assistant: Got it — you're a midfoot striker training hard for marathon tempo work, and the Zoom Fly 6 isn't sitting right. Before I narrow the picks, one quick question: **what's the fit issue with the Zoom Fly 6?** Is it too narrow, too roomy, pressure points, or something else? That'll help me steer you toward a better last geometry. In the meantime, here's what I'm seeing in your data: the Zoom Fly 6 is genuinely a strong tempo shoe (Doctors of Running calls it "softer and stiffer underfoot than the Boston" with "well-centered guidance"), and EDDBUD scored it 11.7/12 for marathon training. If it's just a fit tweak you need, we might solve this with a half-size adjustment or a different brand's geometry rather than a full swap. But if the upper, toe box, or midfoot feel is fundamentally off, I've got solid alternatives that'll handle your tempo and long-run work just as well — and might sit better on your foot. What's bugging you about the current fit?

assistant: That's a sharp read — the Zoom Fly 6 *is* versatile to a fault, and for dedicated tempo work, you want something with more snap and less compromise. Since you're a midfoot striker at 70kg doing 60–70 km/week with marathon tempo focus, you need a shoe that rewards faster paces without the "does everything okay" feel. Here are three picks built for tempo: **Adidas Adizero Evo SL** — This is your best tempo weapon. It's 9g lighter than the Zoom Fly (235g vs 244g), sits lower (37/30mm stack vs 40/32mm), and the aggressive rocker + nylon plate is *designed* for uptempo work. The Run Testers calls it a "near-unanimous top pick for traditional daily trainers" with a springy Lightstrike Pro midsole that rewards faster turnover. One caveat: it runs short — size up half a size. At $150, it's also $20 cheaper. **Saucony Endorphin Azura** — Doctors of Running named this his #1 shoe of 2026 so far, and it's a genuinely versatile speed platform without the all-rounder fuzz. It's plate-less (so no carbon weight penalty), high-cushioned, and the late-stage rocker handles both easy miles *and* faster efforts cleanly. At $150 and true-to-size fit, it's a no-fuss option if you want to dial tempo work without sacrificing easy-day comfort. **New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5** — The lightest of the three (224g), with a 6mm drop that's 2mm lower than the Zoom Fly. The Run Testers notes it "excels at easy and long runs but lacks the energy return and pop for faster sessions" — so it's less ideal for tempo than the Evo SL or Azura, but if you want a nimble daily trainer that can handle uptempo work without being a one-trick shoe, it's solid at $145. **For pure tempo focus, the Evo SL edges ahead** — it's built for that work, and the rocker + nylon plate will feel snappier than the Zoom Fly at marathon and half-marathon pace. The Azura is the safer all-rounder if you want one shoe to do both easy and fast. Which direction appeals more — a dedicated tempo weapon, or something that handles both easy and fast equally well?

assistant: Good news — you already have a plated option in the Zoom Fly 6 you're training in, and it's genuinely excellent for tempo work. EDDBUD scored it 11.7/12 and specifically called it a "versatile, durable, fun-to-run plated daily/tempo trainer" that "really comes alive at marathon and half-marathon pace." The carbon plate stabilizes at slow speeds and propels at tempo, so the platform is built for exactly what you're doing. But if you want to *upgrade* from the Zoom Fly 6 while staying plated, here's what the data shows: **Nike Zoom Fly v6** (your current shoe) — Keep this as your baseline. It's a solid plated tempo platform; the issue is fit and the all-rounder feel, not the plate itself. **Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen v11** — This is a fiberglass-plated racer at 184g, 51g lighter than the Zoom Fly, with a much lower stack (32/25mm vs 40/32mm). Doctors of Running calls it "a massive upgrade over v10" with "softer, bouncier Lightstrike Pro." The catch: it's categorized as road_racing, not speed_training, so it's built for 5K–10K race pace, not marathon tempo. At 70kg and 60–70 km/week, you could *use* it for tempo work, but it's overkill for training — you'd burn through the foam faster than you'd want. **Adidas Adizero Evo SL** — The nylon plate is lighter and less aggressive than carbon, but it still delivers stiffness and snap. It's genuinely a tempo weapon and costs $150. The Run Testers notes it "excels at speed work," and BITR praises the "dynamic, sculpted Lightstrike Pro midsole with better toe-off." This is the better tempo pick than the Takumi Sen because it's built for training pace, not race pace. **Real talk:** If the Zoom Fly 6's *fit* is the problem (not the plate or ride), a plated alternative won't fix that — you'll just have the same fit issue in a different shoe. The Evo SL runs short and wide, which might suit you better. The Takumi Sen is true-to-size and wide. But if you want a plated shoe that feels snappier and more tempo-focused than the Zoom Fly 6, the **Evo SL is your move** — it's lighter, lower, and the nylon plate + rocker combo is designed for the faster work you're chasing. Does the Zoom Fly 6 fit issue resolve if you size up, or is it a deeper upper/midfoot geometry problem?

