We are experiencing one of the most thrilling eras in the history of running shoes. In recent years, cutting-edge materials, innovative geometries, and creative combinations of foams, plates, fabrics, and soles have resulted in faster, lighter, and more comfortable models than ever before.
The good news is that runners now have an abundance of options. A multitude of choices, however, can sometimes lead to decision paralysis. To help find the perfect running shoe, we’ve tested over 100 pairs of new and updated models with a diverse team of over 20 testers.
Whether you’re seeking a fast-footed road running shoe to boost your race performance or a plush trainer that makes the final mile of your long run enjoyable, you’ve come to the right place. These shoes will help you rediscover the joy of running.
At a Glance
Training Shoes
- Best All-Around: New Balance Balos ($200)
- Best Cushioned Trainer: Asics Superblast 2 ($200)
- Best Distance Trainer: Brooks Hyperion Max 2 ($180)
- Best Value: Skechers GOrun Razor 5 ($130)
- Best Lightweight Trainer: Under Armour Velociti 4 ($130)
- Best Super Trainer: Puma Deviate Nitro 3 ($160)
- Best for Recovery Runs: Hoka Skyward X ($225)
- Best Natural Ride: Topo Athletic Cyclone 2 ($150)
- Best Eco-Friendly Ride: Veja Condor 3 ($200)
- Most Stylish+High Performance: Tracksmith Eliot Runner ($198)
Stability Shoes
- Best All-Around: Brooks Glycerin GTS 21 ($160)
- Best Plush Stability: Asics GEL-Kayano 31 ($165)
- Best Lightweight Stability: Brooks Hyperion GTS 2 ($140)
Racing Shoes
- Editors’ Choice/Best Overall Super Shoe On Cloudboom Strike ($280)
- Best Marathon Racer: Nike Alphafly 3 ($285)
- Best For Shorter Road Races: New Balance FuelCell Supercomp Pacer v2 ($200)
Trail Running Shoes
Tips and How We Test
All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.
Best Training Shoes
Best All-Around
New Balance Balos
Weight: 9.2 oz (men’s), 7.3 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 38.5–32.5 mm
Drop: 6 mm
Sizing: 7-13, 14, 15, 16, regular and wide (men’s); 5-11, 12, 13, regular and wide (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Stable despite a soft midsole
⊕ Smooth-rolling ride heel-to-toe
⊕ Surprisingly fast for such a cushioned shoe
⊗ Some found the ride sloppy at 10K pace or faster
It’s rare that all our testers agree on a shoe, let alone one as soft and highly cushioned as the Balos. Shoes this soft typically lead some of our testers who favor more stable, grounded shoes to find faults likeinstability and a mushy feel.
The New Balance Balos is that rare diamond that every tester gave glowing reviews. One tester boldly called the Balos “the best premium training shoe ever made,” adding it “offers a unique combination of a light, flexible, soft, responsive cushioning and a rocker that promotes speed and comfort on uptempo runs.”
The secret to its success is the thick stack of ultra-soft and hyper-responsive PEBA midsole foam with a dramatic heel-to-toe rocker profile that facilitates a smooth roll and forward propulsion. The foam, said one tester, is “well-balanced—soft and responsive, providing comfort, structure, and a bit of bounce without feeling overly squishy.” One might think this much foam underfoot would feel numbing, yet the Balos retains a surprisingly good ground feel, partially due to the flexible, ground-contact EVA sole with only small strips of firmer rubber on high abrasion areas of the heel and toe.
The plate-less, flexible midsole let the thick sole work with our feet rather than dictating movement paths or creating an unstable platform. Gear editor Jonathan Beverly, who usually prefers lower-stacked shoes, noted, “The foam adapted to my changing foot shape and moved with me, making it feel like I was enveloped by the sole rather than just standing on it, with no hint of instability to either side.”
Testers unanimously agreed that the Balos offered impressive pace versatility—from slow, easy runs to threshold efforts, even serving as a race-day shoe for some. One tester noted, however, that at 10K pace or faster the midsole seemed to take too much time to compress and rebound, making push-offs sloppy.
Complementing the plush underfoot feel is a comfortable creel mesh upper that’s highly breathable. Another tester noted that the nicely padded tongue and heel collar make it “easy to lock down the laces on the Balos and secure your foot for maximum comfort during your run.” With its well-cushioned underfoot feel and peppy persona, the New Balance Balos won over our most finicky testers, even ones who had sworn off max-cushioned models, to earn best all-around honors.
