Li Ning Feidian 5 Elite Review: 5 Comparisons

Article by Derek Li

Li Ning Feidian 5 Elite ( MSRP SGD (S$) 275, (~US$204)

For reference

Feidian 5 Elite MSRP SGD (S$) 275

Nike Vaporfly Subsequent% 3 MSRP S$319

Adidas Adios Professional 4 MSRP S$339

Introduction

Li Ning is essentially the most acknowledged Chinese language sports activities model on this planet. Extra particulars concerning the model will be present in my earlier overview of the Li Ning Feidian 4 Extremely.The Li Ning Feidian 5 Elite, reviewed right here, is positioned as a mid-tier racing mannequin, designed to compete with the likes of the Nike Vaporfly.

Disclaimer: these footwear had been offered freed from cost for the needs of testing and overview. The opinions herein are my very own.

As a refresher, the Li Ning efficiency vary includes the Challenger, Elite and Extremely vary, roughly equivalent to their efficiency (plated) coach, their racer, and their premium racer, if you’ll. Type of like Nike’s Zoom Fly, Vaporfly and Alphafly dichotomy.

Li Ning, in contrast to many different manufacturers, has a behavior of releasing their total vary of updates abruptly. On this case, they launched the Challenger 5, Elite 5 and Extremely 5 nearly all on the identical time. That is at odds with different manufacturers preferring to unfold out their releases over the calendar 12 months.

I feel possibly the prevailing idea is that spreading out the releases permits them to market every launch correctly, and maybe additionally stop fashions from cannibalizing gross sales from each other.

As a shopper, I quite like the thought of a mass launch, just because if i need to refresh my shoe rotation, it’s higher to refresh every part directly, so that you’ve your coach, exercise shoe and race shoe all taken care of, quite than having to construct up or refresh the rotation slowly all through the course of the 12 months.

Stats:

202g / 7.125oz Males’s US9.0

Measured heel stack 38mm, forefoot stack 33mm (together with sockliner)

Platform Widths: forefoot 110mm, midfoot 63mm, heel 80mm

Measured midsole durometer 30C

Professionals

Cons

Higher and Match

The higher used within the Feidian 5 Elite is definitely just about an identical to the higher used within the 4 Extremely. We’ve got the identical artificial nylon mesh that types the majority of the higher materials. This materials is slightly bit stiff and offers the shoe a variety of structural help. It does soften up slightly with use, however not by a lot.

Li Ning calls the higher materials Growth Fiber (the identical fiber is used within the 4 Extremely proven left beneath). It is a kind of thermoplastic elastomer that’s spun into a light-weight fiber and weaved into the higher we see right here.

The normal tongue is changed by a stretchy strip of knitted cloth. There are 6 rows of eyelets threaded by non-elastic cotton laces. The nylon mesh is nicely perforated and the shoe works very nicely in heat circumstances.

There are padded cushions across the heel to assist with heel lockdown. The general match is superb and comfortable and there may be zero heel motion.

When it comes to match, the 5 Elite does run barely lengthy for me, and after making an attempt my traditional 9.5 and going a half dimension right down to 9.0, I made a decision to go along with US9.0 for this shoe. In case you have excessive quantity toes, you may need to persist with your traditional dimension, however in any other case I like to recommend going a half dimension down on this shoe. (The 5 Extremely has launched in China however just isn’t out there in Singapore simply but, however i did take a look at match the 5 Challenger within the retailer and that one matches true to dimension similar to the 4 Challenger i’ve in addition to the 4 Extremely, so it appears for now the 5 Elite is the one odd another with a barely lengthy match. )

I image the Feidian 4 Extremely (US9.5) on the left and the Feidian 5 Elite(US9.0) on the precise above. You may see the lengths are fairly related. It’s also possible to see that the lasts are barely completely different in form.

With the 4 Extremely, the toebox is a bit more pointed and tapers medially in order that the sharp finish is the place your huge and second toe are.

With the 5 Elite, the toebox is visibly extra rounded (this isn’t an artifact of the digicam angle). It’s also possible to see that the midsole flares fairly a good bit on the forefoot and I’ll get to that within the subsequent part.

Midsole

Supply: Li Ning Singapore

The midsole makes use of a single density midsole foam with the curved carbon plate sandwiched within the center, so pretty customary for this stage of racing shoe. The carbon plate is made with T1000 carbon fibre, which is to say, it’s fairly stiff.

