Usually, when we review running shoes we tend to look at a range of benefits – with versatility often topping the list. In this video, however, we’re focusing specifically on shoes we’d pick for easy sessions and recovery runs.
If your main focus is shoes that offer comfort and cushioning above all else, this is the guide for you.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Nick’s Picks
00:36 – Saucony Hurricane 24
02:28 – Brooks Ghost Max 2
Kieran’s Picks
03:53 – Brooks Glycerin Max
05:40 – Saucony Ride 17
Mike’s Picks
07:28 – Hoka Skyward X
10:00 – New Balance 1080v13
Tom’s Picks
11:20 – New Balance 1080v13
15:15 – Brooks Glycerin Max
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers with Another of our running shoe guides in This video we're going to be talking About easy day shoes so quite often when We reviewing shoes and when we're doing Guides we're looking at a wide range of Things when it comes to shoes like Comfort versatility durability all of Those sorts of things in this video We're purely looking at the shoes that We would pick just for easy day so Comfort enjoyment and just getting Through the miles in the nicest way Possible right let's dive in and see What we all picked [Music] So it comes to my favorite shoes for Flatout easy runs the kind of runs you Do the day after a really hard work at Your recovery runs I have one shoe that I think really stands out above Everything else very clearly and that is The suc Huracan 24 I think this is a Really comfortable shoe like certainly That's the main feature of it it's Incredibly comfortable but it's also Just a shoe you can kind of forget about When you're running with it and I think That's what I like on easy runs like I Don't really want a shoe that's too Intrusive I just want to tick through The miles and I generally like a fairly Rocket shoe you know I don't necessarily Want it to be super soft because
Actually I find that intrudes on my run A little bit like I know it's Comfortable to have a really squishy Shoe but i' rather have a shoe that just Ticks over with a little bit of firmness While still being quite comfortable in General yeah it just supports the Run Doesn't get in the way of the run and Feels good and you know protects the Body well I think that's what the hurcan 24 does really really well like it was a Big surprise to me how much I like the Shoe I haven't really tested previous Models and it almost feels like what I Wanted the so Triumph 22 to be with the Introduction of the power run PB foam it Feels a lot softer in the shoe it also Feels like it's got a little bit of Bounce in it you've got that power run Frame like it's a stable shoe it's nice And wide but none of those stability Elements are intrusive and actually like I say on the run you kind of forget You're wearing it even though it is a Really big shoe it feels a fair bit Lighter than it is and it just ticks Over really well with that smooth rocker Just grind out the miles feel good like It's a shoe that I look forward to Wearing and it makes me happy to wear it Which is quite rarely the case with Really big cushion shoes I'm just not Usually a very big fan of them because Tend to be quite heavy like I just find
They get in the way of my run a little Bit like they are comfortable and Everything and they protect my body well But I'm quite a high Cadence Runner I Don't think I'm necessarily a very big Impact Runner so I tend to just like a Fairly you know natural feeling shoe That doesn't really like I say intrude In my run and that's what the hon 24 Does whilst having those elements of Being very protective very supportive Very cushion so yeah that's my very Clear pick number one pick for easy day Shoes but we had to pick two shoes and There is another one that I think does a Similar job quite well is a little bit Cheaper and that is the Brooks ghost Max 2 and in general I do like Brooks's kind Of comfortable cushioned daily trainers Things like The Ghost and glycerin but They all have quite High Drops and you Know while I don't mind that I don't Dislike the feel of that I find it's Just again a bit more in my mind on the Run I feel them a bit more on the run And I like The Rocker you get with the Ghost Max 2 I really like the DNA Loft V3 foam you have in it because it's Comfortable but it's not too squishy Like I say like it gives you a little Bit back so as you're running at easy Miles I don't feel like I'm starting to You know Wade through a very soft foam Which I don't find that comfortable like
You know in theory you know just Squishier the softer the better for easy Runs but actually you know I find it Gets in the way of my run it makes me Think about my shoes and I don't want to Be thinking about my shoes I want to Just be running easy and looking around And joining a podcast chatting to Someone that's what I like to do on easy Runs and the ghost Max 2 does that Really well like it is a shoe you kind Of forget you're wearing it's reasonably Heavy but like the hurricane feels a lot Lighter than it is it's really well Balanced and just ticks over really well Will last a very long time grips well All the kind of things you just want for Sure you don't think about that much That you just pull on for a nice Relaxing run that's just going to Protect the body and you know not get in The way so yeah those are my two picks For just flat out easy day shoes Hurrican 24 is the winner for me by a Mile I think it's my favorite cushion Shoe in many years in terms of just Really cushion shoes because like I said I tend to go for slightly more verstyle Shoes even on easy day runs because Don't like the feeling of a very big Shoe on my foot and the shoe doesn't Feel like a very big shoe when it's on Your foot it feels really nice and then The ghost Max 2 is another really good
