By Noel Paine
I’ve been running and racing for more than 30 years, long enough to remember when “racing flat” meant thin foam, minimal structure, and the lightest weight you could tolerate. Today, the fastest marathon shoes are almost the opposite: max legal stack heights, exotic foams, carbon plates/rods, aggressive rockers, and — increasingly — prototypes that regular runners can’t even buy. But there are many super light and fast models that both the elites and everyone else can get their hands on to set personal bests (PBs).
Here is a 2026 recap of the best performing racing shoes at the most popular marathons around the world, last year.
And yet, the obvious question remains - If these shoes help the best in the world run faster, can they help you too?
A big part of the honest answer is: yes, for many runners — but not equally for everyone, and not without trade-offs. Recent research continues to show that “super shoes” can improve running economy on average (often reported in the ~2–4% range, depending on shoe and runner), but it also shows a more complicated story around individual response, biomechanics, and possible injury-risk changes. Source
A reminder worth keeping in mind (especially when you’re shopping): the shoes matter, but so does the engine. As London winner Sabastian Sawe put it after his breakthrough season: “The secret is trusting the process.” - The Guardian
Tokyo Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Tadese Takele | 2:03:23 | |
2nd | Deresa Geleta | 2:03:51 | |
3rd | Vincent Ngetich | 2:04:00 |
Tokyo Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Sutume Asefa Kebede | 2:16:31 | |
2nd | Winfridah Moraa | 2:16:56 | |
3rd | Hawi Feysa | 2:17:00 |
Boston Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | John Korir | 2:04:45 | |
2nd | Alphonce Simbu | 2:05:04 | |
3rd | Cybrian Kotut | 2:05:04 |
Boston Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Sharon Lokedi | 2:17:22 | |
2nd | Hellen Obiri | 2:17:41 | |
3rd | Yalemzerf Yehualaw | 2:18:06 |
London Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Sabastian Sawe | 2:02:27 | |
2nd | Jacob Kiplimo | 2:03:37 | |
3rd | Alexander Mutiso | 2:04:20 |
London Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Tigst Assefa | 2:15:50 | |
2nd | Joyciline Jepkosgei | 2:18:44 | |
3rd | Sifan Hassan | 2:19:00 |
Assefa’s performance also set a women’s-only marathon world record, pending standard ratification steps.
Sydney Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Hailemaryam Kiros | 2:06:06 | |
2nd | Addisu Gobena | 2:06:16 | |
3rd | Tebello Ramakongoana | 2:06:47 |
Sydney Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Sifan Hassan | 2:18:22 | |
2nd | Brigid Kosgei | 2:18:56 | |
3rd | Workenesh Edesa | 2:22:15 |
Berlin Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Sabastian Sawe | 2:02:16 | |
2nd | Akira Akasaki | 2:06:15 | |
3rd | Chimdessa Debele | 2:06:57 |
Berlin Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Rosemary Wanjiru | 2:21:05 | |
2nd | Dera Dida | 2:21:08 | |
3rd | Azmera Gebru | 2:21:29 |
Chicago Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Jacob Kiplimo | 2:02:23 | |
2nd | Amos Kipruto | 2:03:54 | |
3rd | Alex Masai | HOKA prototype | 2:04:37 |
Chicago Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Hawi Feysa | 2:14:56 | |
2nd | Megertu Alemu | 2:17:18 | |
3rd | Magdalena Shauri | 2:18:03 |
New York City Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Benson Kipruto | 2:08:09 | |
2nd | Alexander Mutiso Munyao | 2:08:09 | |
3rd | Albert Korir | 2:08:57 |
New York City Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Hellen Obiri | 2:19:51 | |
2nd | Sharon Lokedi | 2:20:07 | |
3rd | Sheila Chepkirui | 2:20:24 |
World Championships Marathon 2025 — Men's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Alphonce Simbu | 2:09:48 | |
2nd | Amanal Petros | 2:09:48 | |
3rd | Iliass Aouani | 2:09:53 |
World Championships Marathon 2025 — Women's
Position | Runner | shoe | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | Peres Jepchirchir | 2:24:43 | |
2nd | Tigst Assefa | 2:24:45 | |
3rd | Julia Paternain | 2:27:23 |
The Three Shoes That Defined 2025
What Changed in 2025? The Big Shoe Trends Hiding in the Results
What changed in 2025? The big shoe trends hiding in the results.
Adidas “owned” the podium — especially in men’s racing.
Across the majors, adidas repeatedly shows up with Pro Evo 1 / Pro Evo 2 / Adios Pro 4 on the biggest days. Shoe-spotting season recaps and mainstream footwear coverage both point to adidas taking the largest share of major-marathon wins and podium influence in 2025.
The “prototype economy” is now normal
2025 podiums included.
In other words - for elites, the race shoe isn’t just a product — it’s often a development platform.
On’s LightSpray era is real — but it’s still “rare air”.
On’s Cloudboom Strike LS (built around LightSpray tech) landed on major podiums (notably Tokyo women’s win, NYC women’s win).
For most runners, it’s a reminder of where the market is going: lighter uppers, highly specific fits, and manufacturing innovation, not just new foam recipes.
Sport Science - What the Research Says Right Now (and what it doesn’t)
Modern super shoes can improve running economy on average; meta-analyses and reviews keep finding meaningful benefits, but with individual variability (some runners benefit more than others).
The “complication layer” most runners miss
The Rules Backdrop (why stack heights still matter)
World Athletics rules still shape what brands can bring to the start line in sanctioned competition (which is why you’ll see “super trainers” exceeding legal stack heights positioned as training shoes rather than race shoes).
Will a racing shoe help you?
Yes — if:
But it can backfire if:
Fitting Advice
For fitting and race shoe, a super light elite running shoe, the same principles apply as for any shoe -
Things to pay attention to in a super elite running shoe -
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