Not all running shoes are created equal. Some are built to chase 5K PBs. Others are made to carry you through slow, steady Sunday long runs. And a select few can do it all – cushioning your easy miles, supporting your tempo efforts and still feeling sharp on race day.
Whether you’re stacking weekly mileage, training for your first half marathon or just looking to upgrade your daily trainers, the right pair of running shoes can change everything: your comfort, your speed, even your motivation to lace up. We tested the latest drops across every distance to find the seven standouts that deliver on performance, durability and feel – no matter how far you’re going.
Anta C202 6
Anta might be the new kid on the block, but they’re already making waves. And the C202 6 is a stand-out trainer, boasting high-performance features and a lightweight design that’ll see you gliding from start to finish during your next marathon. Featuring a carbon fibre plate for powerful propulsion, nitrogen-infused foam and a breathable, thin upper, you’re getting serious bang for your buck at this price point. On the tar, these have a firm and responsive feel, so you’ll get just as much mileage out of them during tempo sessions and long-distance PB attempts alike.
Under Armour Velociti Distance
This unplated, neutral running shoe is the perfect pair for high-mileage running. It sports soft-but-snappy HOVR+ superfoam for all-the-way-through balance and great responsiveness. We’re fans of the mono-mesh upper which opens the vents for effective breathability from stride one until the final push. Overall, if you’re looking for an energetic ride without that ‘stiff’ feel that often accompanies carbon-plate-bolstered trainers, this long-distance shoe checks all the boxes.
Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL
The trail is an arena where the terrain shifts with every twist and turn, sending you slogging up rutted single-track before descending loose gravelly slopes. The Aero Glide 4 GRVL is designed to adapt to these temperamental conditions, sporting a grippy outsole for seriously reliable traction. Adaptive Ride tech armed with optiFOAM2 gives you soft landings on the trail and a satisfying bounce that’ll propel you further in the great outdoors. They’re lightweight, too. Venture forth and prosper!
Brooks Glycerin Flex
These running shoes are a ‘flex’ in more ways than one. Sure, Brooks has nailed the aesthetics with their low profile silhouette and measured splash of colour. But it’s the midfoot flex groove and podular forefoot design – which provide both flexibility and support where you need it most – that’ll make these your go-to pair for daily sessions. Nitrogen-infused foam combines large cells in the heel (for airy landings) and small cells in the forefoot (for zippy propulsion), doubling down on the shoe’s already ‘flexible’ features.
New Balance 1080v15
Regular runners know that no pair of trainers will last forever. Over time, the outsole begins to lose its traction and the cushioning gets compressed. The result: kicks that start to feel more like a jalopy than a race car. But the Infinion foam in this pair is designed to weather more miles, so you’ll get that ‘first-run’ feeling for longer. They also boast efficient energy return, impact-absorbing cushioning and a breath-able mesh upper.
PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite 4
A carbon composite plate makes these a turn-up-the-tempo option for runners chasing new PBs. Twelve percent lighter than its already lightning-quick predecessor and bolstered with enhanced NITROFOAM tech for free-flowing energy return, these shoes give you pace on tap. But it’s not all rev and no room to chill; a breathable engineered mesh upper opens the vents for smooth airflow to keep you comfy even when you pick up the pace.
HOKA Cielo X1 3.0
Tuned for race-day glory, the Cielo is Hoka’s lightest super shoe to date. The pair is ultra-responsive, seemingly gliding with each stride. (They give you the sense that a new PR is just around the next turn.) HOKA has managed to iterate on the shoe’s already-impressive predecessor by shaving off a significant amount of weight. Its featherlight design is complemented by a propulsive carbon fibre plate in the midsole for sparky lift-offs.
