Three-shoe road rotation
Pacer 2 takes the easy and steady days, Atmosfar 1 the long run, and Nordlite Tempo the one hard session a week.
Shoe range map
Race day ↑↓ Daily training← Shorter effortsLonger distance →
Position is our reviewed read of each shoe’s distance and racing focus — editorial judgement, not a performance score or ranking.
Shoes by role
| Shoe & specifications | Why this role | Is it right for you? |
|---|---|---|
| RecoveryNo selection yet | Atmosfar 1 and Pacer 2 both list easy and recovery running among their uses. Candidates to review: Atmosfar 1 · Pacer 2 | |
| Cushioned daily trainerNo selection yet | This edition has no pick for this role. Other shoes in the range may cover parts of the job. Candidates to review: Atmosfar 1 | |
210 g · 6 mm drop | Versatile daily trainerCraft designed Pacer 2 to cover both speed training and daily runs, which makes it the shoe in the range that does the most days of the week. At $215 it is also the cheapest road shoe here, at 210g on a 37mm stack and 6mm drop. It gives up the deep cushioning of Atmosfar 1 and has no plate for racing. Also considerNordlite Tempo Where it overlaps with other shoesPacer 2 and Nordlite Tempo can both speed up: Pacer 2 is the daily shoe that can run a fartlek, Nordlite Tempo the workout shoe that can cover easy miles. Pacer 2 is the cheaper of the two. | Choose if
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| Stability daily trainerNo selection yet | This edition has no pick for this role. Other shoes in the range may cover parts of the job. | |
— g · — mm drop | Max-stack long runCraft's max-cushion shoe, built for comfort and impact protection on long runs and marathon training, with an outsole Craft says grips roads and light gravel. At $272 it costs more than any other trainer in the range, and it is built for protection rather than pace. Also considerPacer 2 Where it overlaps with other shoesAtmosfar 1 and Pacer 2 both fit easy runs. Atmosfar 1 is the one for the long run; Pacer 2 is lighter and cheaper for the rest of the week. | Choose if
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— g · — mm drop | Tempo / workoutCraft positions Nordlite Tempo as its road tempo shoe. At $258 it sits between Pacer 2 and the plated racers, so it is the workout shoe for runners who want something more specific than a daily trainer without buying a racer. Also considerPacer 2Nordlite Speed 2 Where it overlaps with other shoesNordlite Tempo and Nordlite Speed 2 both do workouts. Tempo is the training shoe; Speed 2 adds a carbon plate for more money and is the one to race in. | Choose if
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— g · — mm drop | 5 km / 10 km raceCraft's second carbon-plated road racer, at $330, well below Kype Pro. Its classification covers the half marathon and 10K as well as tempo work, so it takes the shorter-race role here and leaves the marathon to Kype Pro. Also considerKype ProNordlite Tempo Where it overlaps with other shoesSpeed 2 and Kype Pro are both plated racers. Kype Pro is designed for marathoners and costs more; Speed 2 is the cheaper plate and the more flexible of the two. | Choose if
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— g · — mm drop | Half / marathon raceCraft's flagship road racer: carbon-plated, designed for top-tier marathoners, and at $458 the most expensive shoe in the range. It is for race day, not for training. Also considerNordlite Speed 2 | Choose if
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Specs are from manufacturers. Role explanations are editorial judgement.
Putting it together
Suggested rotations
A few shoes with different jobs. Start with the running you actually do.
Race-day addition
Keep Pacer 2 and Nordlite Tempo for training and add Kype Pro for the goal race.