Best entry to carbon plate shoes for minimalist/low drop shoe preference runner

Why waste money onsupershors when OPs biggest bang at this point is just running more? In any shoes ...

It's not plated and so not what you're asking, but based on your preferences I'll bet you'd like the Topo Cyclone 2. It's got some pop to it. Great shoe, IMO.

Skechers Razor 4

The Pacers arrived today and I took them to the track this afternoon. As I noted above, I felt my 5k time was most due for a pr challenge. Not by any means suggesting it was the shoes. I have been training a good deal the last several months, increasing volume, etc. Was really pleased to take my time down over 2 minutes to 21:15. Also pr’d my mile and 2 mile times so think I can bring both of those down a good chunk too and my 10k.

The shoes felt good, but I’m going to be returning them for a few reasons. First, they came to me with some (minor but definitely apparent) sole wear like they’d been worn before maybe on a treadmill or something and then returned. Also, after one run on the track there was a surprising amount of wear on one heel. Kind of shredded in fact after just this one run (and I didn’t put them on until I got to the track)! Also, the color was really poorly represented on the site and the toe side is really much more of a peachy orange than red. I don’t mind a bright shoe, but my wife thought they were ones she’d ordered. Most importantly, I don’t see going all out for a race beyond 5k in them. Maybe because of their low stack and flat-like ride, they don’t feel remarkably different from my Topos or Xeros and they are definitely not durable enough to be a trainer, especially wear I live and mainly run - road to light trails, gravel intermittently, etc. I think I’ll be happier waiting for a deal on a Vaporfly 2 and saving them for races and occasional harder days.

Wrong, rigid plate is most likely minimally a factor in performance benefit vs ultra light flat.

Healey LA, Hoogkamer W. Longitudinal bending stiffness
does not affect running economy in Nike Vaporfly shoes. Journal of Sport and
Health Science. 2022 May 1;11(3):285-292).

That being said, the plates are really needed to stabilize these shoes due to the massive amount of stack and compliance of the foams.

Sooo you want a minimal natural show with a carbon footprint plate? Why not buy a Tesla that takes gas?

How much of a discount are you looking for on the Vaporfly 2? It’s 40% off on the website. You won’t due much better unless you visit an outlet store.

Minimal natural show?

Striptease?

yeah $150 prob fine in a color I like. maybe even a bit more.

Wrong. You get that test results singling out longitudinal stiffness, but that doesn't show plates don't work. A plate that has an extremely curved spoon shape reduces the work done at the toe joint while keeping the moment at the ankle joint similar to a plateless shoe and lower than a flat-plated shoe. Guess what? A plateless midsole can't perform those tasks without stiffness provided by a spoon-shaped plate. Nike has a patent on the spoon plate, and other shoes that are efficient have imitated that shape without infringing on the patent by using things like rods. Those with flatter plates to avoid patent infringement, but similar foam aren't as efficient in tests.

"Creating footwear for performance running." Footwear Science, 11(sup1), pp. S134–S135

Summarized here with graphs of test data

outsideonline.com

Nike Just Revealed New Data on the Vaporfly

mmirhashem

A pair of presentations explore the biomechanics of the controversial shoe, and whether it wards off marathon-induced muscle damage

Link:www.outsideonline.com/2400514/nike-vap...

If it isnt't too late take a look at Merrell's Mtl skyfire 2.