R.A.D SYNTH vs Li-Ning Chaoying Pro

Which Running Shoe Is Better?

Products

R.A.D SYNTH
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro

Tested using Methodology v0.13

Updated Jul 16, 2026 05:01 PM

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R.A.D

Tested using Methodology v0.13

Updated Aug 11, 2026 02:17 PM

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Amazon
R.A.D SYNTH Picture

Track

Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Picture

Track

  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Most Comfortable

Our Verdict

R.A.D SYNTH

Li-Ning Chaoying Pro

The Li-Ning Chaoying Pro and R.A.D SYNTH are both daily trainers, but the Li-Ning is the more protective and comfortable shoe overall. It has deeper cushioning, better long-run protection, and a more effective heel rocker, making it better suited to runners who land back and roll through their stride. The R.A.D SYNTH is harsher and less energetic underfoot, though its fit is much more accommodating than the Li-Ning's narrow arch and lower forefoot, and if you prefer a firmer, more grounded feel for daily miles, it's the shoe for you; if you want a more cushioned and stable daily trainer, and you land on the rear of the shoe and roll through your stride, the Li-Ning is the better choice.

 

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Variants

  • SYNTH (Acid Green - (Men - US 9))
  • SYNTH (Fuchsia Flash - (Women - US 7))
  • Chaoying Pro (Crystal Gray/Silver - (Women - US 7))
  • Chaoying Pro (Dim Twilight Blue/Standard White/Lilac Breeze - (Women - US 7))

Main Differences for
Half/Full Marathon Racing

Threshold 

0.10

Half/Full Marathon Racing 
 

7.4
7.7
No major differences between these running shoes for half/full marathon racing. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Weight  

7.1
7.4

Right Shoe Weight Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Right Shoe Weight Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Right Shoe Weight Photo

Left Shoe Weight Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Left Shoe Weight Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Left Shoe Weight Photo

Weight 
 

231.1 g (8.15 oz)
222.5 g (7.85 oz)

Stack Heights 
 

Stack Height Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Stack Height Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Stack Height Photo

Heel Stack Height 
 

37.7 mm
40.9 mm

Forefoot Stack Height 
 

30.3 mm
30.8 mm

Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

6.0 mm
10.1 mm

Advertised Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

7.4 mm
6.0 mm

External Shape 
 

3D Model Full Shoe  

Preview 3D
R.A.D SYNTH 3D Model Full Shoe
Preview 3D
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro 3D Model Full Shoe

Outsole Heel Width 
 

87 mm (3.4")
94 mm (3.7")

Outsole Arch Width 
 

71 mm (2.8")
82 mm (3.2")

Outsole Forefoot Width 
 

113 mm (4.4")
118 mm (4.6")

Heel Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

2.30
2.30

Forefoot Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

3.72
3.83

Internal Shape 
 

3D Model Internal  

Preview 3D
R.A.D SYNTH 3D Model Internal
Preview 3D
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro 3D Model Internal

Internal Length 
 

271 mm (10.7")
275 mm (10.8")

Internal Heel Width 
 

62 mm (2.4")
60 mm (2.4")

Internal Forefoot Width 
 

90 mm (3.5")
92 mm (3.6")

Wide Sizing Available 
 

No
No

Forefoot Fit: Width 
 

9.4
8.3

Forefoot Width Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Width Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Width Photo

Ball-Of-Foot TTS Deviation 
 

0.3 mm (0.012")
5.4 mm (0.214")

Toe TTS Deviation 
 

-3.0 mm (-0.117")
5.9 mm (0.231")

Forefoot Fit: Height 
 

5.3
6.9

Forefoot Height Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Height Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Height Photo

Toe TTS Deviation 
 

-5.6 mm (-0.220")
-3.8 mm (-0.148")

Arch Fit: Width 
 

9.0
0.0

Arch Fit Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Arch Fit Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Arch Fit Photo

Arch Width TTS Deviation 
 

-1.9 mm (-0.075")
-11.5 mm (-0.451")

Length Fit 
 

10
10

Toe Clearance Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Toe Clearance Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Toe Clearance Photo

Heel Rocker Geometry 
 

7.3
8.2

Heel Rocker Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Heel Rocker Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Heel Rocker Photo

Heel Spring 
 

23 mm (0.9")
28 mm (1.1")