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Honorable mentions: , ,
Best Cushioned Trainer
Asics Superblast 2
Weight: 8.8 oz (unisex)
Stack Height: 45-37 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: 3.5-13 (men’s); 5-14.5 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Outstanding cushioning-to-weight ratio
⊕ Responsive for such a highly cushioned shoe
⊕ Great fitting upper
⊗ Can feel bulky due to the large size
It’s clear there’s a growing trend in running shoes: the more cushioning, the better. The Asics Superblast 2 completely leans into this notion. Sporting a whopping 45 millimeters of foam under the heel, not only did Asics not skimp on the amount, but they went with two layers—softer over firmer—of their highest-performing PEBA foams.
One tester called the foam combo “fantastically well engineered and executed,” while another said, “very few shoes offer such a lightweight, stiff, stable, highly cushioned, and super-responsive running platform.” The ride is every bit as lively as it is plush. Despite lacking a plate, the Superblast 2’s soft midsole doesn’t feel mushy and offers a surprisingly sturdy platform, thanks to its wide base.
Testers appreciated the stable ride but found the wide, relatively stiff sole made their gait feel clunky when turning over faster. “Its bulk and rigidity numb my proprioception and hold back my performance,” said one tester about attempting to run fast in the shoe. Runners who like a more sensitive, flexible ride should look elsewhere.
Right out of the box, the Superblast 2 fit true to size for all our testers, with one noting it had “plenty of forefoot room and excellent midfoot lockdown.” The stretchy woven upper and padded heel counter provided ample comfort for even the longest runs, all while keeping us cool.
Honorable mentions: Hoka Skyward X, ,
Best Distance Trainer
Brooks Hyperion Max 2
Weight: 9.1 oz (men’s), 8.3 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 36-30 mm
Drop: 6 mm
Sizing: 7-13,14,15 (men’s); 5-12 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Highly responsive midsole
⊕ Quick-rolling ride
⊕ Great fitting upper
⊗ Midsole may feel firm to some
As the more cushioned sibling to the Hyperion 2, the Hyperion Max 2 is a higher-stacked, lightweight uptempo shoe ideal for long tempos and faster-paced long runs. Gaining four millimeters more nitrogen-infused EVA foam underfoot than the first version, the midsole isn’t the bounciest we’ve tested, but what it lacks in bounce it more than makes up for in liveliness.
Those who like a firmer, more responsive ride over a squishy, bouncy one will feel right at home, and even our tester who usually prefers soft, trampoline-like running shoes found pleasure in the Hyperion Max 2’s quick-rolling feel. The peppy ride, enhanced with a semi-flexible embedded plate, shined on up-tempo days, but even at all-day paces, the Hyperion Max 2 felt smooth, comfortable, and supportive, making it a worthy candidate as an everyday trainer when racking up miles.
The most significant improvement is the new Jacquard mesh upper. Testers universally praised its high breathability, one noting how it kept feet cool even during a 90-degree, humid East Coast summer run. As expected from an uptempo shoe, the upper is minimal to reduce weight, yet one tester noted it “fits and feels like a sock.” Even our self-described “cranky person” when it comes to tongues, lacing, and heel security found no issues with the upper. “The sawtooth laces stay secure from the moment you tie them until you’re done, and they don’t irritate the instep at all,” he said.
Honorable mentions: , ,
Best Value
Skechers GOrun Razor 5
(Available late October 2024)
Weight: 8 oz (men’s), 6.4 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 30–26 mm
Drop: 4 mm
Sizing: 7-14 (7H-12H) (men’s); 5-11 (5H-9H) (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Fun, lively midsole
⊕ Suitable for a wide range of paces
⊕ Premium foam and carbon-infused plate at a value price
⊗ Fit issues for some testers
We’ve been big fans of Skechers ever since the brand introduced its supercritically blown EVA midsole, known as Hyperburst, back in 2019. In the ensuing years, they’ve continued to improve the ultra-light, responsive foam, with Hyperburst Pro, found in the Razor 5, the newest version. Testers approved.
“Hyperburst Pro is easily one of the best, if not the best, cushioning materials on the market,” said one tester. The supercritical process uses CO2 and nitrogen heated to a critical state between gas and liquid to expand TPU with gas bubbles, creating a lightweight, springy feel that pushes back energetically from the moment of impact. Embedded in the Razor 5’s midsole is a carbon-infused forefoot plate that’s more flexible than most, providing a bit of stability and snappy bite off the toes without feeling stiff or controlling.
Despite being one of the lowest profile shoes in the test, the Razor 5 shines as an everyday trainer. “It’s an excellent go-to shoe for just about everything—long runs, hill workouts, speed sessions, and daily mileage,” one tester said. The flexible sole allows your feet to move naturally, while the uber-responsive foam provides just enough cushioning to protect you while enabling ground-sensitive proprioception.
The one knock we have is that the rather low-sitting heel collar, combined with the thin laces and tongue, create a sub-par fit for some. One tester kept having to readjust his laces to feel secure.
