Nick got it spot on. Vaporfly 3 feels noticeably more propellant than my Takumi Sen 8 and Rocket x 1. But the Takumi Sen feels so light and agile that I'd be tempted to use it on a tighter course or a less important race.
I agree that the Alphafly works at any distance. As an old man at 52, I need cushioning and the Alphafly has stopped all of my ankle and knee pain. They also provide stability for my overpronating ankles. Previously run in Hokas for stability and cushioning. The Alphas changed my world. I’ve just bought Vaporfly 3’s. I’m not expecting much stability but should be brilliant over shorter distances for me.
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 is the prefect blend of Vaporfly & Takumi Sen. You get more cushion, still get amazing grip and not too bouncy for 5k pace. Also very light shoe.
My lifetime best is 14:43 back in '85 (wearing spikes). At my current old age, I'd use the AF1 or maybe Sky Paris (haven't tried yet). If I were in my 20's in today's world, I'd take a different route than any of the Testers - Streakfly, Cyclone 2, or Sinister - to mimic spikes as closely as possible.
I find it almost unbelievable to hear someone say that Adidas' Takumi Sen is a sneaker with little cushioning! People seem to have lost memory that until a few years ago our competition shoes were much lower, almost low to the ground. They are as if hypnotized by the manufacturer's information that the Takumi is a shoe for just 5km and 10km! I'm not an elite runner, I weigh 80 kg and I use the Takumi Sen 9 and 10 for half marathon competitions without any problems. I'm also a veteran runner and I've certainly run more than half of my 29 marathons that I've completed with shoes with less cushioning than the Takumi Sen. As I also have the Adios Pro 3, maybe for my next marathon I'll even leave my takumis aside, but for For the half marathons I will do this year, I have no doubts about using them as they are lighter and more agile than the Adios Pro.
True. Takumi Sen 10 has a 33 mm stack which is far from low to ground, quite the opposite! I am contemplating between TS and Adios Pro and currently leaning towards TS as I think it will be more versatile for me, from interval workouts to half marathons.
Fast 5km runs are the most brutal in my opinion. I only started running regularly a couple of years ago at 45. Having a compressed nerve in my back I was apprehensive about the impact running would have on it, but I was feeling sluggish and my wife had started running so I thought I'd give it a go. I grabbed a pair of Clifton 8s and was going ok, sub 25 minutes after a little while, but not really progressing much. I then grabbed a pair of Endorphin Pro 2s on sale, not really knowing much about them or super shoes in general. I was doing only 5km runs about 4 or 5 times a week and with those shoes, my times just kept dropping until I got down to 17:32 around this time last year. I still have the shoes in pretty much perfect condition and they still feel like the snappiest 5km shoe I own. I also have the Pro 3 and Deviate Nitro 2 (regular and Elite). So the Endorphin Pro 2 for me, even though I rarely go all out on a 5km run at the moment as I've been running generally 10km to 15km. And because all out 5km runs are just brutal.
I agree with Tom regarding the AF1 as first pick for 5km .. I would only pick Vaporfly over AF for like 1km distance or less .. as soon as I get tired of my running at my max speed, I feel like the AF1 helps me continue for longer .. my 5k PB is 18:00
My parkrun pb was 20:54 in saucony fastwich 9 took me nearly 5 years to beat it, first in endorphin pro 3 and then puma nitro elite 2 (only by 8 seconds) such small margins on shorter races between the shoes, but my legs and feet definitely appreciate the modern shoes, I tried going back to the fastwich 9 but they feel harsh now 😀
i used to do my speedwork with saucony type a8 and it felt great at the time. now i almost feel the harshness just thinking about running with it. probably would still feel good during workout when muscles are properly warmed up but the recovery time takes longer
The vaporfly are hardly ever on discount, whereas the older models of takumi sen are always on sale somewhere and costs like half the price of the Vaporfly, so it's a no brainer.
Perfect timing with 5000m Masters race next week. Hard to choose between Vaporfly 2, Sen 9 or Dragonfly. Although my Parkrun PB is in Endorphin Pro 3, I wouldn't use them on the track.
Takumi Sen for me as well guys 👍🏻do you find the new upper on the 10 to be less rigid than previous 8/9 generations ? I suffer awful blister on my broken little toe so have to strap it
I want the Takumi Sen 10 to be my short race shoe but I just don't feel it gives enough back. It's fast because it's super light. Not because it's responsive. Awesome for short interval training but nothing like the Vaporfly next% 2 or saucony speed 2s I have (not tried newer versions). They feel like cheat codes when you wear them. They propel you forward so much. It's amazing how versatile the vaporfly 2 is. If they could last 700km you wouldn't need any other shoes. I would race my 5km in those.
Would the Metaspeed Sky Paris be better than the Edge Paris for a 5k? I have the Edge Paris and it is currently the fastest shoe I have. I got the Edge over the Sky because most reviewers said the Edge is better for heel and mid foot strikers, plus I have never run in a shoe with a high plate before.
I am training towards completing a 2.5km track run in 10 minutes for a PAT. I cycle and swim but do not really “do” running but at 59 my first ever time was just under 12. I know nothing but continue to run about 3k on road 2 or 3 times a week. After 6 weeks my pace is improving a bit and less exhausted after running. I bought ASIC gel Columbus which were the best fit for my narrow low arch feet and have no issues at all… except they are still a little baggy for my narrow feet. However the track we do the test n is an “all weather” and has a lot of “give” if that is the right word. I need to achieve my best time on this track so am wondering if something like the Adidas shoes featured would be better than the ASICS which are quite spongy?
I had an issue with the Metaspeed Sky+ causing rubbing on the outside of my little toe, same with the Takumi Sen 9, but not with Alphafly V1, Vaporfly V2 or Endorphin Pro 3. Is the Metaspeed Sky Paris marginally wider in the toe box or have a softer inner surface to the upper?
Just want to say SEN 9 is perfectly fine for even 20k+ runs as I've done despite it being marketed as a "5k/10k shoe". No aches or pains afterwards. So I'm assuming sen 10 also. People were running in far less advanced shoes then we have today. A sen 9/10 would be like a PRIME X Sprung to people back in the day. People ran in shoes with midsoles as thin as flip flops. But today we're like nah, cant run in XYZ, I need that mega stack, that plush plush, that spicy carbon. 😂People don't be fooled by marketing.
Yes, back in the 70's and 80's, cushion was nil and you picked race flats primarily based on weight or foot shape. But we were sore for days after a hard 5 or 10, and damn near cripples after a 10m to marathon. After I tried to make Oly Trials in '85 (for '86), I still felt leg fatigue 2 weeks later. Unsurprisingly, we had a lot of injuries!