Are carbon-plate running shoes overrated? I tested high-performance nylon plates to find out

Carbon-plate running shoes promise running personal bests for high cost and stiffness. So wouldn’t it be good if a cheaper nylon plate could perform nearly as well and feel less harsh?

Well, a fast and versatile running shoe like the nylon-plated Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 suggests carbon isn’t always superior. At $175/£180 it’s by no means cheap, yet compares favourably to the carbon-plated competition. As does to a lesser extent the $225/£210 Asics Megablast.

Experienced runner and endurance sport kit tester Ed Pickering recently laced up both performance-oriented running shoes to see which is best for brisk training sessions and races.

Design and features

As alluded to, both have nylon plates. This is a semi-rigid nylon plate sandwiched between two layers of PWRRUN foam in the Endorphin Speed 5, for a responsive and comfortable ride.

While on the Megablast it slots between Asics’ FF Turbo Squared midsole, a bouncy foam that returns a lot of energy.

In terms of geometry, both have a 8mm heel drop, a figure that generally suits heel strikers.

They are both tall running shoes too. The Saucony Endorphin Speed’s 36mm/28mm stack produces a slight slant to the sole for propulsion. The Megablast is even more cushioned with a 45mm heel stack and 35mm in the forefoot.

As for the upper, the Endorphin Speed’s is lightweight mesh and the Megablast’s is breathable woven material.

On the scales, the Megablast is marginally light at 7.8oz/223g. The Endorphin Speed weighs 8.4oz/237g.

Fit and feel

The Saucony Endorphin Speed was a better fit for Ed’s wider feet because the Megablast was a tad too snug in the forefoot. This led to some chafing on the little toe. Unfortunately it is only available in this one width.

On the run though, the Megablast felt extremely propulsive thanks to its aggressive stack/drop geometry and high-energy return foam.

Its lively feel seemed to deliver faster splits and reduced effort for similar run sessions compared to standard trainers.

While still fast and bouncy, the Endorphin Speed 5 has a more forgiving ride.

It excels in interval and tempo sessions, showcasing its ability to handle everything from recovery runs to long marathon training miles.

Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 vs Asics Megablast specs

As you can see below, the specs are near identical apart from the Megablast’s higher height and lower weight.

Ed liked the aesthetics of both shoes, but if the purple/black Megablast colourway isn’t your thing, the colour range of the Endorphin Speed is much bigger.

	Asics Megablast	Saucony Endorphin Speed 5
Price	$225 / £210	$175/£180
Weight	7.8oz/223g	8.4oz/237g
Sizing	US: women’s 5-15.5; men’s 3.5-14 UK: Unisex 2.5-13	6-14 (UK men’s), 3-10 (UK women’s)
Features	Woven upper, FF turbo squared foam, gusseted tongue wing fit system	PWRRUN foam midsole, winged nylon plate
Drop	8mm	8mm
Stack	45mm	36mm / 28mm
Pronation	Neutral / underpronation	Neutral
Colours	White/Piedmont Grey and Edo Purple/Black (tested)	Citron/Lapis (tested), White/Citron, White/Mutant, Black/VO2, Black/White, White/Gum

Price and value for money

Being considerably cheaper and more versatile in Ed’s view, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 is better value.

It probably could be the shoe you wear for most road runs, including racing, augmenting their value.

That said, the Megablast are $40/£40 cheaper than some carbon-plate running shoes and have much the same feel at speed.

Verdict

Because we’re comparing race shoes here, albeit ones suitable for speed work as well, the Asics Megablast have the edge. Their lower weight, higher energy return and propulsion should prove faster in a race.

Their relative firmness (for a nylon-plate shoe) and narrowish toe box could compromise comfort for you. So in this regard as well as for all-round use, the Endorphin Speed could be better.

Meet our reviewer

Edward Pickering is an experienced journalist, a former editor of Procycling and Rouleur magazines and the author of Ronde, The Yellow Jersey Club and The Race Against Time. He has covered 18 Tours de France, the Olympic Games and most major international bike races on the ground, and he’s interviewed pretty much all the biggest stars in cycling in the last 20 years.

A keen endurance athlete, Ed has been competing in bike and running races since his teens. He’s run a sub-three marathon, a sub-17-minute 5k and sub-5-minute mile, and doesn’t know where his obsession with round numbers comes from.