Still, despite the upper issues, the Skechers Razor 5 is easily the best price-to-value shoe you can buy today. It’s so versatile, one tester said, “If you have to take a single shoe with you on a trip, one that can suffice for an easy run or a tempo effort, take the Razor 5”.
Honorable mentions: ,
Best Lightweight Trainer
Under Armour Velociti 4
Weight: 7.7 oz (men), 6.9 oz (women)
Stack height: 30–22
Drop: 8 mm
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight and flexible
⊕ Nimble underfoot feel
⊕ Comfortable upper
⊗ Toebox is a bit shallow for some
With the absence of rubber on the outsole and a clean, smooth upper, this shoe just looks lightweight and comfortable—and it is. Testers commented on its immediate comfort—one even wore it on a 10-mile road run out of the box and reported zero hot spots. The knit upper morphs around a range of foot shapes, while the heel collar securely holds our feet for a secure ride.
The shoe’s ride is low and firmly responsive, at least compared to most in this era of oversized, high-cushion midsoles. But the lively cushioning, combined with a flexible outsole (again, no rubber, just exposed UnderArmour FLOW foam), had us enjoying how the Velociti 4 gave us a feel for the ground beneath us, in a springy, connected way.
One tester raved about this shoe’s capability during 400-meter repeats on a rubber track: “The lightness of the shoe, the great fit, and the sole seemed to combine to pull out my best form and let me get in a great groove for a track workout,” she said. Another brought two pairs of shoes to test on a trip to Chicago—these and a more cushioned model—and never wore the other because the Velociti 4 put such a pep in his step while darting nimbly through pedestrians on the River Walk and striding out on the lakefront.
Honorable mentions: , , ,
Best Super Trainer
Puma Deviate Nitro 3
Weight: 9.3 oz (men’s), 7.6 oz (women’s)
Stack height: 39–29 mm
Drop: 10 mm
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lively and stable dual-foam midsole
⊕ Smooth and snappy roll from carbon-fiber composite plate
⊕ At least 20 percent of the upper made with recycled materials
⊗ Giant “NITRO” branding on upper
⊗ Tongue tends to buckle when laces tightened around narrow feet
Testers concurred that the Deviate Nitro 3 ran as smoooooth as butter, thanks to Puma’s proprietary nitrogen-infused midsole, combined with a slightly flexible, forked, carbon-fiber composite plate, and a slightly rockered shape. The midsole is split into two layers, a soft, bouncy PEBA foam above the plate, and a firmer, stable and responsive TPEE foam below it. One tester who describes herself as a heel striker at all-but-sprinting says her gait felt remarkably efficient and fluid in this shoe. Another raved: “They nailed the perfect cushioning. It feels both responsive in the heel and the forefoot with a great energy/propulsive return.”
Despite a fairly low-volume fit, the Deviate Nitro 3 worked for a range of foot shapes among our test pool, many calling it “super comfortable,” and one saying, “It’s like wearing a slipper.” One narrow-footed tester, however, complained that the lightly padded tongue buckled when she cinched the laces down.
We reached for this shoe for fast efforts, either in training or racing, and appreciated the stability afforded by the plate and the comfort-giving properties of the foam on longer runs as well.
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Honorable mentions: , ,
Best for Recovery Runs
Hoka Skyward X
Weight: 11.3 oz (men’s), 9.2 oz (women’s)
Stack height: 48–43 mm (men’s), 46–41 mm (women’s)
Drop: 5 mm
Sizing: Men’s 7–15; Women’s 5–12
Pros and Cons
⊕ Forgiving platform reduces fatigue
⊕ Carbon plate keeps the ride lively
⊕ Deep sidewalls provide stability
⊗ A bit on the heavy side, in weight and in price
If you thought Hoka running shoes couldn’t get any more ridiculously fat, think again: The new Skyward X has the highest stack height of any Hoka to date (and has the tallest midsole of any running shoe we are aware of). The whopping amount of midsole foam extends up and around the sides of the foot—a bucket seat-like effect that added support and kept us from tipping over on what looks like platform shoes.
But the Skyward X isn’t all mushy cush. The lively PEBA foam encases a convex carbon fiber plate that is said to compress with each foot strike and rebound energy as you push off. While we can’t confirm the exact action of what happens in the midsole of this shoe, we can say that the outcome was reduced fatigue.
We reached for this mega shoe when we were feeling beat up. “I feel well-cushioned with every step but also don’t feel like I’m sinking into the road,” said a tester who’s run 11 marathons. “It seems to be cushioned with this wonderful technology throughout my foot. My body feels great during and after runs in this shoe.”
