’s blend of new supercritical foam and a forked carbon plate set the standard for the year.