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We’ve been testing the best running shoes available for over a decade, but we still get very excited when we come across a new shoe that shines. 2025 was an outstanding year for running shoes, and many of the launches last year remain the best shoes you can get today, but there have also already been some excellent new arrivals in 2026 to consider.
But with so many running shoes available, how do you find the ones that’ll work best for you?
Looking for a PB? Check out our list of the best carbon plate running shoes
Well, this article is a great place to start. From the hundreds of pairs that The Run Testers have tested, we’ve selected the shoes that stood out most. If it’s made this list it’s a great shoe and well worth consideration.
Here’s our video covering the shoes we’d buy ourselves right now to fill out a three shoe rotation, including a cushioned shoe, a versatile daily trainer and a racing shoe. Below that you’ll find more info on the best running shoes available in a wider variety of categories, including the best shoe for beginners and best value running shoes. We’re confident that if you make it to the bottom of this list, you’ll have found a great shoe for you.
Who Are The Run Testers?
The Run Testers are a group of journalists based in the UK who have been testing and reviewing the best running shoes, watches and all manner of other kit for decades. We’ve written a wide range of websites and magazines, and if you’ve ever searched for a review or buying advice about running gear, the odds are you’ve stumbled across our work.
As experienced journalists all of our reviews are completely independent and impartial, and because we’ve tested such a wide range of shoes we’re confident that our selections really do stand out from the crowd as some of the best available. There’s more info on the core Run Testers team here, and you can find out more info on our shoe preferences by watching our video where we each select our ideal running shoe rotation.
Best Daily Trainers
Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Price: £130/$150 | Weight: 224g/7.9oz (UK 9) | Drop: 6mm
The Adidas Adizero Evo SL is one of the best shoes we’ve tested in several years and offers outstanding value for money as well as a high level of performance, to the point where it also comes close to topping our best-allrounder category. Adidas has launched the Evo SL Woven as a new model in the line with a different upper, but otherwise the shoe is the same as the original Evo SL.
It’s a relatively simple shoe with a springy Lightstrike Pro midsole, a lightweight upper and a minimal outsole that provides good grip without adding too much weight. The result is a shoe that feels fantastic for faster training runs, but still has enough comfort for easy runs thanks to the soft midsole foam.
Read our full Adidas Adizero Evo SL review
One drawback of the Adidas Evo SL is that it’s not the most stable shoe, and other lightweight options that do have a bit more support for daily training include the Hoka Mach 7 and Saucony Endorphin Azura, both of which we rate very highly as well.
Perhaps the best alternative to the Evo SL is the Asics Megablast, which delivers a terrific, bouncy ride for all kinds of runs, but is made hard to recommend as our top pick overall because of it’s very high price.
As a non-plated shoe, it does lack some of the punch you can get from plated trainers like the Hoka Mach X3 or Saucony Endorphin Speed 5, but the Evo SL is a little more comfortable and flexible because of the lack of a plate.
Some might prefer a more cushioned daily trainer, such as the Nike Vomero Plus or Asics Novablast 5, and you’ll find great options for that in our cushioned shoes section below.
Best Racing Shoes
Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
Price: £240/$270 | Weight: 169g/6oz (UK 9) | Drop: 5mm
The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris was a breakthrough racer for the brand and established itself as our favourite racer of early 2025, before the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 came firing through to top our rankings.
Asics reclaimed top spot for us with the launch of the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Metaspeed Edge Tokyo, which are lighter and bouncier than the Paris versions of the shoes thanks to the addition of a layer of springy FF Leap foam into the midsole.
Picking between the Sky and Edge will come down to personal preference in ride feel, but either way you’re getting an outstanding racing shoe and both shoes have been used by the team to set PBs in the marathon and shorter events.
Read our full Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo review
You’ll find our full round-up of the best carbon plate running shoes of 2025 below, many of which remain top options alongside some exciting 2026 launches like the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 and Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure.
Best Cushioned Shoes
Nike Vomero Plus
Price: £155/$180 | Weight: 300g/10.6oz (UK 9) | Drop: 10mm
Nike reshaped its running shoe range in 2025 and put all its most cushioned options into the Vomero line. The Vomero Plus is the middle child in that line-up, offering a lighter design and more bounce than the Vomero 18, while being more affordable than the outlandish (but excellent) Nike Vomero Premium.
Check out more of the best cushioned running shoes
For such a highly-cushioned shoe the Vomero Plus is quite versatile thanks to the springy ZoomX foam in the midsole, and it’s certainly extremely comfortable as well. It’s a great option for new runners to handle every run, and perfect as the cushioned shoe in a rotation alongside faster options.
Read our full Nike Vomero Plus review
There are many other great cushioned shoes to consider, with other recent standouts from our testing including the Kiprun Kipride Max, Asics Novablast 5 and Nike Vomero Premium, and the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 for those who prefer a lower-stack cushioned shoe.