Honorable mentions: , , , ,
Best Natural Ride
Topo Cyclone 2
Weight: 6.9 oz (men’s), 5.5 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 28–23 mm
Drop: 5 mm
Sizing: 8–12 (men’s); 6–11 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Comfortable, bouncy cushioning
⊕ Ultralight
⊕ Flexible, close-to-the-ground feel
⊗ Too minimal for some
For some runners, today’s supershoes feel overbuilt—the plate is too stiff, the midsole too tipsy, and the rocker too aggressive. The Topo Cyclone 2 presents an alternative formula, combining today’s cutting-edge foam technology with a simplified, low-profile underfoot experience. One tester described the Cyclone as “a shoe that moves like a minimalist model and provides a stable, proprioceptive ground connection while cushioning and bouncing like a supershoe.”
Despite the low, flexible, minimalist feeling, the midsole still provides plenty of cushioning underfoot for effective shock absorption. Even one tester who favors thick-soled, stiff, maximum-cushioned shoes appreciated the lightness and high-energy rebound provided by the full Pebax midsole.
Sitting atop the super-powered sole is a thin, airy, engineered mesh upper that’s tailored for a secure midfoot wrap and a wide anatomical toe box. “The fit is comfortably snug and welcoming at 5k pace or slower,” praised one tester, who also noted, however, that he found the wide forefoot felt slightly “sloppy” as he approached top-end speeds. One tester summed it up: “The Cyclone 2 is a lightweight speed and race-day shoe that lets your foot control the shoe, not—like with so many of today’s carbon-fiber super shoes—the other way around.”
Read our full review of the Topo Cyclone 2.
Honorable mention:
Best Eco-Friendly Ride
Veja Condor 3
Weight: 10 oz (men), 8.2 oz (women)
Stack Height: 37–29 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: 8-12 (men’s); 6-11 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Comfortable fit
⊕ Smooth transitions
⊕ Sustainable manufacturing
⊗ Pricey
⊗ Upper a bit baggy for narrow feet
The Veja Condor 3 brings sustainably-made footwear to new levels of performance. Smart usage of renewable materials results in a versatile shoe that we enjoyed on both roads and mild trails. The midsole blend includes 43 percent sugarcane-base EVA and 27 percent Amazonian rubber in an ample stack of 37 mm under the heel and 29 mm under the forefoot, making it a highly cushioned shoe with a lively rebound. A full-length “L-Foam” insert (made of 65 percent natural latex and 35 percent synthetic latex) is meant to absorb shock and dampen vibration, and testers reported it succeeded
One tester said, “This shoe has a balanced level of cushioning that straddles the line between soft and responsive.” Another noted that there’s nothing compromised in terms of performance despite the environmentally conscious materials and build. “The midsole compares with many of today’s softly cushioned, bouncy foams, and the geometry—with raised sidewalls, compression grooves, and a moderate rocker—delivers smooth and stable landings and transitions,” he said.
The 100-percent recycled polyester engineered mesh upper secured our feet, though the fit is a bit wide. A padded collar and external heel clip made of castor-oil-based Pebax Rnew lock-in the heel before opening to a flared forefoot, making the neutral shoe feel stable. The highly breathable mesh is reinforced by glued-on TPU overlays that add to the secure foothold and enhance durability. With its bio-based materials and smooth ride on a variety of surfaces, this is a feel-good shoe in every sense.
Most Stylish+High Performance
Tracksmith Eliot Runner
Weight: 9.2 oz (men’s), 8.0 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 33.5–24.5 mm
Drop: 9 mm
Sizing: Unisex shoe, M4/W5.5–M13/W14.5
Pros and Cons
⊕ Stylish enough for fancy casual wear
⊕ Step-in comfort
⊕ Wide versatility of paces and ranges
⊗ Can feel a tad soft for fast efforts
⊗ Low-volume fit
This shoe cushions plenty for long runs, feels peppy and spry enough for tempo efforts, inspires quick quarter-mile efforts on the track, and can be worn casually on the daily. It does it all.
Underfoot comfort and cush comes from a combination of a soft, super-thick (three times the norm) sockliner layered over a slightly denser midsole, both made of Pebax—the premier shock-absorbing compound of the hour, usually found in marathon-racing supershoes. The sockliner aims to mimic the feel of running on fall leaves or soft dirt (and does), while the firmer midsole is designed to compress just enough to encourage underfoot pop (and does). The fit leans low-volume from top to bottom, adding to a sleek feel, while a secure heel hold tapers out to a slightly wider toe box.
The engineered mesh upper sports soft and retro-stylish synthetic suede around the heel collar and lacing eyelets, and achieves structure with a simple sash at the midfoot. This is a comfortable, capable, and great-looking shoe that we’re mildly obsessed with.
