Nike Vaporfly 4 vs New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v6:
Which to Choose

Spec for spec these two are remarkably close — identical pace, responsiveness, cushioning, and stability scores, both neutral, both carbon-plated, both optimal in roughly the 3:00–3:30 min/km band and happiest at the 2:55–3:15 min/km end — so the meaningful differences are in materials, mass, and geometry. The biggest is foam feel: the Vaporfly 4's ZoomX PEBA rides soft and springy, a plush-yet-lively rebound, while the SuperComp Elite v6's Infinion supercritical TPEE/A-TPU is firm-and-lively, snapping back fast rather than cushioning you — a ride that returns energy well but leaves your legs absorbing more road over a full marathon. Weight favors the Nike: the Vaporfly 4 comes in around 167g (men's) against roughly 190g for the SuperComp Elite v6, a real gap you feel in late-race turnover. The New Balance stands taller underfoot, with a 40mm heel/32mm forefoot stack versus the Vaporfly's lower-profile build closer to 36mm/30mm, and its exposed-forefoot Energy ARC plate plus midfoot cutout make it ride more aggressively than its 8mm number suggests, rewarding an efficient, midfoot-forward strike. Range is the other clear split: the Vaporfly 4 covers 5K all the way to the marathon with a 10K-to-half sweet spot, while the SuperComp Elite v6 starts at the 10K and peaks at the half. Both go a little vague and tippy at slow jogging speeds — a shared quirk of tall, narrow racing geometry — so neither is a cruiser.