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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, with excellent new options in all categories that remain the best picks to buy right now, while we wait for new launches in 2026.
But with so many running shoes, 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 full video on the best running shoes available in 2026, which covers our standout shoes in several categories. Below that you’ll find more info on the best running shoes in each category, plus our round-up video for that category, including the best cushioned shoes, best daily trainers, and best racing 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 topped the charts in our best-allrounder category.
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 6 and New Balance Rebel v5, 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 Asics Novablast 5, and you’ll find great options for that in our cushioned shoes section below.
Best Racing Shoes
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
Price: £260/$300 | Weight: 187g/6.6oz (UK 9) | Drop: 8mm
It was going to take something very special to knock the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris off top spot in our carbon plate running shoe rankings, and something very special is exactly what the Puma Fast-R 3 is.
Puma claims the Fast-R 3 is more efficient than other top racers like the Nike Alphafly 3 and we’ve loved it in our own testing, with Kieran and Nick using it at the London Marathon 2025 alongside other, shorter races.
The Nitro Elite foam midsole delivers an incredibly responsive ride, and the extended carbon plate, which pokes past the front of the shoe, helps you to roll through each foot strike efficiently even when you’re tired.
That’s also helped by the fact the shoe is incredibly lightweight, and while it might not prove the most durable option available, we have it down as the flat-out fastest right now.
Read our full Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 review
You’ll find our full round-up of the best carbon plate running shoes of 2025 below, for more details on the range of top racers available. Along with the Puma Fast-R 3 there have been several other excellent new launches in 2025, including the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Asics Metaspeed Ray, Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and Saucony Endorphin Elite 2.
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 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
New Balance Rebel v5
Price: £140/$140 | Weight: 225g/7.9oz | Drop: 6mm
Our top pick in the all-rounder category is actually the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, but since it also won our daily trainer category we’ll take the chance to highlight our runner-up, which is the New Balance Rebel v5.
Read our full New Balance Rebel v5 review
Like the Adidas Evo SL, the Rebel v5 is a simple, lightweight shoe that can handle a wide range of runs thanks to its comfortable but speedy ride. It’s a remarkably wide and stable shoe given its light weight, and cushioned enough for long, easy efforts – something Kieran put to the test by wearing it for the 56-mile Comrades ultramarathon.
We didn’t find the Rebel v5 as fast and impressive as the Adidas Evo SL overall, but it’s another great shoe worth checking out if you want a more stable all-rounder than the Adidas.
Another strong contender for the all-rounder crown is the Asics Megablast, which combines the stability of the Rebel and the lightweight speed of the Evo SL. It’s a fantastic shoe, but also extraordinarily expensive, and not as good value as either of the shoes we’ve picked out above.
The Hoka Mach X3 and Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 are both great plated all-rounders, if you prefer or don’t mind using a plated shoe for every run, though they are a little more expensive.
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 Decathlon’s range of Kiprun shoes, with the KD900X.2 being an impressive carbon plate running shoe that’s much more affordable than most.
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 2024, because many of these shoes will now be in sales, and they’re still excellent options.
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, best shoes without a plate, 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. We’re due to update this video soon, but the picks below still stand up as great 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.
Running Shoe Awards 2025
Each year we get our heads together and pick out our award-winning running shoes in several categories, including daily, racing, cushioned and trail shoes. We also get our audience to vote on what they think is the best shoe of the year, and if you’re interested in more than just shoes, we also give awards for the best running headphones and best running watches of the year.
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.