Best Stability Shoes
Best All-Around Stability
Brooks Glycerin GTS 21
Weight: 10.5 oz (men’s), 8.9 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 38–28 mm (forefoot)
Drop: 10 mm
Sizing: 7-15, medium and wide (men’s); 5-12, medium and wide (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Streamlined fit
⊕ Smooth, stable cushioning
⊕ Minimal bulk-to-support ratio
⊗ A tad stiff
The Glycerin GTS 21 is a fantastic workhorse of a shoe; both plush and stable, it’s a reliable, supportive training partner from daily jaunts to long, slow, distance runs. Step-in comfort comes from a soft, flexible knit upper material that, joined with a thickly padded tongue and heel collar, enveloped our feet comfortably. “This shoe had good breathability with the soft mesh fabric,” said Boulder-based tester Kat D’Angelo, who added, “They keep airflow throughout my feet to keep them cool.”
The midsole, which gained two millimeters of nitrogen-infused, EVA-rubber blend foam without adding weight, had our testers using words like “vibrant” and “smooth, controlled, and springy.” The stable ride comes from a wide base and Brooks’ GuideRails, a non-intrusive strip of denser foam on the arch side of the shoe plus elevated midsole sidewalls on both sides, designed to gently guide the foot to stay in its preferred movement path even when fatigued. “They don’t have the zing of a super-trainer, but they let you relax and forget about your feet and shoes,” said a masters runner with lots of miles on his legs.
We felt stable, secure, supported, and comfortable in these shoes for miles on end, making them a great choice for marathon training or other situations—like getting back into running after a break—that require a build-up in mileage.
Honorable mentions: ,
Best Plush Stability
Asics GEL-Kayano 31
Weight: 10.7 oz (men’s), 9.2 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 40–30 mm (men’s); 39–29 mm (women’s)
Drop: 10 mm
Sizing: Men’s 6-16; Women’s 5-13
Pros and Cons
⊕ Well-cushioned sole and upper
⊕ Smooth rolling ride
⊕ Stable without being firm or stiff
⊗ Somewhat heavy
Our testers were big fans of the Asics GEL-Kayano 30, which was a big departure from previous versions of the franchise shoe and a great example of how shoe companies have been rethinking the traditional strategies to provide stability. The Kayano 31 built on the success of the 30, and we love it even more. “Since the Kayano is a stability shoe,” said a tester, “I expected it to feel harder. But I was very pleasantly surprised at the high level of cushioning.”
Like the 30, the 31 has a wide midsole and significant heel bevel, a flared sole under the forefoot, and soft, high-energy foam under the arch where we’re used to finding a firm medial post. Rather than attempting to block rotational movement, Asics says the bouncy insert, in combination with the shoes’ geometry, is designed to reduce the time at peak pronation and gently guide an over-rotating foot back into a more neutral position as it transitions from heel to toe-off.
The 31 boasts a new, engineered mesh upper that provided a great fit, regardless of foot shape. Testers loved how the upper “morphs” and “hugs” their feet, and raved about the plush comfort of the padded tongue and heel collar, as well as the cushioning underfoot. Also improved is the rubber outsole, which we found grippy on wet roads. This is a great update to an already reliable stability shoe that runs smoothly, responsively, and comfortably.
Best Lightweight Stability
Brooks Hyperion GTS 2
Weight: 7.6 oz (men’s), 6.9 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 31.5–23.5 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: Men’s 7–15; Women’s 5–12
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Low-profile, agile-feeling, and supportive ride
⊕ Highly breathable upper (could feel cold in winter)
⊗ Can feel too squishy in the heel for some
We loved the first-iteration Hyperion GTS for its lightweight comfort and springy, nitrogen-infused cushioning that one tester described as “fun and fast.” The second version is updated with a new midsole compound—nitrogen-infused DNA Flash v2—which Brooks says is lighter weight and more responsive than its predecessor. We concur—one tester described it as “snappy,” while another remarked on how it seems to push back while compressing and offers impressive rebound.
The GTS 2 still features stabilizing guide rails along the sides of the heel—a raised extension of the midsole foam on the outside, a firmer TPU piece on the inside—to help reduce heel shift and rotation for runners whose stride strays excessively inward or outward, especially towards the end of their run as a result of fatigue.
We appreciated the feeling of support while still being able to run smoothly and speedily when we wanted to up the effort. “I’d definitely speed train in these,” said a tester. “They’re responsive, nimble, and light.” These shoes are ideal for any runner looking for a daily trainer or racer that gives them a connected ground feel without being minimal. The cushioning is noticeable and lively, while the stability features are discreet. “I found these easy to run in at any speed,” said one. “They’re very responsive to whatever I feel like doing in them.”
