Jump to:
Editor’s Note: We reviewed our shoe selections on July 11, 2023 to ensure models are in stock and added other top-performing shoes from our most recent round of wear-testing. Shoes that are discounted are likely to be replaced with new models soon, so we’ve provided shopping links to retailers that still have these models in stock. We will add more new models as they are released.
You know what you want from your running shoes: lightweight, cushioning, support, and a comfortable fit. Or maybe you’re in search of a carbon-plated running shoe. Of course, the most important part of any running shoe is your experience over the hundreds of miles you’ll take it on. To help you find your next great pair, and to get a sense of how updates to your favorite road or trail shoe may change the way it fits or performs, we review hundreds of men’s and women’s running shoes each year. Scroll down for reviews of our top picks among cushioned shoes, racing shoes, stability models, and trail shoes, and below that we explain how we test and select these models, plus give helpful buying tips and insight from our gear experts.
The Best Running Shoes
- Best Cushioned Daily Trainer: Brooks Ghost 15
- Best Speed Daily Trainer: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3
- Softest Daily Trainer: Nike ZoomX Invincible 3
- Best Women’s Running Shoe: Lululemon Blissfeel 2
- Best Fit Update: Nike Pegasus 40
- Our Favorite Hoka Trainer: Hoka Mach 5
- Best Value: Asics Gel-Cumulus 25
- Best All-Around Racing Shoe: Nike Vaporfly 3
- Most Versatile Racing Shoe: Puma Deviate Nitro 2
- Our Favorite Saucony Racing Shoe: Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
- Fastest-Feeling Stability Shoe: Saucony Tempus
- Best Stability Shoe: New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13
- Best Overall Trail Shoe: Hoka Mafate Speed 4
- Best Road-to-Trail Shoe: Topo Athletic MT-4
- Best Zero-Drop Trail Shoe: Altra Lone Peak 7
Become a Runner’s World+ member for exclusive access to product testing opportunities.
Daily Trainers
Brooks Ghost 15
Brooks Ghost 15
Key Specs
| Weight | 9.8 oz (M), 7.8 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Type | Neutral Road |
| Drop | 12 mm |
| Heel Stack | 35 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 23 mm |
You know it, you love it, and it’s turning 15. For over a decade, the Ghost has been our recommendation to newbies and runners looking for an everyday shoe. Our testers confirmed its reliability, calling the Brooks Ghost 15 “a tried-and-true daily trainer.”
“The cushioning felt just right,” said a runner who previously tested Asics’s Gel-Kayano and the Adidas Ultraboost. “It felt firm but at the same time I could feel a little sponginess to it.”
That “sponginess” our tester refers to is the soft give that adapts to the bottom of your foot, as the foam’s firmness provides support and shock absorption. DNA Loft, which is compression-molded EVA, was previously used in the Ghost 14’s midsole. Now, DNA Loft v2 feels softer and more lightweight.—Amanda Furrer
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Brooks Ghost 15 Shoe Review
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3
Key Specs
| Weight | 7.3 oz (M), 6.0 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Type | Neutral Road |
| Drop | 6 mm |
| Heel Stack | 31 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 25 mm |
Time and time again, we hear runners say the Rebel v2 is a solid top-three pick for them. And, like me, many couldn’t help but use this “technically speed day” shoe for every run. So, the company took the hint and made the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 even better for daily miles.
The Rebel v3 has more of what its predecessor lacked: the outsole has more rubber coverage to withstand higher mileage, the knit upper feels more durable, and there’s 1.5mm more FuelCell foam underfoot. While those are essential improvements for taking the shoe on long runs, they ruled out the Rebel for those who like a firm ride for racing. Read: Some testers said the boost in durability and comfort came at the cost of a slightly mushier ride, though only a 0.1 ounce weight increase for a men’s size 9.