For more info on our top cushioned shoes in a variety of categories, including stability options, check out our round-up of the best cushioned shoes below.
Best All-Rounders
Asics Megablast
Price: £210/$225 | Weight: 241g/8.5oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
The Asics Megablast is a shoe we sometimes struggle to recommend because of its incredibly high price, but it’s an undeniably brilliant all-rounder that combines comfort and speed perfectly.
It’s very light given how high its stack height is, and the responsive FF Turbo Squared foam in the midsole delivers enough speed for everything from track intervals to races, while also providing a supportive and comfortable ride for easy and long runs.
There’s really nothing we’ve found the Megablast can’t do well with regards to types of run – Tom ran the Loch Ness Marathon in it and Nick took it away for his summer holiday last year and did every run on the trip in the shoe.
Read our full Asics Megablast review
Of course not everyone wants to spend so much on one shoe, even one as good as the Megablast, and there are some excellent alternatives that are more affordable. One is the Adidas Evo SL is you don’t mind its instability, and others include the Saucony Endorphin Azura and Hoka Mach 7 (or Mach 6, if it’s going for less in sales), both of which are lightweight all-rounders.
If you’re happy to use a plated shoe for everything, then Hoka Mach X3 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 are both great versatile options that we’ve enjoyed for a wide variety of training runs and races.
Best Value Running Shoes
Puma Velocity Nitro 4
Price: £110/$140 | Weight: 247g/8.7oz | Drop: 10mm
The Puma Velocity Nitro has had our best value category on lockdown since the original came out in 2020, and the Velocity Nitro 4 is the best version of the shoe yet, even if the price has risen a little in the US.
It now has a full Nitrofoam midsole, and this bouncy, responsive material makes the Velocity Nitro 4 a faster and lighter option than past versions, while still being just as comfortable.
The Pumagrip outsole, which offers great traction and durability, is another great feature on the shoe, and it’s one that could have featured in several other categories on this list, along with being great value.
Other great value options we’ve tested include the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, New Balance Rebel v5 and the Adidas Adizero SL 2. You can also find good value in Kiprun’s line-up of shoes, with the Kipstorm Tempo being an impressive all-rounder and the Kipride Max offering a very comfortable ride at a lower-than-average price for a max-stack cruiser.
In general, however, we think the best way to find value in running shoes is to look for last year’s models in sales, with many of them being very similar to the latest version of the shoe. As a result, bargain-hunters should check out our list of the best running shoes of 2025, because many of these shoes will start to appear in sales over the coming months.
Best For Beginners
Asics Novablast 5
Price: £135/$140 | Weight: 274g/9.7oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
Defining exactly what a beginner runner needs isn’t easy – we have a whole podcast on the topic which you can watch below – but we’d recommend going for a cushioned but still versatile shoe like the Asics Novablast 5. It’s good value and has enough cushioning to deliver a comfortable and protective ride for any runner on easy runs, but the foam is responsive enough to bounce you through faster runs as well.
Check out more of the best running shoes for beginners
Value is also an important aspect of beginner shoes, so we’d recommend looking for long running and popular lines of shoes that are often on sale, that will suit most runners. Along with the Novablast, the likes of the Nike Pegasus, Hoka Clifton, Saucony Ride and Brooks Ghost or Glycerin are also great options for beginners that are neutral and balanced shoes that are unlikely to offend.
For more info check out our Asics Novablast 5 review
Best Marathon Running Shoes
If you’re planning to run 26 miles (and a bit), then you need a great pair of running shoes to do it in, but the best shoes for you will depend on your goals for the race, along with other factors like your running experience, budget and preferences.
In our best marathon running shoes round-up we broke our choices down into six categories: the best racing shoes, best value shoes, best for beginners, most comfortable options, and the best all-rounders for training and racing.
Hopefully one of those categories speaks to you, and in each we give a winner plus some alternative options.
Best For Stability
Hoka Arahi 8
Price: £140/$150 | Weight: 270g/9.5oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
The Hoka Arahi 8 has been one of the most pleasant surprises of 2025, with all of our testers loving its smooth and supportive ride. The foam in the midsole is not the most energetic or lively, but it is comfortable over long distances, and the H-Frame stability feature provides support on both sides of the foot.
Read our full Hoka Arahi 8 review
It’s also pretty light for a stability shoe, and we all agree it’s our standout in this category so far in 2025 as a versatile daily trainer with added support. However, there are more cushioned options for stability-seekers that we also rate highly, such as the Saucony Hurricane 25, Puma ForeverRun Nitro 2 and Asics Gel-Kayano 32, but they don’t have the easy, lightweight feel of the Arahi 8.
The Most Exciting Running Shoes Of 2026
In December 2025 Kieran and Nick from the team attended The Running Event in Texas, where many brands showed off some of the new releases planned for 2026. We’ve not yet been able to test many of these shoes, but after getting the inside scoop on a host of planned launches, we put together this video on the 11 shoes we’re most looking forward to getting on our feet in 2026.