assistant: You're right to clock the Takumi Sen — it *does* have a plate, but it's fiberglass, not carbon. And more importantly, it's built as a **5K–10K racer** (184g, 32/25mm stack), not a tempo trainer. At your 60–70 km/week training load, you'd burn through it in 150–200 miles, which defeats the purpose of a training shoe. For a **carbon-plated tempo trainer** that mirrors the Takumi Sen's lightweight, snappy feel but with training durability, you've got one clear winner: **Nike Zoom Fly v6** — This is your current shoe, and it's actually the right platform for what you're asking. EDDBUD scored it 11.7/12 and specifically praised it as a "versatile, durable, fun-to-run plated daily/tempo trainer" that "really comes alive at marathon and half-marathon pace." The carbon plate stabilizes at slow speeds and propels at tempo — exactly the tempo-focused ride you want. At 244g with a 40/32mm stack, it's heavier than the Takumi Sen but built to last 300+ miles in training, not 150–200 in racing. The issue isn't the shoe's platform — it's the fit. You mentioned the Zoom Fly 6 "hasn't been fitting too well." **If the fit problem is solvable** (sizing, width, pressure points), staying with the Zoom Fly 6 and fixing the fit is smarter than chasing a different plated shoe. But if the upper geometry or last shape is fundamentally wrong for your foot, then we need to look elsewhere. **The honest answer:** There aren't many carbon-plated tempo trainers in my current data besides the Zoom Fly v6. The Puma Deviate Nitro v4 is carbon-plated at $170, but Doctors of Running notes its "very stiff forefoot plate makes it polarizing" — not ideal for the smooth tempo feel you're after. The Adidas Boston v13 uses a fiberglass plate (not carbon) and is well-regarded for tempo work, but again, it's not carbon. **Before we pivot:** What specifically is the fit issue with the Zoom Fly 6 — toe box, midfoot, heel, or something else? If it's width or length, sizing up or trying a half-size might solve it without abandoning a shoe that's genuinely excellent for your goal.

assistant: Good call — you're right that the Evo SL's nylon plate is more of a midfoot stiffener than a true propulsive plate. Let me walk through what's in the data for plated tempo trainers from Hoka and Asics. **Hoka Mach X v3** — This is your Hoka option. It's a **pebax-plated speed trainer** at $190 with a maximal cushion setup and a bouncy, versatile ride. The Run Testers notes it "fixes the uncomfortable upper that plagued the Mach X2 while retaining the same bouncy, versatile plated ride." Pebax is a real plate (firmer, more responsive than nylon), so you get genuine propulsion. At 244g, it's the same weight as your Zoom Fly 6, but the higher stack (41/33mm) makes it sit softer — better for easy-to-moderate tempo work than hard threshold efforts. It's well-regarded but not in the "excellent" tier like the Zoom Fly. **Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris** — This is a **carbon-plated racer** at $270, built for marathon racing with "more late-race comfort than the Fast-R 3" per The Run Testers. It's 170g, sits at 39/35.5mm stack, and is genuinely a race shoe, not a tempo trainer. At your 60–70 km/week training load, you'd burn through it too fast. **Real talk on plates:** You've got two solid plated tempo trainers in your data — the **Nike Zoom Fly v6** (carbon, $170) and the **Puma Deviate Nitro v4** (carbon, $170). Both are true carbon-plated trainers built for tempo work and durable enough for training miles. The Puma sits lower (35/27mm vs 40/32mm) and has a more aggressive forked carbon plate, which you mentioned earlier as polarizing. The Zoom Fly is higher-stacked and softer, which suits marathon tempo better. The Hoka Mach X v3 is a legitimate third option if you want a pebax plate (real stiffness, just not carbon) and don't mind the softer, bouncier ride for tempo work. **The core question remains:** What's the fit issue with the Zoom Fly 6? If it's solvable, you're already in the right shoe. If it's not, the Puma Deviate Nitro v4 is the closest alternative — same carbon plate, lower stack, and it runs true-to-size with a wide forefoot (vs the Zoom Fly's true-to-size fit). The Hoka is a softer, less aggressive option if you want to dial back the plate aggression.