Heel Apex Position 
 

24.9%
22.6%

Heel Rocker Angle 
 

17.3°
22.7°

Forefoot Rocker Geometry 
 

6.5
6.2

Forefoot Rocker Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Rocker Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Rocker Photo

Toe Spring 
 

45 mm (1.8")
43 mm (1.7")

Toe Apex Position 
 

63.0%
66.2%

Forefoot Rocker Angle 
 

22.2°
23.3°

Foam 
 

Primary Foam Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Primary Foam Picture
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Primary Foam Picture

Secondary Foam Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Secondary Foam Picture
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Secondary Foam Picture

Primary Foam Name 
 

SwellFoam
Super Boom

Primary Foam Type 
 

TPEE + EVA
PEBA

Secondary Foam Name 
 

N/A
N/A

Secondary Foam Type 
 

N/A
EVA

Other Features  

Other Features Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Other Features Photo
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Other Features Photo

Tongue Gusset Type 
 

Fully-gusseted
Semi-gusseted

Plate 
 

None
None
Performance

Heel Compression Energy Return 
 

4.2
4.9

Heel Compression Video  

Heel Energy Return  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Heel Energy Return
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Heel Energy Return

Heel Energy Return 
 

70.8%
71.8%

Forefoot Compression Energy Return 
 

6.7
6.7

Forefoot Compression Video  

Forefoot Energy Return  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Energy Return
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Energy Return

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

75.2%
75.1%

Heel Cushioning 
 

7.5
8.4

Heel Cushioning Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Heel Cushioning Picture
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Heel Cushioning Picture

Heel Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Heel Cushioning
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Heel Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 550N 
 

3.44 J
3.49 J

Energy Absorbed At 1100N 
 

9.09 J
10.78 J

Energy Absorbed At 1900N 
 

15.53 J
18.88 J

Forefoot Cushioning 
 

7.7
8.3

Forefoot Cushioning Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Cushioning Picture
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Cushioning Picture

Forefoot Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Cushioning
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 800N 
 

4.65 J
5.22 J

Energy Absorbed At 1300N 
 

8.30 J
9.04 J

Energy Absorbed At 2050N 
 

12.35 J
13.21 J

Heel Firmness 
 

8.2
7.7

Heel Firmness Graph  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Heel Firmness Graph
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Heel Firmness Graph

Firmness At 550N 
 

44.8 N/mm
46.9 N/mm

Firmness At 1100N 
 

56.6 N/mm
52.6 N/mm

Firmness At 1900N 
 

79.5 N/mm
71.6 N/mm

Forefoot Firmness 
 

8.5
7.5

Forefoot Firmness Graph  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Firmness Graph
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Firmness Graph

Firmness At 800N 
 

61.7 N/mm
54.3 N/mm

Firmness At 1300N 
 

78.5 N/mm
70.4 N/mm

Firmness At 2050N 
 

108 N/mm
97 N/mm

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning 
 

7.0
7.5

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Long Run Cushioning
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Long Run Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 10km 
 

7.70 J
8.14 J

Energy Absorbed At 20km 
 

7.48 J
7.98 J

Energy Absorbed At 30km 
 

7.32 J
7.87 J

Energy Absorbed At 40km 
 

7.20 J
7.81 J

Rocker Stiffness 
 

6.5
8.1

Forefoot Rocker Stiffness Video  

Forefoot Rocker Stiffness Graph  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Rocker Stiffness Graph
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Rocker Stiffness Graph

Force To Flatten The Rocker 
 

71 N
124 N

Forefoot Bending Energy Return 
 

6.1
6.6

Forefoot Bending Video  

Forefoot Bending Energy Return  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Bending Energy Return
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Bending Energy Return

Forefoot Bending Energy Return 
 

60.6%
62.7%

Forefoot Bending Stiffness 
 

7.5
7.6

Forefoot Bending Resistance Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Bending Resistance Picture
Compare High-Res
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Bending Resistance Picture

Forefoot Bending Resistance  

 Preview Graph
R.A.D SYNTH Forefoot Bending Resistance
 Preview Graph
Li-Ning Chaoying Pro Forefoot Bending Resistance

Forefoot Bending Stiffness 
 

15.4 N/mm
17.6 N/mm

Forefoot Bending Force 
 

290 N
268 N

R.A.D SYNTH

Li-Ning Chaoying Pro

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R.A.D SYNTH vs Li-Ning Chaoying Pro: Main Discussion

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