If you’re looking for a shoe with a comparable über-soft bounce and price point—but want just a smidge more heel-toe drop and cushioning—I’d highly recommend the Asics Novablast 3.—Morgan Petruny
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 Shoe Review
Nike ZoomX Invincible 3
Nike ZoomX Invincible 3
Key Specs
| Weight | 9.9 oz (M), 8.1 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 9 mm (M), 8.4 mm (W) |
| Type | Road Neutral |
Nike’s super-cushioned trainer returns with a facelift and all the bouncy goodness we’ve come to love since the Invincible’s debut model. The Nike ZoomX Invincible 3 boasts thicker stacks of ZoomX foam—the same midsole material used in the Vaporfly and Alphafly racing shoes—than you’ll find anywhere else. The foam is lighter, softer, and more responsive than other compounds, returning about 70 percent of energy with each foot strike. And the huge slab used in the Invincible led one tester to call them her “sproing-sproing shoes.”
That bouncy feeling, in the past, felt unstable—despite the dumbbell-shaped sole with an exaggeratedly wide forefoot designed to keep you from wobbling. Now the cushioning feels more finely tuned. Only one tester with a history of chronic ankle issues noted problems with stability while “executing hairpin turns.”—Jeff Dengate
Lululemon Blissfeel 2
Lululemon Blissfeel 2
Key Specs
| Weight | 8.9 oz (W7) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 9.5 mm |
| Type | Neutral Road |
Lululemon is now both a yoga and running brand, a dual image enhanced by its recent foray into footwear. The company released its first running shoe, the Blissfeel, last year. Its debut earned our Gear of the Year award—but maybe you still need convincing. Let the Lululemon Blissfeel 2 persuade you.
The Blissfeel 2 is the same weight as its predecessor, yet it feels slightly heavier and firmer, even though the stack height and foam are unchanged from the original model. Running in the 2 felt like running in Adidas’s Ultraboost. It’s thickset, but there’s plenty of pop to the 2’s ride. The toe room and cushioning felt like a reprieve after testing narrower, less-supportive trainers.—Amanda Furrer
Buy Women’s Lululemon Blissfeel 2 Review
Key Specs
| Weight | 9.4 oz (M), 7.8 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Type | Neutral Road |
| Drop | 10 mm |
Last year’s Pegasus was undoubtedly a capable workhorse, but it disappointed us in one key area—its shallow, low-volume toebox. The Peg 40 finally remedies this pain point with a new upper that opens up the front of the shoe and widens the forefoot. While the mesh itself doesn’t breathe as well as the 39 (unfortunately, the thicker material also adds a bit of weight to the 40), it does let our toes splay better than any previous version of the Pegasus. In addition, the midfoot and lacing feel more locked-in, due to a snug arch band that replaces the Peg 39’s stretchy Flywire cables.
What hasn’t changed is the underfoot construction. Nike kept both of the midsole Air units—there’s one in the forefoot and one in the heel—and the cushioning is still a full-length piece of React foam. Still not as light and bouncy as ZoomX, React feels medium soft and moderately flexible.
“I most liked the Pegasus’s consistency and durability. The bounce, traction, ride, and stability were never compromised by additional wear or the surface I was running on,” one tester said. “I felt good bounce, energy return, and support from the cushioning, but it was not super soft and plush. While it can work for some speedwork and long runs, I would save these for normal easy training or tempos,” he added.—Morgan Petruny
Key Specs
| Weight | 8.2 oz (M), 6.8 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 5 mm |
| Type | Road Neutral |
Taking after its immediate predecessor, the Hoka Mach 5 has replaced the Mach 4’s Profly midsole foam with Profly+, which delivers higher energy return. Also adapted from the Supersonic is the narrower fit around the saddle. Placing my Mach 4 and Mach 5 beside each other, it’s a noticeable change: The 4’s lacing system is more gappy, and the overall shape is boxier, even though the shoes share the same last.