The 5 collection makes use of an up to date midsole foam known as Tremendous Growth, the subsequent evolution up from their PEBAX-based Growth midsole foam. Visually you’ll be able to instantly inform the distinction from the froth used within the 4 Extremely. The 4 Extremely used a extra pelletized foam, whereas the 5 Elite now has a extra uniform look.

Feidian 5 Elite on Left, Feidian 4 Extremely on proper

The froth is certainly softer now (there’s a ~6-8 km break-in interval) and although not as comfortable as the froth discovered within the Nike Vaporfly or the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3, it’s now fairly near what we now have within the Adios Professional 4, and softer than the ASICS Metaspeed Paris vary. There’s a dense springiness that’s felt particularly below the forefoot the place there may be extra foam between you and the plate, and the rocker impact is pretty pronounced.

There are some good stability components constructed into the midsole right here. To begin with, the midsole flares out on each side of the forefoot so you’ve a comparatively large footprint and that offer you a variety of stability for toe-off. Secondly, because the midsole sweeps again, it truly rises up just a bit towards the heel to offer you a cradling impact. I felt this extra on the lateral aspect than the medial aspect. I’m truly fairly delicate to this as I supinate fairly a bit on preliminary footstrike, so I really feel a little bit of strain and soreness on the outsole of my left foot specifically (my proper foot normally doesn’t supinate as a lot) after I run within the shoe. If I consciously inform myself to land extra sq. with the outsole, that feeling utterly goes away.

I measured the stack of the shoe at 38mm on the heel, however you’ll be able to see that there’s a lot of bevelling on the heel so it curves up fairly early, and that has an impression on stack numbers. Whereas the measured heel stack is 38mm, really when the shoe sits on the bottom , that space that’s being measured is in truth elevated off the bottom. If I measured the displacement from the floor of the sockliner to the bottom on the heel, that distance is definitely nearer to 42mm. We’ve got seen this with Mizuno’s Wave Riot Professionals as nicely.

Outsole

The outsole makes use of a compound Li Ning calls GCU (Floor Management Unit) and whereas they don’t present any additional particulars on what it’s fabricated from, it feels fairly much like the polyurethane-based outsoles discovered on many different footwear popping out of China. This materials is gentle and grips nicely on moist roads, and tends to be very sturdy in comparison with rubber.

I don’t have a variety of mileage on the footwear but, however up to now put on is hardly seen on the outsole. There’s some scuffing and marking of the uncovered midsole however that is to be anticipated.

Experience and Conclusions

As talked about earlier, there’s a brief break-in interval wanted with this shoe. After that, the softness and bounciness get a bit extra amplified and the entire trip simply turns into smoother. There’s a very quick and efficient transition from heel to toe-off, and that is actually amplified at quicker efforts.

The plate is sort of stiff on this shoe although, so count on it to really feel fairly awkward at slower paces. Novice runners would need to be aware of this. Something slower than 4:30/km (~7:20/mile) tempo wouldn’t really feel very easy on this shoe.

Whereas the measured drop sits at 5mm, the shoe actually does really feel extra like a 8mm drop when you get going. I really feel just like the geometry works finest for heel strikers right here, although with a 33mm forefoot stack, there needs to be no issues for mid- and forefoot strikers too. Vibration dampening is sort of good, and there’s no bottoming out of the froth right here.

I actually just like the lockdown of the shoe. The width and quantity throughout the entire shoe is totally spot on for my really feel and I’ve no motion in any respect with out having to do so much with lace stress.

General, i feel this shoe feels very environment friendly and performs on par with different high tier racers on this weight and stack vary. I really feel like, for the tempo it feels finest at, it’s extra of a 10-21km racer for me. That is simply purely as a result of after I gradual to a managed uptempo effort which is principally what marathon effort is meant to be like, I really feel that the shoe loses a bit an excessive amount of of that particular trip character that you simply hope to search out in a devoted marathon racer. Maybe a quicker runner may really feel otherwise.

When it comes to stability, regardless of the comparatively softer trip, the shoe affords a variety of stability at each the forefoot and the heel so runners who discover footwear just like the Vaporfly and the Deviate Nitro Elite too unstable can take into account it as a powerful different.

To summarize, I feel the shoe works finest for heel strikers, and will work nicely for many runners except you’ve very large toes. The raised midsole sidewalls towards the heel actually assist to cradle the foot nicely, and so should you want slightly bit extra heel stability, this can be a good choice for you.

