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The world of athletics is about to usher in a major revolution with the release of carbon fibre-plated footwear from many of the industry’s most popular brands - and you can shop them all exclusively at BlackToe Running this season! We have carefully curated the very best selection of carbon fibre shoes from Asics, Adidas, Hoka, Nike, New Balance and Saucony, so that we can help each athlete find the shoe that will work best for their needs.
Warning: there is a ton of information and just as many opinions about carbon fibre shoes, which can all be very overwhelming! We highly recommend contacting us at BlackToe Running to have our knowledgeable staff talk you through your options!
Between our state-of-the-art gait assessment technology and the collective experience of our sales team, we are dedicated to helping you select the best shoe for you. We have no biases towards any particular brand, and we genuinely believe that there is no “best shoe” - only the best shoe for a particular runner. Our suppliers trust us with these important releases because of our expertise, and nowhere else in Canada will you find this assortment of carbon fibre shoes in one store, or have the opportunity to receive such expert care during the shoe-fitting process. Let’s take a look at what you’ll find on the BlackToe Running shoe table this spring and summer!
New Balance’s philosophy and approach in the design of the FuelCell TC is similar to Nike’s Vaporfly and the Hoka Carbon X. It is a high-cushion shoe with a full-length carbon fibre plate, impressive rebound and an engaging ride for anything from 5 km to 42.2 km. The FuelCell TC is incredibly durable to serve runners well throughout both training and races, and features the highest drop out of this year’s carbon fibre plate shoe lineup, making it particularly attractive for natural heel strikers or runners who are dealing with achilles or lower leg issues. And we have this one available for Pre-Sale now!
This is the shoe Kipchoge wore when he successfully broke 2 hours! After creating a great deal of buzz, Nike’s controversial Air Zoom AlphaFly Next% is the now approved “street legal” shoe that everyone is talking about. To differentiate it from the success of Nike’s previously released Vaporfly 4% and Next% shoes, the AlphaFly Next% features a thicker stack, a brand new flyknit, called AtomKnit, and the addition of Nike’s famous Zoom Air unit to create a snappy stride. If you loved the flyknit version of the Vaporfly 4%, then the AlphaFly Next% might be your next favourite racing shoe!
Note: Original release date was April 9th but this was amended to June due to Covid 19.
This is the racing shoe that had everybody talking! It is fair to say that Nike’s Vaporfly line revolutionized running, as it was the first widely available and adopted shoe to feature a full-length carbon fibre plate and Nike’s light-as-air ZoomX foam. Following the success of the 4%, the Next% was updated with features like an engineered mesh upper and a more spacious toe area to allow forefoot muscles to engage. Nike claims that this shoe can make you 4-5% faster - care to test the theory!?
Hoka’s Carbon X has been consumer tested enough that we are confident to list it as one of the biggest competitors to the Next%. There are some key differences between the two, such as how Carbon X’s carbon fibre plate splits towards the front of the shoe to promote propulsion onto the big toe, it employs Hoka’s famous meta-rocker design to aid with momentum, and the wider platform provides additional stability and impact absorption. Hoka’s foam also tends to feel firmer underfoot than Nike’s, making it a great option for those who still want high-cushion but prefer a firmer ride.
The Hoka Evo Carbon Rocket stands out from the pack as a moderately-cushioned racing flat with a carbon fibre plate. Cam Levins wore the Evo Carbon Rocket when he made history by shattering the 43-year old Canadian marathon record in 2018, so there is compelling evidence behind the success of this shoe. For an everyday runner, it can work particularly well for 5-10km races, as it’s incredibly lightweight but also quite flat and offers much less cushion than the Carbon X. A confident midfoot runner will typically experience the most success from this shoe.
Molly Seidel had her breakthrough performance at the 2020 Olympic Trials when she ran her first ever marathon and qualified for the Olympics while wearing the Saucony Endorphin Pro! If you like the fit and underfoot feel of Saucony, then this might be the perfect carbon fibre shoe for you. It will feel familiar on the foot, but the full length carbon fibre plate and new speedroll forefoot rocker will put renewed pep in your step. It weighs even less than a Kinvara 11, so you’re getting an incredible amount of performance in an extremely lightweight package.
The Adidas AdiZero Pro is the most lightweight and least cushioned shoe in the 2020 lineup. With the AdiZero Pro, you can stay true to the racing-flat style of shoe while gaining the benefits of a carbon fibre plate. The carbon plate is only in the top portion of the shoe, not full length, which helps keep the shoe lightweight. Additionally, because the plate is not full length the shoe offers more flexibility for those who enjoy a natural ride with a lot of food flexion. The AdiZero Pro is a great option for people who want to dip their toe in the carbon fibre plate waters!
*May be delayed to May due to Covid 19.
Not much is yet known about this innovative carbon fibre shoe from Asics, but we’ve checked out the prototype and can tell you that it will be an exciting addition to the Asics lineup. The specs of this shoe are still under wraps, but you can expect similar design features as other Asics shoes, such as their trademark supportive heel cup, plus plenty of new tech and of course a carbon fibre plate!
| Shoe | Weight* | Drop | Stack* | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Balance FuelCell TC | 255g/9.0oz | 10mm | 30mm | $260 |
| Nike AlphaFly Next% | 210g/7.4oz | 4mm | 40mm | $365 |
| Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% | 187g/6.6oz | 8mm | 36mm | $330 |
| Hoka Carbon X | 247g/8.7oz | 5mm | 32mm | $225 |
| Hoka Evo Carbon Rocket | 219g/7.7oz | 1mm | 28mm | $215 |
| Saucony Endorphin Pro | 212g/7.5oz | 8mm | 35.5mm | $250 |
| Adidas AdiZero Pro | 198g/7.0oz | 9.5mm | 21mm | $250 |
*Weight is based on Men’s size 9 for comparison purposes and Stack refers to Heel Stack Height
Sizes and quantities for each shoe will be incredibly limited, so if you are excited about a particular model then be sure to add a release-date reminder to your calendar. Follow us on social media for regular updates, or visit us online at BlackToe Running. In Toronto to take advantage of our professional foot-strike assessments, staff expertise and our unbeatable curated selection of carbon fibre running shoes (when we reopen of course!).
Read more:
Learn a little more about the tech behind these shoes in a recent blog by our friends at the Running Physio!
Understand the Nike line-up better by reading our blog on their performance suite.