Like my experience testing the Supersonic, the first couple of runs in the 5 just didn’t have that smooth rocker flow or high rebound I experienced in the Mach 4. Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate pointed to the tighter midfoot as a possible culprit. However, I theorize that it’s the density distribution in the new midsole foam. The original Profly foam is softer in the heel and firmer in the forefoot. Jeff and I are both midfoot-strikers, so perhaps it just takes some Profly+ fine-tuning to make the Mach feel more pre-Sonic. After a week of running in the shoe on a vacation, I was finally won over. I noticed a shift when my pace became faster. It’s no Mach 4, but it’s a Mach I still love, and testers unfamiliar with the fourth version were instantly enamored with the fifth.—A.F.
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Hoka Mach 5 Shoe Review
Asics Gel-Cumulus 25
Asics Gel-Cumulus 25
Key Specs
| Weight | 9.4 oz (M), 7.7 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Type | Road Neutral |
The Asics Gel-Cumulus 25 is is the most cushioned Cumulus we’ve seen yet. In fact, it feels a lot like earlier versions of its ultra-plush cousin, the Nimbus. (Asics added even more foam to that shoe in its most recent iteration, so the Nimbus remains the cushier of the two.) Still, neither is geared for speed day. Testers said the Cumulus is surprisingly light for its “nice, thick, and foamy” workhorse sole, but it does sacrifice some pep underfoot.
“When I wear racers like Asics’s Magic Speed or Saucony’s Endorphin Speed, I feel like I’m being rocked onto my toes, making me more efficient and pushing me forward. While I didn’t feel that sensation in this shoe, it’s one of the most comfortable I’ve worn,” said one tester, while piling on double-digit weekly long runs for the Paris Marathon. “The inside feels plush and the secure lacing really hugs around your foot. I was more than happy to keep them on all day to grocery shop and run errands.”—M.P.
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Asics Gel-Cumulus 25 Shoe Review
Race Shoes
| Weight | 7.0 oz (M10), 5.8 oz (W8) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Type | Road Racing |
Look at the lead pack of any major marathon and you’ll see a sea of Vaporfly. Even though Eliud Kipchoge wore the $275 Alphafly to break the two-hour barrier, now most runners—from the elite wave back to BQ hopefuls—reach for the Vaporfly. But, in the recent Majors, this new version, The Nike Vaporfly 3, was nowhere to be seen—when we spied the top 10 shoes across the finish line at the New York City Marathon, not a single prototype was found. By then, though, I already had a pair to test, and I can report after racing my own marathon that the third iteration feels just as lively and fast as the previous two.
Nike overhauled the Vaporfly from the rubber up, looking to make it the lightest yet. But, in my size 12, I see only a 0.1-ounce drop from version 2 (my pink pair of the first Next% was 0.4 ounces lighter still). One attempt to shave weight came in the midsole shaping. The foam is still the same ZoomX that delivers top-of-the-line energy return, but a cutout on the lateral sidewall—your foot doesn’t need support there—and a small channel under the midfoot reduces material.
Gone too is the big, flat slab of rubber under the forefoot, replaced with a web of diamond-shaped lugs—think waffle sole, rotated 45 degrees, with cutouts. In my three races (a 2:57 marathon and two sub-18-minute 5Ks), the roads were dry and the shoes felt planted. The new construction eliminates the loud, slappy sensation found in almost all the new super shoes.
In those races, though, I felt pressure from the Flyknit upper. It’s extremely thin and breathable, but it doesn’t stretch at all. I laced my shoes up a little too tightly, apparently, because the top of my foot was screaming late in my marathon.—Jeff Dengate
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Nike Vaporfly 3 Shoe Review
Puma Deviate Nitro 2
Puma Deviate Nitro 2
Key Specs
| Weight | 9.1 oz (M), 7.4 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Type | Neutral Road |
Following the Deviate’s award-winning debut, the sophomore effort makes slight course-corrections without straying far from the original. That meant fixing the upper of the Puma Deviate Nitro 2, upping the ante on the midsole, and leaving the durable outsole rubber largely untouched.
