Running is well and truly having its moment. You can’t turn a street corner without seeing an oncoming running club hurtling towards you. Wander into any local park on a Saturday morning after 9am, and you’ll be met with runners of all ages starting their weekend with a 5k jaunt.
If you’ve finally decided to take that leap onto the gym treadmill or are ready to take to the pavements, the main investment you need to make is in a good pair of running shoes. Yes, your usual kicks will likely get you from A to B and then back again, but your feet will likely not have the ample level of cushioning or be wrapped up in material to offer the requisite level of comfort either.
Fortunately, we’ve tested a lot of running shoes and while you might be instantly lured by snaring those bright pair of Nike shoes that all the pros wear, you don’t have to spend big to get a good pair to lace up that can give you some of that faster feeling or let you cruise in the most comfortable way.
If you want to go straight to the finish line, our best value running shoe pick is the Puma Velocity Nitro 4. Our best overall pick is the Adidas Evo SL and if you really need a shoe primed for tackling a speedy marathon that’s more accessible than most, we’d go for the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3.
Here are the 10 that have made our running shoes shortlist. Read on to find out why these shoes excelled in our testing.
The best running shoes
A classic case of don’t judge a shoe by its price tag, the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 runs as good as it looks and is a solid option for new runners on a much tighter budget.
There’s a knitted upper to keep things comfortable, with Puma’s PWRTAPE also in place in key areas to provide additional support and keep your feet nicely locked in place. Below that is a full length of nitrogen-infused Nitrofoam that’s the right side of plush and responsive to make it comfortable for running paces where you can still hold a conversation, or when you need to up things in the pace department.
That’s topped off with an outsole that’s simply one of the best in the running shoe business to cover plenty of your running time, whether that’s mainly on pavements or you need to wander off onto lighter trails as well.
Comfort is king with the Novablast. If you want a running shoe that wraps you up in snug-fitting mesh and you like the sound of dropping your feet on top of soft, plush foam, the Novablast 5 is going to appeal.
It’s a naturally roomy shoe as well, making it ideal for those with wider feet. Asics places its new FF Blast Max foam across a wide base to make sure it’s bouncy but also a supremely smooth and stable shoe to run in.
Add all those parts together, and it’s the ideal shoe for a long weekend marathon training run and those runs where you’re not planning to run your fastest or hardest.
The best kind of running shoe is the one that is at home, whether you want to go slow, fast, long, chase down a PB or just wear it out for a stroll. That applies to the Adidas Evo SL, which is comfortably our best overall running shoe pick.
It’s got a look inspired by Adidas’ more premium racing shoes, with its Lightning Strike Pro providing the base for your more uptempo runs and also working to provide solid protection for longer runs. Adidas uses Continental rubber below that to provide a strong grip when tackling wetter running conditions.
While it looks made for speed, it also provides plenty of comfort too when you need to put the brakes on and just enjoy the ride in a shoe that looks fit to wear outside of running.
Nike’s Vomero now comes as a family, and the Vomero 18 is the one that takes some of the best bits of Nike’s faster shoes and wraps them up in a package that’s a lot more beginner-friendly or for runners that just want something fun in a more controlled and less wild way.
In true Nike fashion, you’ve got colourways aplenty to pick from, including taking the design your own route. Once you’ve made your pick, you’ll be surrounded by a supremely soft and not too overpadded mesh, with a mixture of Nike’s foams sitting below that. There’s the ZoomX kind also found in Nike’s racing shoes to provide some bounce, and that’s tempered by a ReactX foam that gives this big, stacked shoe the scope to pick the pace up.
Down below is a rubber outsole that also adds to the more versatile profile, as well as being tough enough to swap pavements for more uneven terrain.
The Brooks Ghost is a running shoe that’s dependable in all the right ways. It’s not one you grab for rapid runs or racing, but if you value something that’s the ideal mix of comfort and offering a smooth and stable feeling, that’s what you’ll get in heaps.
Brooks has raised its game in the looks department and uses an air mesh upper that’s both nicely padded and supportive to give it strong walking shoe credentials. Brooks now uses more of its great nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 cushioning technology it added to the Ghost 16, and the result is a feeling that’s enjoyable without ever feeling too wild. It’s the ideal beginner runner shoe if you’re starting to increase your running mileage, and now also a good-looking performer to put on your feet.
The ride you’ll enjoy in Saucony’s Ride is one that’s lively and particularly likes it when you want to go from easy up to a more moderate pace, and you’re slightly put off by shoes putting much bigger stacks of foam underfoot.
Saucony plants the Ride 18 with its PWRRUN+ cushioning technology that’s not overly soft and also delivers a surprisingly snappy and responsive experience.
That helps to make it more comfortable at slightly faster paces and keeps you a little more connected to the ground as you pound it. It won’t give you the best in class outsole or the most thrilling ride out there, but as a package, it’s a dependable performer and a likeable price.
Another shoe you can stick in the category of looks good enough to wear all the time, the Rebel v5 is another comfortable one to lace up and use for your daily run outs or go long in it.
Available in either standard or wider fit options, the Rebel uses New Balance’s FantomFit upper to offer a strong mix of support and breathability, with a soft and bouncy foam that’s stacked higher than before.
This works well for getting up to racing speed or dialling things back. A now wider design also increases things on the stability front, helping to make this lightweight shoe one you can train in and step onto the start line with.
Another do-it-all shoe that can be one you can turn to when it’s time to go faster, or you just need to bank another long run. Like a lot of Hoka’s range, it can fit a touch narrow, but if you can make the fit work for you, in return you’ll get a spritely runner that puts its supercritical foam to strong use when you need to pick up the pace.
It also has you well protected for runs that tick well over the hour mark. If you’re already capable of getting up to some faster paces, the Mach 6 is a good training match.
Under Armour’s running shoes do go a little under the radar as its gym and basketball shoes make a bigger noise. The Infinite Elite 2 is a bit of a standout if you like a running shoe that puts comfort first and is a solid shoe to just cruise out in. It’s nice and roomy for those with wider feet and offers plenty of padding up top.
Under Armour softens up its big stack of Hovr+ cushioning that’s got a nice spring to it and sits across a wide base, keeping things nicely stable at the same time. If you’ve already graduated to going long, the Infinite Elite 2 is a fitting companion to help you get through that extended time on your feet.
The best of the best racing shoes do unfortunately cost a lot, but if you’re ready to part with more money to step into one and can’t quite bring yourself to spend big, the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 sits at the more affordable end of that pricey racing shoe category but won’t shortchange you in performance, whether you’re racing over the 5k distance or tackling a marathon.
It’s packing a light, airy upper to give it that race-ready fit, with just enough padded comfort reserved for the key areas where it’s most needed.
Puma’s Nitrofoam Elite foam, along with a carbon plate, is the key ingredient to giving it a lively, bouncy, fast feel, and it does without feeling as wild and unstable as some other racing shoes. Add in an outsole with rubber that’s tough enough to handle some of your marathon training runs and race day, and the Elite is an elite shoe that most runners ready to step up to proper racing shoes will be able to handle.
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