Race

Nike Vaporfly 4

Nike's carbon-plated road racer, built for the day the clock matters and little else.

The Vaporfly is what you put on when the day counts. ZoomX foam over a full-length carbon plate, about 190 g in a men's US 10, and a 6 mm drop that sits 2 mm lower than the previous version because Nike added foam under the forefoot rather than taking it off the heel.

It rewards pace. Run easy in it and the plate does nothing for you; run at race effort and it holds a rhythm well past the point where a trainer stops helping. Nike positions it for 10K through the marathon.

It is not a daily trainer. The foam is expensive and it does not last — treat the mileage as a budget you spend on races and a handful of sharpening sessions, not on Tuesday's easy run.