The main concern most testers had in the first Deviate was the heel fit. Fairly thick pads on the inside of the collar were designed to help lock the back of your foot down to the sockliner. But the pads’ size and shape actually made the shoe slip or rub. That’s been remedied for both the men’s and women’s models, though the latter retains its essential fit tweaks for ladies’ narrower heels and lower insteps. A women-specific adjustment was a wider forefoot, though I could not feel the change. My digits were squashed in the torpedo-shaped toebox, despite having some dead space at the front of the shoe. Runners with long and narrow feet, like one tester who reports having high arches, had a comfier experience.
The shoe’s narrow waist, combined with an ultrasoft and bouncy midsole, can feel less stable if you overpronate. But those with neutral feet, like myself, gladly accepted some wobbliness for such a fun, propulsive ride. The shoe has swapped the top layer of TPE-based, nitrogen-injected foam for the more premium, Pebax-based Nitro Elite foam used on Puma’s high-end racers like the Deviate Nitro Elite 2. The carbon-composite plate gets a boost, too. Puma trimmed the outer corners of the plate’s heel so the shoe lands more smoothly, and deepened the fork in the toe. Considering the price hasn’t changed a penny, the Deviate is one seriously impressive and budget-friendly top performer right now, even more so than it already was last year.—Morgan Petruny
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Puma Deviate Nitro 2 Shoe Review
Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
Key Specs
| Weight | 7.3 oz (M), 6.1 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Type | Road Racing |
I’ve been a fan of the Saucony Endorphin Pro since Molly Seidel made the U.S. Olympic team at Atlanta’s Marathon Trials. Since then, my stanning for both Seidel—now a Puma athlete—and the Pro hasn’t wavered.
The Endorphin Pro 2 was basically the same as the original version but, as a teaser between the second and third iterations, Saucony released the limited-edition Endorphin Pro+ (the upper was built like a track spike). The shoe was ultralight and had me less than two minutes away from cracking three hours at the 2021 Boston Marathon. Its follow-up, the Pro 3, hits the sweet spot weight-wise: It’s lighter than the Pro 2 and just a smidge heavier than the Pro+. Weight savings partially come from sizable perforated holes in the tongue and a thinner outsole. And its look? Let’s just say Saucony added a little sparkle.
Like the Endorphin Elite, the Pro 3 has a stack height of 39.5mm under the heel (nudging right up to the allowable limit under World Athletics rules). Despite the towering platform, that bouncy, propulsive sensation I loved in previous models is still there, thanks to the carbon-fiber plate and Pwrrun PB midsole. It feels even springier now. Consistent with my Pro+ experience, this shoe begs that you go fast. It’s a footwear contender for my upcoming break-three race.
Saucony also offers a training version of the Endorphin, the Endorphin Speed 3, with the same Speedroll tech and Pwrrun PB midsole. It has a winged nylon plate, an improvement on the Speed 2.—Amanda Furrer
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Shoe Review
Stability Running Shoes
Saucony Tempus
Saucony Tempus
Pros
- Lightweight yet supportive
- Smooth heel-toe transitions
- Available in wide sizing
Cons
- Thin padding on tongue and collar
Key Specs
| Weight | 8.9 oz (M), 7.3 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Type | Stability Road |
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Stack | 36.5 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 28.5 mm |
Saucony’s new stability shoe, the Tempus, takes some DNA from the brand’s Endorphin series. At its core is Pwrrun PB, the same Peba-based “superfoam” found in the Endorphin Pro super shoe.
“This shoe’s strength is its cushioning,” said one tester who competes for a NYC-based track club and regularly runs 55 miles per week. “It feels like it takes some of the pounding away from your legs, which feels nice. It made concrete sidewalks more comfortable.”
The curved, EVA-based Pwrrun frame, which starts above the Pwrrun PB under the heel, is the key stability component. The midsole and frame are contoured to both lend support and propel your run.
