I Ran an All-Out mile in $100 vs $300 Shoes! - Matthew Choi

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of I Ran an All-Out mile in $100 vs $300 Shoes! from Matthew Choi. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Carbon‑fiber shoes vs daily trainers: The video shows a clear speed advantage (about 15‑20 seconds) when running the same all‑out mile in a $300 carbon shoe compared to a $100 trainer.
Dynamic warm‑up + striders: Before the mile, Matthew does a light jog (≈9:30 min/mile) followed by dynamic drills and a few fast striders that are quicker than the target mile pace. This primes the nervous system and leg turnover.
Split awareness: He tracks each 400 m split on the screen, which helps maintain a consistent effort and gauge pacing.
Mental focus: A sub‑5 minute mile feels like a “walk in the park” with the carbon shoe, but still requires concentration and a strong finish.

Workout Example

Warm‑up jog: 1 mile at an easy pace (around 9:30 min/mile).
Dynamic drills: High‑knees, butt‑kicks, quick‑feet for 2‑3 minutes.
Striders: 3 × 100 m strides at a pace faster than your goal mile (aim for ~5 % quicker). Rest 30 seconds between.
All‑out mile: Run a single mile as fast as possible. Aim for a target time (e.g., 5:30 min). Use a GPS watch or track and note each 400 m split.
Cool‑down: Light jog or walk for 5‑10 minutes.

In the video:

With Nike Alphafly (carbon shoe) the mile was 4:52 (splits ≈1:10, 1:15, 1:15, 1:12).
With Boston 12s (trainer) the mile was 5:14.
With Adidas Evo 1 Pro (another carbon shoe) the mile was 4:58.

Closing Note

Give this mile‑time‑trial a try—swap in your own shoes and see how the pacing feels. Adjust the target pace to match your current fitness and log the splits in the Pacing app so you can fine‑tune your effort. Happy running, and enjoy the speed boost!