Best Racing Shoes
Editors Choice/Best Overall Super Shoe
On Cloudboom Strike
Weight: 7.7 oz (men’s), 6.6 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 39.5–35.5 mm
Drop: 4 mm
Sizing: 7-13, 14 (men’s); 5-11 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Highly cushioned, bouncy midsole
⊕ Performs well from marathon pace to 5K pace
⊕ Upper resists moisture
⊗ Fits long
Carbon-fiber-plated super shoes are a dime a dozen these days. Nearly every brand now offers its version of these high-tech racing shoes, and most are on their third or fourth generation, tempering our excitement whenever a new update drops. Amidst the flood of revamped models this year, however, there stood a gem—a brand new supershoe that rivals the best: the On Cloudboom Strike.
After the underwhelming performance of its predecessor, the firm, somewhat clunky Cloudboom Echo series, the Cloudboom Strike is a total redemption story—a zero-to-hero journey that took our testers by surprise. From the moment you put it on, it’s clear that the Cloudboom Strike is an entirely different shoe from the Cloudboom Echo, starting with the Strike’s soft underfoot feel.
Restricted by the 40-millimeter stack height limit set by World Athletics, On’s engineers stripped away all non-essential elements to maximize the amount of their ultra-bouncy PEBA foam, Helion HF hyper underfoot. Inside, instead of a traditional flimsy insole, there’s a removable thick layer of PEBA foam resting directly on the carbon fiber plate. Plus, the upper is stitched directly onto the plate, eliminating the need for a strobel board. The result is more high-performing foam in the same 40-millimeter stack, which delivers a plush, cushioned feel and gives the impression of more thickness than there actually is.
The shoe is remarkably versatile in terms of pace range, as our lead tester found out during a 5k race. Often, thick-soled super shoes can feel bulky and cumbersome at faster paces. Not the Cloudboom Strike. The shoe cycled through his gait with ease, responding at the drop of a hat when needed. The ride felt equally comfortable on easy runs, marathon pace workouts, and tempo efforts. And, despite weighing roughly the same as many competitor supershoes, the Cloudboom Srike feels lighter on the run, almost as if it’s not there.
The thin, flexible, one-piece mesh upper is comfortable and repels moisture well. A sewn-in overlay cage system, attached to thin, sticky laces, makes it easy to dial fit and ensure your foot is firmly situated in the driver’s seat. Note the fit is long, enough that it’s worth considering sizing down half a size.
Like most super shoes, the Cloudboom Strike isn’t immune to instability issues. The tall stance and soft underfoot feeling can feel wobbly at times, particularly for beginner runners who spend more time on the ground.
Having tested every super shoe on the market, it takes a lot to impress us. But the On Cloudboom Strike had us grinning ear to ear with its lively, fun, and incredibly bouncy ride.
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Best Marathon Racer
Nike Alphafly 3
Weight: 7.8 oz (men), 6.2 oz (women)
Stack Height: 40–32 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: 6-15 (men’s), 5-12 (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Bouncy, trampoline-like ride
⊕ Works for a wide range of runners
⊕ Lighter weight than previous versions of the AlphaFly
⊗ Heel can feel unstable
⊗ Can be hard to find in specific sizes
We’ve run in all three versions of the AlphaFly to date and think this third iteration is a great update. Subtle adjustments to the shoe’s geometry, including a wider footprint and carbon fiber plate, paired with repositioned Air Zoom units and strategically sculpted midsole, give the Alphafly 3 a distinctly different feel from its predecessor, which many found heavy and clunky compared to the original. This shoe again feels bouncy, fun, and fast.
Complementing the cush and rebound of ZoomX (Pebax) foam and Air Zoom units (pockets of compressed air and tensile threads) is a full-length carbon fiber plate that gives the shoe extra snap and adds a touch of appreciated stability that even the most efficient runners can benefit from when fatigued (marathon, anyone?). One of our more competitive testers praised the Alphafly 3 for its bouncy, energy-saving ride and says she’ll wear no other shoe for races longer than 10 miles. Another speedy tester noted, “Even running as fast as 5k pace, I found the Alphafly responded quickly, encouraging a fast turnover.” Some slower runners noted, however, that landing on the Alphafly’s sculpted heel can create a feeling of instability until the plate is engaged at the midfoot roll.
The upper of the Alphafly 3 is a lightweight, super-breathable mesh with an integrated tongue and thin, notched laces that pull tight and stay tied. Our feet were comfortable and secure without any pressure points on top of the ready-to-fly platform. We love that this shoe got lighter than its previous versions, which adds to its race-readiness.
Read our full review of the Alphafly 3. .