“I knew that there was significant support because I tend to get lateral knee pain with shoes that lack the stability piece,” said a tester who identifies as an overpronator. Another wear-tester, who has a neutral gait pattern, also appreciated the Tempus’s supportive base. “The stability was evident. Despite the shoe’s very thick heel, I felt stable around turns.”
For more great choices, check out our top picks for stability running shoes.
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Saucony Tempus Shoe Review
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13
New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13
Key Specs
| Weight | 10.9 oz (M), 8.7 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 10 mm |
| Type | Stability Road |
Like the 860 v12, the updated New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13 still has two layers of Fresh Foam in its midsole—the top is soft, the bottom is speedy. However, for the 13th version of the shoe, New Balance has once again tweaked the formula for its midsole cushioning. Now adjusted to a slightly lower durometer—a measure of hardness—the bottom EVA-based layer feels a smidge more forgiving than the v12. The ride is also a bit livelier, more closely matching the experience you’d feel from the shoe’s neutral counterpart, the Fresh Foam X 880.
“I know this shoe is designed to be firm and has a loyal fan base that praises its cushioning, but for me, it was a bit too firm after about five or six miles,” one tester said of the v12. This softened version weighs a touch less and also responds more readily when you quicken the pace.
For those in the market for stability shoes and trying to separate the masses, choose the 860 if getting a close-to-perfect fit is your top priority. That’s where this trainer takes the cake. The forefoot and toebox are wide and a little stretchy, spacious but not sloppy. It’s rare that not a single tester mentions a cramped pinky toe or hot spot in their sample pairs, but our testers raved that the 860’s fit was roomy yet locked down from heel to toe.—Morgan Petruny
Trail Running Shoes
Hoka Mafate Speed 4
Hoka Mafate Speed 4
| Weight | 10.4 oz (M), 8.4 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 4 mm |
| Type | Trail |
The Speedgoat might be more popular, but we’re going to claim the overhauled Hoka Mafate Speed 4 is the company’s best trail running shoe right now—especially if your trails require comfort and versatility. We found this out firsthand by using the shoe to race up and down Whiteface Mountain. With a wide range of trail options to pick from, the Mafate was the race day choice for both myself and video producer Pat Heine-Holmberg to tackle the Olympic ski hill in New York’s Adirondack Park. I found it had more than enough bite on black diamond ski trails so I could claw my way uphill, but the cushioning protected my body when I had to dash back down 4,000 vertical feet over just 3.4 miles.
There have been a number of big changes to this model that make it more runnable and comfortable than before, including a new two-layer foam setup. The Profly+ midsole puts a lightweight, bouncy foam closest to your foot, which boosts comfort and makes the shoe feel alive when you’re running along hard-packed ground. The bottom layer is durable and firm enough to crush over sizable rocks and protect the bottom of your foot.
When you get into steep or muddy terrain, the shoe still shines. The outsole has been redesigned and there’s a lot more rubber underfoot. Each lug has three distinct tiers, giving you an enormous amount of sharp edges to cling to the ground. Plus, it’s Litebase, to help keep weight in check—Litebase makes the sole thinner and lighter, without diminishing traction.—Jeff Dengate
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Hoka Mafate Speed 4 Shoe Review
Topo Athletic MT-4 Trail Running Shoe
Topo Athletic MT-4 Trail Running Shoe
Key Specs
| Weight | 10.3 oz (M), 8.6 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 3 mm |
| Type | Trail |
If you’re new to trail running or want to try a lower-drop shoe without fully committing to a zero-millimeter offset, the Topo Athletic MT-4 is your entry point. Two layers of foam provide all the comfort and protection you’ll need for most off-road excursions. It features a dual-density midsole with a top layer that’s 10 percent softer than the bottom layer. Instead of a rock plate, this denser foam acts as a buffer against hard ground.