At this present retail worth level right here in Singapore, I feel the Li Ning is a really aggressive racing shoe that competes very nicely with the choices from the opposite main manufacturers.

The Li Ning Feidian 5 Elite is at present retailing in Li Ning idea shops in Singapore at S$275. (~US$204)

Sadly, retail channels proceed to be stymied within the USA (with the brand new 10% tariffs presenting yet one more hurdle)

Derek’s rating 9.6 / 10

Experience 9.2 (50%) Match 10 (30%) Worth 10 (15%) Model 10 (5%)

5 Comparisons

Li Ning Feidian 4 Extremely B (RTR Evaluation)

I’m true to dimension within the Feidian 4 Extremely and a half dimension down within the Feidian 5 Elite. The 4 Extremely is extra cushioned however firmer, with a extra blocky mechanical transition. The match can be barely narrower particularly on the arch. I really feel just like the Extremely continues to be the higher marathon shoe however the trip is a little more mechanical and also you want good mechanics to maintain loading that forefoot to finest interact the shoe. For novice runners and particularly for shorter race distances, the 5 Elite is the higher shoe.

Nike Vaporfly Subsequent% 3 (RTR Evaluation)

I’m kind of between sizes within the VF3 and run nicely in each TTS and a half dimension down. I am going a half dimension down within the Feidian 5 Elite. The VF3 is essentially the most simple going tremendous shoe and can be essentially the most versatile at dealing with each quick and gradual paces. The rocker on the 5 Elite is extra aggressive and I really feel quicker than the VF3 on the 5-10k race distance. It’s a little bit of a wash on the half marathon and the VF3 wins out with its softer cushioning for the total marathon. The 5 Elite is extra secure so should you discover the heel too unstable within the VF3, that is the shoe for you.

Adidas Adios Professional 4 (RTR Evaluation)

I’m a half dimension down in each the AP4 and the Feidian 5 Elite. The 5 Elite has the higher higher at locking down the match, whereas the AP4 is spongier and has extra underfoot cushioning. I’d say AP4 is the higher shoe for every part right here, because the bounce and rocker are barely higher throughout the board. The Feidian 5 Elite matches me higher as I get a little bit of heel irritation on the left foot with the AP4, so when it comes to snug higher, the 5 Elite is healthier for me. 5 Elite can be extra secure with AP4 shedding a variety of stability from the softer platform vs AP3.

ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris (RTR Evaluation)

I’m TTS within the Edge Paris and a half dimension down within the Feidian 5 Elite. Edge Paris stays a conflicted shoe for me. It feels very environment friendly at exercises, however it beats me up for longer runs; simply not sufficient foam compression underfoot. The higher of Edge Paris can be a bit sloppy for me. Each footwear are a lot secure, however the narrower platform of the Edge Paris makes it slightly trickier for cornering. I feel for a 5-10k race I’d go along with Edge Paris. For longer races, I’d go along with the 5 Elite.

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 (RTR Evaluation)

I’m a half dimension down in each the DNE3 (although I do practice within the DNE3 at TTS) and the Feidian 5 Elite.

The Puma DNE3 is the 2024 racer of the 12 months for me. Very forgiving and really bouncy with out feeling ponderous. In some ways, the Feidian 5 Elite is comparable however with a bit extra medio-lateral stability and a bit firmer midsole. I feel individuals who want extra stability ought to go along with the Feidian 5 Elite. I’d favor the Feidian 5 Elite for shorter races 10k and below, and prioritize the higher cushioning and softness of the Puma for the half and full marathon.

Derek is in his 40’s and trains 70-80 miles per week at 7 to eight minute tempo in principally tropical circumstances in Singapore. He has a 2:39 marathon PR from the 2022 Zurich Marathon.

Feedback and Questions Welcome Under! Please tell us mileage, paces, race distances, and present most well-liked footwear

Purchasing at our companions is far appreciated and helps help RoadTrailRun

Samples had been offered at no cost for overview functions. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and will earn fee on merchandise bought through buying hyperlinks on this article. These partnerships don’t affect our editorial content material. The opinions herein are totally the authors’.

FREE 2 Day Transport EASY No Sweat Returns

Europe solely: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all merchandise, even sale merchandise

FLEET FEET

ROADRUNNERSPORTS

TOP4RUNNING EUROPE

Use RTR code RTRTOP4 for 5% off all merchandise, even sale merchandise