Xtep 160X 1.0 Review: A Budget Carbon Plate Racer That Does Just Enough

Introduction

The Xtep 160X 1.0 is a lightweight carbon plate shoe aimed at racing and faster training sessions. It costs 93 pounds or 125 dollars, weighs 192 grams (6.8 ounces) for men in a size 8, and packs a full-length carbon plate, an X-Dynamic foam pivot midsole, and a breathable mesh upper into that weight.

Xtep may not be a brand you have heard of before, so expectations going in were modest. The price varies from week to week but it appears to be permanently on sale at that level, which is remarkably cheap for a carbon plate shoe. The obvious worry with a shoe that offers this much technology at this price is that corners have been cut somewhere. After around 40k of testing across easy pace, interval sessions, and consistently fast tempo runs, the honest verdict is that it is better than expected, but it is not going to blow you away.

Who the Xtep 160X 1.0 Is For

There are two audiences who might be drawn to this shoe. The first is runners who want a carbon plate shoe but are not prepared to spend 180 to 250 pounds on the leading super shoes. The second is runners who simply want a lightweight, fast trainer for tempo work and quicker sessions.

For the second group, this shoe makes sense. For the first, it does not deliver the same experience as the established carbon plate racers, and we will explain why below.

Fit and Comfort

The Xtep 160X 1.0 fits true to size, but it runs quite narrow. There is not much room in the forefoot and midfoot, and the lockdown is tight. That worked fine here, but wider feet would likely struggle, so pay attention to that before buying.

Comfort out of the box was excellent. There were no issues from the very first run, and the breathable mesh upper feels light on the foot without making feet hot. One thing to note: there is noticeably more cushioning in the heel than in the forefoot. For midfoot and forefoot strikers, that lack of forefoot protection becomes noticeable in the later kilometres of a run. It is not a major issue, but a bit more cushioning up front would make the shoe more comfortable.

Strengths: Grip, Outsole Protection and the Upper

Two things stand out in this shoe’s favour. First, there is a healthy level of outsole rubber, which does a good job of protecting the midsole foam and adding grip. The foam itself looks delicate, almost polystyrene-like in character, so the rubber coverage matters. After 40k there are no visible signs of wear and tear yet, though long-term durability of the midsole foam remains an open question that only more miles will answer.

Second, the grip is genuinely good. A wet 10k in these shoes produced no issues at all, which is reassuring for a racing shoe you may end up using in poor conditions.

How It Performs at Different Paces

At easy pace, the shoe did a fine job. It was comfortable and felt like it could happily handle faster efforts, sitting somewhere in the territory of a good lightweight tempo trainer. For daily training runs and sessions up to tempo pace, it would be an easy shoe to live with.

At faster paces, the picture is more complicated. The carbon plate here is very subtle. You can barely feel it, there is little propulsive kick, and the foam lacks bounce and responsiveness. It feels closer to a normal lightweight racing shoe with a touch of added midsole rigidity than a true super shoe. The closest comparison in feel is something like a firmer, less bouncy carbon plate racer: cushioning that leans firm, minimal pop, and a plate you don’t really notice.

For intervals around 3:10/km and a consistently fast run near 10k race pace, it held up fine, but it never felt like it had extra performance on offer. The design is clearly modelled on the Vaporfly style, all the way through to the outsole, but it is not in that league.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest issue with the 160X 1.0 is what it is not. If you are hoping to get a budget version of the Vaporfly or Adios Pro experience, this will not do it. You will not get the same bounce, softness, or plate responsiveness, and as a replacement for those shoes it would be a poor investment. Compared with the leading carbon plate racers, the plate lacks rigidity and the shoe lacks propulsion.

The carbon plate arguably makes this shoe seem worse than it actually is. Judged purely as a lightweight racer, it is comfortable, nippy, and does the job. But there are also non-plated shoes at similar prices that perform just as well for faster efforts, some with more cushioning, so the plate alone is not a reason to choose this shoe.

Buying Advice

If you want a lightweight fast shoe for tempo runs, 10k up to half marathon training, and quicker daily efforts, the Xtep 160X 1.0 is a reasonable buy at its sale price. It is as good as most other lightweight racing shoes and it is comfortable, grippy, and well protected by its outsole rubber.

If you specifically want a genuine carbon plate super shoe experience for racing, look elsewhere. This shoe would work for racing only if you had no other carbon plate alternative, and it is not one this reviewer would currently choose over preferred plated racers for a race. Long-term midsole durability is also unknown, so treat it as a value buy rather than a long-term workhorse.

Conclusion

The Xtep 160X 1.0 is a pleasant surprise at its price: a comfortable, lightweight racer with good grip and solid outsole protection, held back only by a carbon plate you can barely feel and foam without much bounce. Buy it for fast training and you will likely be happy. Buy it expecting a budget super shoe, and you will be disappointed.