For gnarly terrain, the shoe has the technical chops to excel. The Vibram tread is grippy on loose mud and rakes through dry sand, while drainage ports on the medial side pump out water after stream crossings. A tester new to Topo wore the shoes on his usual rocky seven-miler. “The MT-4 was a pleasure to wear after a day of working,” he said. “It did great on the rocky sections, protecting my feet, and the traction was excellent. But on the open singletrack, the shoes were a little clunky.”—Amanda Furrer
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Topo Athletic MT-4 Trail Shoe Review
Altra Lone Peak 7
Key Specs
| Weight | 10.5 oz (M), 8.3 oz (W) |
|---|---|
| Drop | 0 mm |
| Type | Trail |
“The route I run most is a four-mile loop on a mountain that has every kind of surface that one can expect to get in Pennsylvania—gravel, technical downhills, rocky climbs, and water crossings,” said one tester who put more than 150 miles of running on the Altra Lone Peak 7 in both wet and dry conditions. “This shoe grips all of it. The traction is fantastic, and the cushioning is ample, but still allows for ground feel and solid footing on rock.”
But, let’s be honest. Traction has never been an issue for the Lone Peak. A secure fit has. Altra has tinkered with its upper to ensure that its roomy toeboxes allow for natural foot movement and toe splay, but not too much motion that it feels sloppy. It’s a tough balance to get right. While the sixth version’s customizable lacing system did the trick for some, this version feels more locked-in from a new stitch-less upper. Fewer bulky overlays and no seams let the mesh wrap the foot more closely without wrinkling and bunching.—M.P.
Buy Men’s Buy Women’s Altra Lone Peak 7 Shoe Review
How We Test Shoes
Runner’s World has the most comprehensive running shoe testing process in the industry. We work with more than 275 local runners of all abilities, ages, and sizes for real-world wear-testing on paved roads, dirt paths, and rocky singletrack. After a month of running more than 100 miles in their respective running shoes, our testers report back their findings on features like fit, comfort, performance, and ride. While they’re putting miles on the shoes, the same models undergo a battery of mechanical tests in our RW Shoe Lab, where we objectively measure each shoe’s cushioning, flexibility, sole thickness, and weight. Our test editors combine their own experience in the shoes with data from the lab and feedback from our wear testers to create reliable, useful reviews of every pair we run in.
How to Choose the Best Running Shoe
Some runners care a lot about weight, and research shows that you expend more aerobic energy with heavier shoes. Lighter shoes typically have less cushioning, which can make them feel faster, but new midsole foams now make a plush ride possible without adding much heft to the shoe. If you’re going long distances, some extra cushioning might be a better option, as it provides impact absorption.
To test softness, we go to our Shoe Lab to take individual measurements of both the heel and forefoot, since the overall experience can vary based on where a runner touches down and toes off. The cushioning scores are given on a scale of 1 to 100, with one being the firmest. (A harder-feeling shoe won’t necessarily lack cushioning, and according to some biomechanical research, a midsole that’s too soft can actually increase peak impact forces.) In addition to those key stats, we also look at the running shoe’s stability features, flexibility, and energy return to help you find one you’ll love.
Also, be sure to consider a running shoe’s drop—sometimes referred to as offset—which is the difference between the heel and the forefoot measurements, or how much your toes “drop” below your heel. It’s important because a higher drop can lead to more heel striking and also transfers some strain away from the lower leg and up toward the knee. Conversely, a lower offset will shift that load farther down the chain of motion during your gait cycle to the calf and the Achilles. Neither option is necessarily better than the other; when deciding on a shoe’s drop, choose what feels most natural and comfortable to you, taking into account your personal running mechanics and injury history. Many shoes have a drop between 8 and 12mm, but some shoes have less than 6mm. A few based on minimalist designs have no drop.
Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. A true shoe dog, he's spent more than a decade testing and reviewing shoes. In 2017, he ran in 285 different pairs of shoes, including a streak of 257 days wearing a different model.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
