Running shoes review: Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 vs Nike Alphafly 3

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you new running shoes and that’s kind of the same thing,” goes a meme doing the rounds these days. And if they are carbon tech racing shoes, buyers are looking for more than happiness; they are hoping for personal records too. 

Records in the running world have tumbled at a pace faster since carbon shoes debuted about eight years ago, and recreational runners of all abilities have bought into the idea that these shoes can also help them get faster and improve their timings. In the two races that I ran this year - one was a half marathon and the other a 10k race – I came across sub-100 minutes half marathoners as well as runners who took more than 3 hours to complete the same distance (21km) using carbon shoes that cost upwards of ₹10,000 even when on sale.

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Most of these carbon shoes are designed for specific distances. Nike’s VaporFly range, for instance, is for distances up to half marathons while its AlphaFly range is for longer distances up to full marathons. Similarly, Adidas offers Takumi Sens for races up to 10km and the Adios Pro range is best used for longer races such as half and full marathons. Since I was road testing carbon shoes, I decided to mix things up a bit and ran a half marathon in Adidas’ Adizero Takumi Sen 10 while racing a 10km in Nike’s Alphafly 3. 

Ahead of three big upcoming races — Boston Marathon (April 21), TCS London Marathon (April 27) and TCS World 10k Bengaluru (April 27) — here’s what I've found out about two trending pairs of race day shoes after running several miles, two races, winning two medals and losing three toenails.

ADIDAS ADIZERO TAKUMI SEN 10 

Takumi Sen is among the rare racing shoes that Adidas chose to continue after carbon technology was introduced to its entire road racing range. The original Takumi Sens were designed as light weight racing flats with low cushioning for 5km and 10km races. The latest Takumi Sen 10 sticks to that original design principles despite adding energy rods — Adidas’ version of the carbon plates — in the midsole. That ensures that the Takumi Sens stand out among carbon tech shoes because of their low cushioning with a maximum of just 33mm under the heel. It looks sleek compared to any other carbon shoe in the market today. Adidas has used its top of the line Lightstrike Pro foam for the midsole and a very thin outsole with slick rubber from tyre-maker Continental, which ensures a good grip even on wet surfaces.

I have run marathons in older versions of this shoe, and hence, used the Takumi Sen 10 for a half marathon for this review. The shoe is very light and very responsive. The lower stack height means your feet are closer to the ground and you get a better feel of the surface you are running on. The Lightstrike Pro midsole is extremely springy and along with the energy rods ensures a high energy return while running. Picking up pace, if a runner physically can, is a cakewalk with this pair as I was able to pick up my pace easily whenever I wanted to catch up with running friends I spotted ahead of me en route. Having said that, they also perform well at slower speeds which is what I was forced to do while going up a steep incline between 13km and 15km. These shoes are also great for the Indian weather because the upper is made of a perforated material that ensures plenty of ventilation for your feet. The one thing you ought to remember about this pair is that they are narrow and run tight; you will need to get one size bigger than what you usually wear.

Though the brand says Takumi Sen 10 is best for distances up to 10km, this is an excellent pair for a half marathon too. With a new version due soon, you are likely to catch a good deal on these now. 

Pros: Sleek, stylish, low stack height, light weight, extremely responsive, available at a discount.

Cons: The midsole wears out quickly, runs small, is narrow.

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NIKE ALPHAFLY 3

The biggest sales pitch for the Nike Alphafly 3 is that the great Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, the only man to ever run the full marathon distance in under 2 hours, has competed in them. What is available in the markets for recreational runners and amateur athletes today is the exact same shoe used by Kipchoge, the only exception being the Kenyan’s Alphafly 3 are bespoke shoes tailor-made for him.

This one is a very different pair from the Takumi Sen 10, starting with the way the shoe looks. It looks chunky thanks to its thick ZoomX midsole that houses a full-length carbon plate, along with two Air Zoom units. It is 40mm at its thickest under the heel and 32mm at its thinnest at the forefoot. It uses the rocking geometry for seamless transition from foot-strike to toe-off while running. A big design change is that the latest version has a continuous sole and not a split one found in previous generations of Alphafly. This has made the shoe a lot more stable, which means even slower runners would find the Alphafly 3 easier to use. The mesh upper made with Nike’s proprietary FlyKnit technology allows plenty of ventilation and shows off a big Nike swoosh on the outside of each shoe.

Unlike the Vaporfly 3, which I used for a 10km race last year, this feels more sturdy and provides a better grip. In the 10k race that I used this pair for, getting away from the crowds around the start line required picking up pace and it was quite effortless, and the shoes actually helped when I accelerated at the finish line for a sprint finish. The ZoomX foam feels more dense and firm, absorbing heavy foot strike much better. This makes the shoes ideal for longer races. The biggest drawback of the Alphafly 3 is that they are very loud when you hit the ground and they also squeak underneath your feet.

Nike claims the ZoomX foam used in Alphafly 3 is more durable and if true, the pair can be used for more races and training runs than most race day carbon shoes available in the market today.

Pros: Stable, plenty of cushioning, fast, high energy return, durable.

Cons: Loud, expensive at ₹22,795.

Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.

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