Honorable mention: , , ,
Best For Shorter Road Races
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v2
Weight: 6.9 oz (men’s), 5.9 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 33–25 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: 7-13, 14, regular and wide (men’s); 5-11, 12, regular and wide (women’s)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Excellent ground feel
⊕ Snappy, propulsive ride
⊕ Air mesh upper breaths well
⊗ Runs a bit short in length
Short races like the 5K or 10K call for a lightweight, snappy shoe that’s quick and agile. No shoe we tested met these criteria better than the New Balance FuelCell Pacer v2. Underfoot, the short-distance crusher features a PEBA foam for a ride that’s “fast, nimble, and has plenty of cushioning,” one tester said. Embedded in the uber-soft, ultra-responsive foam is a curved carbon fiber plate that controls the foam and enhances forward propulsion. “The shoe felt bouncy but not in an energy-robbing way,” noted one tester.
For runners who find today’s thick-soled super shoes overly cushioned and lacking ground feel, the Pacer v2’s lower stack height—32 millimeters in the heel and 24 millimeters in the forefoot—offers a refreshing change. It provides excellent connection and sensitivity while delivering a lightly cushioned, snappy ride.
The upper features a single layer of engineered mesh that further adds to the shoes’ lightweight and nimble persona. Testers unanimously agreed that the airy mesh, with ample ventilation, performed exceptionally well in hot and humid conditions. A few testers noted the shoe ran a tad short in length, but provided plenty of volume. If you’re in between sizes it may be worth sizing up.
Note that while most will find the less-cushioned Pacer 2 best suited for shorter races, Olympian Emily Sisson wears this shoe in the marathon.
Honorable mentions: ,
How to Choose a Running Shoe
When choosing a road running shoe, the first step is to determine the type of running you’ll primarily be doing in them. Do you need a speedy racer, a shoe that offers comfort during long, slow jogs, or a versatile trainer that can handle various distances and paces?
Next, consider your preference for the feel of the shoe’s cushioning: do you like a soft, forgiving ride, a more energetic, bouncy sensation underfoot, or a firmer platform that provides better ground feel? With advancements in foams and technologies, many shoes today offer cushioning without compromising responsiveness or stability. However, each shoe balances these characteristics differently, providing a spectrum of options to choose from. The key to finding the perfect running shoe is choosing the one you’re most comfortable with.
Once you’ve narrowed the search to a certain type of road shoe, you need to find a pair that complements your unique body and stride. Every runner’s body, gait, speed, experience, and ride preferences are different, so every runner will interact differently with each running shoe. The shoe that your best friend or your sister-in-law loves may be uncomfortable for you and make running feel slow, sluggish, or even painful. Finding the perfect pair of road running shoes is a seriously personal affair.
The process for choosing the best running shoes is a matter of finding the models that both fit your foot and also feel best when you’re running. To determine fit and feel, there’s no substitute for trying the shoes on and running in them.
Fit: Match Your Foot Shape
When assessing fit, first pay attention to length. You need room at the end of your toes as your feet lengthen during their dynamic movements on the run. A rule of thumb is to allow a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Runners often wear a running shoe a half or full size bigger than their street shoes.
Ensure that the shape of the sole and the upper matches your foot shape. The sole should be as wide or wider than your foot for the whole length, and match the curve of your arch comfortably. The shoe should hold your foot securely over the instep, while allowing the ball of the foot and the toes to splay and flex when you roll forward onto them. Your heel shouldn’t slip when you lift it, and the arch should be able to dome and lengthen naturally. Nothing should bind or rub as you roll through the stride.
Feel: Match Your Movement Path
If the shoe fits, it’s time to take them on a short run on a treadmill, around the store, or, ideally, down the block and back. Every running shoe has a unique ride created by the type and density of foam in the midsole and the geometry of that foam: its thickness, width, heel-to-toe drop, molded sidewalls or flares, and forefoot flexibility or rocker shape (plus, in an increasing number of models, the presence of and type of embedded plate). Each of these elements interact with each other and your stride to determine how the shoe reacts on landing, how much it cushions, how stably it supports, how smoothly it transitions from landing to toe off, and how quickly and powerfully it rebounds.
The best way to choose the shoes that complement your body and stride is to find the ones that feel right on the run. Benno Nigg, the world-leading biomechanics professor who , calls it the “comfort filter,” but makes clear it is far more than how plush the shoe feels when you step into it. What you want to assess is whether the shoe allows and supports the way your feet want to move, what Nigg calls your “preferred movement path.” In the right shoe, while running at your normal pace, you will touch down where you expect to land, roll smoothly and stably through the stride without noticing the shoe, feel both cushioned from and connected to the ground, and push off naturally, quickly, and powerfully. When this comes together you’ll know that you’ve found your pair.
It’s likely that several shoes will feel good on your feet. To find the most comfortable, it helps to compare them back to back, like an eye doctor will do with corrective lenses: flipping between “A” or “B,” “1” or “2.” You may also find that different shoes feel better at different paces or level of fatigue, and you may want more than one pair. In fact, research shows that wearing a variety of different shoes is one of the few to reduce injury risk as it appears to vary the stresses on your feet and joints.
