Best Marathon Shoes Without a Carbon Plate: 6 Picks to Train and Race In

The best marathon shoe without a carbon plate is the ASICS Megablast: a 45 mm stack of ASICS' FF Turbo Squared foam at 8.1 oz (men's 9), with no plate at all and a wide option. It is light enough to race, cushioned enough for 20-mile long runs, and Believe in the Run lists its best use as "pretty much everything". The adidas Adizero Evo SL is the lighter, lower alternative, and the ASICS Superblast 3 has the most foam.

Four of the six picks have no plate at all. Two (the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 and Brooks Hyperion Max 4) have a nylon plate, which answers the "no carbon" question without going fully plateless. We did not run in any of them; rankings come from published specs, stated uses and named reviewers' findings.

Why run a marathon without carbon?

Because the plate may not be the main thing making super shoes fast. In a 2022 study, researchers cut the carbon plate of a Nike Vaporfly 4% with six crosswise cuts in the forefoot and tested 15 runners at 14 km/h. Running economy did not significantly change (on average 0.55% worse in the cut shoe). The authors concluded that the energy savings likely come from the combination and interaction of the foam, the shoe's geometry and the plate, not from plate stiffness alone.

That study didn't test the shoes on this page, so it doesn't prove any of them is as fast as a carbon racer. But it is a good reason not to assume a plateless shoe is a big step down. Most of these shoes also share a foam family with their brand's carbon racer: Lightstrike Pro in the Evo SL (as in the Adios Pro 4), PWRRUN PB in the Speed 5 and Azura (as in the Endorphin Pro 5), FF Leap in the Superblast 3 (as in the Metaspeed Tokyo shoes) and DNA Gold in the Hyperion Max 4 (as in the Hyperion Elite 6).

There is a comfort angle too. In a 2026 study of runners at slower speeds, comfort was a stronger driver of shoe preference than oxygen cost, even though the super shoe tested did lower oxygen cost. Over 26.2 miles, a shoe you are happy in for hours matters.

Who these shoes suit, and who should still consider carbon

A plateless or nylon-plated shoe makes sense if you...

• Want one shoe for long runs and race day. These are trainers first. You can put your 18- and 20-milers in the same pair you race in, which solves the "nothing new on race day" problem neatly.
• Found carbon racers unstable or too stiff. RunRepeat flags narrow heels on most of the carbon racers we rank. Among these picks, the Megablast, Evo SL and Speed 5 all list a wide width.
• Are a slower or first-time marathoner. A plateless super trainer is a sensible race shoe when race pace isn't far from long-run pace. See our picks for slower marathoners.

Consider a carbon racer instead if you...

• Have raced well in plated shoes before and your stride suits them.
• Want the lightest possible race shoe: RunRepeat weighed the racers in our marathon race shoe ranking that it measured at 5.7 to 7.6 oz, against listed weights of 7.9 to 10.1 oz (men's 9) for these picks.

The picks side by side

The spread is wide. The Evo SL and Speed 5 are the lower shoes (38 mm and 36 mm heels), closer to a traditional racer. The Megablast, Superblast 3 and Hyperion Max 4 are the max-stack end (45 to 46.5 mm heels), built for the long run first. The Azura sits in between at 40 mm. For more shoes in this role across every distance, see our tempo and super trainer roundup.

The six, pick by pick

1. ASICS Megablast (no plate)

Believe in the Run lists 8.1 oz (men's 9), a 45 mm / 37 mm stack, an 8 mm drop and a Flytefoam Turbo Squared midsole, and gives its best use as "pretty much everything." One reviewer wrote that after a long run, "I felt like I could do another 10 miles in the shoe, easy"; another said Superblast fans "will love the Megablast even more." The knock from both: the ride can feel "blocky." RunRepeat lists normal and wide widths.

2. adidas Adizero Evo SL (no plate)

A full Lightstrike Pro midsole with no carbon, at 7.9 oz (men's 9) and 6.6 oz (women's 7.5) per Believe in the Run, on a 38 mm / 32 mm stack with a 6 mm drop and a Continental rubber outsole. Its reviewers describe a light, "soft but bouncy" ride, and one wrote, "I regret not wearing them for the Berlin Marathon." The same review is clear it's a daily and long-run trainer first, not a dedicated racer, and that it offers no stability features.

3. ASICS Superblast 3 (no plate)

Doctors of Running lists 8.4 oz (men's 9), a 46.5 mm / 38.5 mm stack, an 8 mm drop, and an FF Leap top layer over FF Blast Plus. It classes the shoe as a maximal trainer and says it will be best for runners wanting a super daily trainer up to a marathon shoe, particularly those with more neutral mechanics. RunRepeat lists normal width only.

4. Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 (nylon plate)

PWRRUN PB foam on a 36 mm / 28 mm stack at 8.4 oz (men's 9), with a nylon plate that RunRepeat says adds stability and some extra snap "while still maintaining a high level of flexibility." RunRepeat recommends it to runners who want one shoe for all paces, including racing, but says it "can't match the ultra-cushioned feel of maximalist shoes." Normal and wide.

5. Saucony Endorphin Azura (no plate)

The same PWRRUN PB foam family as the Speed, no plate, and a taller 40 mm / 32 mm stack at 8.5 oz (men's 9) per Believe in the Run, which pitches it at "peppy, plateless road workouts." One reviewer preferred its ride to the Speed's. The review doesn't discuss marathon racing, so treat it as a trainer that could race rather than a proven marathon shoe.

6. Brooks Hyperion Max 4 (nylon plate)

A DNA Gold top layer over DNA Flash v2 with a forked, nylon SpeedVault plate (per RunRepeat), on a 45 mm / 39 mm stack with a 6 mm drop. At 10.1 oz (men's 9) it is the heaviest here, and Believe in the Run describes the ride as firm and lists long runs and uptempo workouts as its best uses. Normal width only.

Racing a marathon in a super trainer: a practical plan

The advantage of these shoes is that you can test them properly. Using Hal Higdon's Novice 1 schedule as the frame (our suggestion, not his):

1. Buy the shoe by week 7, when the long run reaches 12 miles.
2. Wear it for Higdon's suggested half marathon in week 8, at the effort you'd race.
3. Run at least one of the 15-, 16- or 18-mile long runs in it before the 20-miler in week 15.
4. In the taper, use it for at least one semi-long run, as Higdon advises for any race shoe, and keep a few short runs in it so it's broken in but fresh.

If you're also training in it, watch the mileage: our guide to when to replace running shoes covers the signs a pair is done.

A note on race rules and stack height

World Athletics' shoe regulations cap road-race shoes at a 40 mm sole, and apply to World Rankings Competitions and the athletes competing in them. By their listed specs, the Megablast (45 mm), Superblast 3 (46.5 mm) and Hyperion Max 4 (45 mm) are over that figure. If you are racing for a ranking result, check your race's rules; if you're not sure whether they apply to you, ask the organizer before race day.

How to choose

Decide how much of the long run it will do

If this is also your long-run shoe, lean toward the taller picks (Megablast, Superblast 3). If you already have a cushioned long-run shoe and want a lighter race-day partner, the Evo SL or Endorphin Speed 5 is the better match. Our shoe rotation guide shows how the two roles split.

Check the width before the foam

The Megablast, Evo SL, Endorphin Speed 5 list normal and wide. The Superblast 3 and Hyperion Max 4 are normal only, and we couldn't confirm a wide for the Azura.

Drop

Listed drops are 8 mm on the Megablast, Superblast 3, Speed 5 and Azura, and 6 mm on the Evo SL and Hyperion Max 4. If you're coming from a 10 mm trainer, the 8 mm shoes are the smaller change.

Know the tradeoffs reviewers flag

• Megablast: Believe in the Run's reviewers found the ride "blocky" at times.
• Evo SL: Believe in the Run says "If you need stability, this isn't a shoe for you", and reviewers found the tongue slides around.
• Superblast 3: RunRepeat says it gives virtually no ground feel, and one Doctors of Running reviewer found it took 20 to 30 miles for its softness to come through.
• Hyperion Max 4: firm ride and the heaviest shoe here.

Test it long before you race it

Plateless or not, the rule is the same. Hal Higdon suggests at least two or three runs in a new pair, including at least one semi-long run, before you race a marathon in it. With these shoes, the easy way is to do several long runs in them. Want to see where they sit for other levels? The Level Finder places every shoe by weekly mileage.

Pair it with a daily trainer

A plateless super trainer can carry your long runs and race day, but most of Higdon's Novice 1 week is short, easy running: 3 to 10 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Doing those in a separate daily trainer keeps the miles off your race-day pair. Our marathon training shoe picks cover that second shoe, and the mileage and rotation guide maps which pair does which run.

Mistakes to avoid

• Assuming "no carbon" means "slow". Most of these shoes share a foam family with their brand's carbon racer, and the plate is only part of the story.
• Choosing the lowest shoe for a first marathon. The Evo SL and Speed 5 are the lightest and lowest here; if you are going to be out there for five hours, a taller pick may suit you better.
• Racing a shoe on its first long run. Get at least one long run in it first.