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Some running shoes get all the fanfare. The hype machine fires into action and you can’t open social media without seeing them. But this is our shout out to the oft-forgotten shoes, the unsung heroes, the shoes that slipped under the radar, the ones no one shouts about but we think deserve more credit. The shoes that got lost in the mix.
With 100s of shoes launched every year, the footwear comes thick and fast and that means some running shoes can be quickly forgotten. Maybe they just don’t get the marketing dollar to create the buzz. To redress the balance, each of the Run Testers has picked a shoe that we think deserves more praise. We think they’re hidden gems that deserve more credit. Read on for our picks of the best running shoes that everyone (kind of) forgot.
Looking for a new pair of running shoes? Check out our top picks.
The Best Unsung Heroes (Forgotten Running Shoes We Really Rate)
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 for 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.
Asics Sonicblast
Price: £99/$99
Kieran: For my pick, I’ve gone for the somewhat forgotten supertrainer in the Blast family, the Asics Sonicblast.
Now this shoe has just been updated. We’ll have the Sonicblast 2 in for testing any day now. So it’ll be interesting to see if it makes more of a splash than the first generation.
But I felt this shoe never really got the credit it deserved. It’s kind of the forgotten sibling, struggling to stand out against the incredibly versatile Megablast and the popular Superblast 3.
But I really enjoyed the slightly different ride. Regular watches of the channel will know that I’m a big fan of the Endorphin Speed 5, and I think the snappier, more rockered, bit more aggressive ride of the Sonicblast got closer to that Speed 5 feel than anything in the ASICS line-up.
And what you get is a plated super trainer that’s fun, fast and easy to get comfortable in. I find it punchy, nimble and a bit snappier than the bouncier Megablast and Superblast 3.
The dual-foam setup with its FF BLAST MAX and FF TURBO SQUARED² mix, along with the plate, serves up a happy balance of cushioning, but with real pop and bite that I really loved for picking up speed.
And for me it’s an excellent option for cruising to the track, whacking out some intervals and then ambling back. Or mixed-paced runs where I knew I’d be working either side of marathon pace.
I like how the Pebax ASTROPLATE adds a shot of stiffness, injects some extra snap. I sometimes find that lacking in the Megablast.
It’s heavier than the ASICS Megablast and definitely not as bouncy. I find it offers a firmer, more controlled ride.
I talk a lot about shoes with immediacy, quick feedback and fast turnover, and the Sonicblast serves up loads of that.I also find it crosses really happily from track to tarmac. And you can now pick it up for under £100 in the UK, which I consider a steal.
Read the Asics Sonicblast review
Hoka Mach 7
Price: £140/$145
Nick: The Hoka Mach 7 is acknowledged as a pretty good shoe in general, but often gets left out of conversations about the best daily trainers and best shoes, in favour of things like the Adidas EVO SL, the Dynafish Xiaonian, or the Puma Deviate Nitro Pure. Even by us, even though we all really like the shoe.
I actually think it’s a very simple shoe, one people overlook because it’s got a supercritical EVA midsole that’s actually a pretty nice, punchy foam. But it’s just a shoe that’s really great to run in, and the experience of running in the Mach 7 at a range of paces feels really good. There’s really nice geometry to the shoe, with a rocker that works at very easy paces but also for stepping up to faster ones. The foam isn’t the most bouncy or explosive, but has a little pop at faster efforts. Nice lightweight upper, decent outsole that’s been improved on this latest model, gripping pretty well in the wet. All round, in testing, just a simple shoe that works really well.
I think if this foam was labelled TPEE or PEBA, this is a shoe people would hold in much higher regard. There are shoes using those foams with bouncier feels, and that might be a bit more exciting, but I don’t think the actual effectiveness of the Mach 7’s ride can really be faulted for daily training. It’s just a shoe that’s very easy to pick up, use at a variety of paces, decent price. Looks quite nice, nice to wear for walking as well. All round, I think the Hoka Mach 7 is just a really good running shoe. Maybe not the most exciting out there, but it does its job extremely well, and I think lots of runners will enjoy it.
Read our Hoka Mach 7 review
Saucony Ride 19
Price: £125.99 / $144.95
Tom: The shoe I’ve picked for this is the Saucony Ride 19. Over the past three years, as the Triumph got worse (I wasn’t a fan of the Triumph 22 and Triumph 23), the Ride stepped up. Previous versions of the Ride were significantly cheaper than the Triumph, but just better all round. What you got was a great daily shoe, comfortable, with a bit of versatility too.
I never hear anyone talk about the Ride 19. It never crops up when we talk about shoes, never crops up in best-of guides or anything like that. But the Saucony Ride 19 is a really solid all-round daily shoe, especially if you want a bit of stability, a more balanced midsole.
This version is really comfortable, feels nice and responsive, you get a nice bit of bounce back from the PWRRUN+. It’s not a wow shoe. It’s not one you put on and think “this is incredibly bouncy” or get all these performance feels from. It’s just a solid, reliable shoe. You can get it in the UK for under £100 now, which is a great price. Really comfortable to wear.
I’d probably say the Triumph 24 is slightly better than this now, but not by far, and the Triumph 24 is quite an expensive shoe. So if you’re just looking for a solid daily training shoe that ticks a lot of boxes – durable, balanced, stable, comfortable – the Ride 19 is a fantastic option.
Read our Saucony Ride 19 review
Hoka Arahi 8
Price: £83.95/$119.96
Mike: My unsung hero of the running shoe world is the Hoka Arahi 8. Post-review, post-testing, this is the one I spent the most time in. This is the one I still use today and still reach for. I just haven’t had a bad run in this shoe.
This is the first time I’ve tested an Arahi, and Hoka isn’t short of daily shoes. You’ve got the Bondi, the Clifton, the Clifton Pro now, the Mach. What I really liked here is that straight out of the box, it just felt very easy to get on and get out in. All very comfortable, no issues getting good lockdown. There’s a nice padded upper, so very snug-fitting, and the weight is very good for a daily shoe. The feeling underfoot was plush, but not super plush, and the ride was just very smooth rolling from heel to toe. It just felt like a very easy shoe to get on with and tick through.
There are runs where you just want that comfort, that protection> times wher you don’t necessarily want to run your hardest or fastest, you just want a memorable enough ride, but definitely something protective over that running time. That’s absolutely what you get here with the Arahi, at least in my experience. It’s almost as if it had no right to feel as good as it did, and it’s felt like that from day one to my most recent runs in it.
What I also like is that now it’s been out for a while longer, it’s cheaper to buy. You can find it for less than £100/$100, which makes it insanely good value. If you’re looking for a shoe where you don’t need or want that extra support, you just want a daily shoe that’s good for comfortable running, well-weighted, offers a good fit underfoot, and feels like a smooth, very enjoyable shoe to run in.
Read our Hoka Arahi 8 review