What About Injury Prevention?
Running shoes have long been marketed and sold as prescriptive devices to help runners stay healthy, but there is correlating shoes, or any specific shoe properties—like cushioning or pronation control—with running injuries. Medical professionals say that it is highly difficult to determine whether a runner needs a certain type of shoe, and studies have shown that prescribing shoes using traditional methods like treadmill gait analyses or wet-foot arch height tests don’t consistently reduce injuries.
Don’t assume that you need more cushioning or more stability if you have sore joints, or if you’re a heavier runner, or if you’re a beginner—evidence doesn’t support many common beliefs. The best way prevent injury is find two or three different pairs that feel right on the run, ease into using them, and vary your shoes, your running surface and your pace regularly (plus avoid rapid increases in your training load and work on ).
How We Test
- Number of testers: 21
- Number of shoes tested: 117
- Number of miles: 17,000+ over a year
To test running shoes, we begin by researching every brand’s upcoming offerings for the coming season. We wind up with dozens of samples of the models (55 road shoes this season, 117 over the year) that are most promising—not just for us, but for 19 testers that range in age, ability, running form, geographical location, and preferred shoe types. We try to put each tester in models from within the same category (e.g., neutral, stability, carbon fiber, zero drop or uptempo) so everyone can test apples-to-apples.
After three to six months of running in each model on paved roads, concrete multi-use paths, treadmills, sandy beach paths, dirt roads, and tracks at a variety of distances, paces, and weather conditions, our crew members report back with their assessments of fit, comfort, traction, cushioning, flexibility, stiffness, pop, what type of running the model is best used for, how the shoe compares to other models, and more. We also run in every shoe ourselves, and, combining all the tester feedback with years of personal experience, hone in on the best. This guide combines the best recent shoes with outstanding shoes still available from the past two test periods.
Meet Our Lead Testers
Lisa Jhung
Freelance journalist, editor, and author has researched, tested, and written about running shoes for the past decade and a half, much of that time for ϳԹ and ϳԹ Buyer’s Guides. She coordinates a fleet of female shoe testers out of Boulder, Colorado, and says her home office is a perpetual obstacle course of cardboard boxes and piles of running shoes. Lisa’s written about gear of all kinds for numerous national magazines as both an editor and freelancer, including a stint as the Shoes & Gear blogger and trail running microsite editor for Runner’s World.
A high school jumper and occasional sprinter/hurdler, she started running—really running—after walking off the collegiate volleyball team, and moved on to road and trail races of any distance, triathlons, adventure races, and mountain running. She’s happiest testing rugged trail shoes on gnarly terrain, and also loves a good neighborhood jaunt…but is almost always looking for ribbons of dirt. Lisa is the author of Running That Doesn’t Suck: How to Love Running (Even If You Think You Hate It) and Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running.
Cory Smith
passion for running started over 30 years ago in high school when he became the number six ranked runner in the nation at 3000 meters his senior year. After high school, he competed at Villanova University, earning two NCAA Division I Championship showings. Today, he’s determined not to let age slow him down and competes on the national master’s circuit, running a 4:12 (4:30 mile pace)) 1500 meters and 9:04 (4:52 mile pace) 3000 meters in 2021 at age 43. He prefers a hard track workout or tempo run over an easy long run any day but also appreciates a challenging trail or mountain run.
His obsession with running shoes started in 2014 when he wrote his first shoe review for Gear Institute. Since then, he’s tested and reviewed hundreds of running shoes, clothing, and gear for ϳԹ, Runner’s World, Footwear News, and other outlets. He has a soft spot for speedy shoes over heavy trainers but loves dissecting all shoes equally and thinking like a product engineer to explain the why behind every design detail. Cory is the Founder of , an online running coaching business, and since its inception in 2014, has coached runners’ to over 100 Boston Marathon Qualifying times.
Jonathan Beverly
Jonathan fell in love with running his freshman year of high school and quickly became fascinated with finding the perfect pair of running shoes. That quest got a boost when he became editor of Running Times in 2000 and started receiving every new model as they were released. The parade of shoes continued while he served as shoe editor for Runner’s World, then editor of PodiumRunner, and currently fitness gear editor at ϳԹ. Having now worn nearly every running shoe created in this century—and a fair amount of those dating back to the early models of the ’70s—he’s given up on finding the one best and now relishes the wide variety of excellent options.
Once a 2:46 marathoner regularly doing 50+ mile weeks, recent injuries and his age have reduced his volume by about half and slowed his easy training pace to around nine-minute miles—but he says he still enjoys an uptempo workout or two each week. Beverly is the author of the book which explores how each individual’s gait—and thus shoe preference—is unique. He enjoys getting scientists’ take on new shoe trends and trying to describe the nuances of each shoe’s ride.