Magic Speed

I’m still using my OG Magic Speeds for speed work (intervals, surges) and I’ll be sad when they finally poop out. From what I’ve read, all the recent versions have gotten away from the “a racing flat with a bit of cushion” design.

I own the Megablasts, but don't own the SB3. Megablast is a very fast shoe with not the most comfortable upper. In my opinion, it should be viewed as a plateless racer rather than a do-it-all training shoe like the Superblast. The slowest I can comfortably take it is a marathon paced run. Most comfortable pace is HM to 10km pace. I've taken it all the way to 3km pace, and it's surprisingly stable enough to handle even that. But on easy runs, I struggle a lot with it. It's super duper energetic. The ride experience reminds me a lot of the EVO SL in such a way that it is very energetic and will push you to run fast. Only difference is the Megablast is built like a tank.

magic speed is specifically designed for tempo. unless they hurt, go for the magic

Probably Saucony endorphins speed, Asics Magic Speed or NB fuell cell rebel. Fast plated trainers that are quite stable 

Same thing with magic speed. Carbon plate and narrow heel. Those shoes are designed for people who run fast and thus their heel never touches the ground. Most slower paced runners heel strike. It’s just how gravity works. If you heel strike at all, any carbon plated race shoe outside of maybe Saucony Endorphin Pro is not a good choice. Not to say the ASIC race line aren’t great shoes, they are, but you have to be a fast, experienced runner to reap the benefits. I’m not sure if you golf, but pro golfers use a type of irons called “blades”, they’re thinner, lighter, harder, and have a much smaller sweet spot in the face of the club, but if you know you can hit the ball dead center every time, they will give you the best performance and control over the spin and flight of the ball. However, if you put those clubs in the hands of a newbie, they’re going to rarely hit a good shot. That’s why beginner/intermediate golfers use heavier, more forgiving irons with a larger sweet spot. Yes they won’t get the same distance, but their odds of accuracy and consistency are much higher. Sonicblast is absolutely fine but your feet may hurt after a mile or two from the pebax. And they’re still inferior for a beginner to Megablast and EVO SL for a 5k/10k.

I got them and instantly returned them. They're basically an hyper stiff block of foam with super high stack. They felt so unpleasant to run in. I'm used to cheap chinese carbon plated shoes that are stiff but these are really something else. For 1/3 of the price the Li-Ning Feidian 5C is a 100x better shoe.

What’s your pace like? Some of them are only really comfortable at higher paces. I really like the ASICS Novablasts or Superblasts as they can be used as daily trainers at any pace but perform really well at higher speeds in races. The ASICS Magic Speeds are also great if you want a carbon plate, they perform fantastically for 5km up to half marathons but I find that they fall apart beyond that so no good for marathons. There’s also some great deals on Adidas Adios Pro 4 atm from various places and they’re a great super shoe, that’ll do anything from 5k to marathon distance. They are a bit more suited to paces around and under 4min/km though I find and do run small, but they’re not uncomfortable at slower paces and definitely perform better for me as a heavier/slower runner than Vaporflys and similar super shoes. I’m sure the Kipruns are good but I’ve been able to find all the above at a similar price and I guess just trust those brands a bit more.