Option that's a bit [Music] Cheaper before I get into my two shoes Quick word on what I like for my easy Easy day shoes I'm probably a little bit Different than some runners where I Don't necessarily want you know super Soft super squidy absolutely huge kind Of dulling Road eating kind of um Softness in my super easy day shoes I Can run in something that's a little bit More direct perhaps a little bit lower Stacked that said in my two pcks I've Got one that's been a bit of a surprise For me because it got bucks that Trend Manages to do it without being so so Squidgy but yeah I I kind of look for Something that's going to give me Effortless comfort really I just want it To disappear on the feet I don't want to Feel uh like I'm having to work the shoe Too much I don't want it to be too soft And too squidgy I don't want it to be Feel like it's draining that's what I Will look for so here are my two shoes This Brooks Glycerin Max only landed Very recently but this shoe has been a Surprise hit for me I'm not usually a Big fan of the super max stack Mega Cushion shoes with a whopping great Platforms like this but I think these Shoes managed to deliver that Max Cushion kind of super plush feel for the Easiest of easy easy slow plotting
Without feeling too labored or too soft Or too much like hard work which I hate In a shoe they're surprisingly light on The foot for the volume of midsole foam And the overall heft of the shoe there's Also a little energy to them coming back From this DNA tuned midsole you've got So they eat up the road impact they Cushion your Landings well you know Catering for tired feet but they don't Feel too soggy they're not too draining There's more life here in the ride than You get from something like a new Balance 108 v13 for example I used them This Sunday for an 11 minute mile slow Plot the day after I ran 24 mil solo That run had left my legs in bits and These shoes provided exactly the balance Of protection and easy Comfort I needed Without feeling heavy and dull for when I want nothing but comfort for very very Very easy miles I think these are now a Very good option I've really enjoyed Running them another shoe I reach for Regularly for easy days but perhaps not In the mix with that kind of Max Cushioned shoe that we've seen now is The succon ride 17 I'm quite happy Running my easy miles and shoes without Enormous soft pillows for midsoles I Often want just a balanced shoe that Offers was enough protection a really Easy guaranteed step- in Comfort a Stable ride bit of a rocket response I
Find really helps uh over the super kind Of squid that you get from some of those Big Hefty midsoles I still want to feel A bit of the road and be in control of My Landings and my toe offs a little More than you might get with those kind Of biggest stacked Mac stack shoes the Soc ride 17 I think delivers all of that In a package that's Midway it's plenty Roomy up the top it's really nicely Disappearing on the foot I can get with Running without being aware of this shoe I think it's not alone in this there are A few other shoes that I'd put in the Same ballpark as this that I'd really Like not Max stack the night Pegasus 41 The Puma velocity Nitro the even the Adidas Supernova prier I think perhaps Fits into this and perhaps even the pro The Brooks ghost Max 2 they all offer a Bit of that balance but I know when it Comes to unhindered happy kind of clip Along a nice slow pace the socer ride 17 Has my back up to a couple of hours of Running the other thing I really like About shoes like that in the ride 17 Though is that they are versatile too so You can use this for your easy easy day Miles but you can also use it for things When you're maybe moving a little bit Freer and a little bit faster so for me Anyway that's how I kind of I can run in Shoes that I I don't need you know the Huge biggest stack and actually what I
Really really prefer is something that's A bit more balanced so you can probably Get a bit more range out of it as well And save yourself a bit of money [Music] So in terms of what I look for in an Easy day running shoot I think first and Foremost I want a shoe that's very easy To get on and get out of the door so That means for me something where I'm Not having to play too much around with The lacing getting that tongue in place It's just going to be very easy to put On ultimately um I think the other thing Is I like an upper that fits a little Bit more snug uh doesn't have to be you Know wrapping too tightly for me I want That kind of more accommodating fit in General in terms of what you know I like To see or feel underfoot I think I like To step into something that feels a Little bit more on the plush side but Also I think from a kind of ride point Of view I want something maybe has a Gentle kind of rocker to it I want Something that's going to you know nudge You kind of you know very gently but in A purposeful way you know forward and Kind of from your heel to your toe um on Those days where it's probably going to Be a bit challenging to do that and I Think ultimately from an outside point Of view I'm not looking for anything too Special ultimately enough rubber there
To give you that kind of good level of Grip traction and you know that level of Durability that you know if you're going To go and use it for Long Easy runs it's Going to be well equipped to do that in Terms of the shoes I think fit that Criteria for me at the moment I think There's two that kind of stand out There's probably a few more than that But I think in terms of the the two that I really grab for or look to grab for First I think the first is this one and This is the Hawkers Skyward X now this Is a bit more on the expensive end in Terms of spending on a kind of easy day Running shoe but I think it can be a sh Can do a lot of different things but I Think in terms of the way I use it it's Where I just want Comfort I want want That kind of snug fitting uper for me I Think in terms of what you're getting in Terms of that ride in terms of that feel I think it's a big level of cushion There's some plushness there but it's Not overly plush but I do think as I Said there's a bit of a you know a Rocker in there that's just aggressive Enough for me to make it feel you know Enjoyable to running this shoe and spend A long time in this shoe as well too so It's more of that kind of Max cushion Easy day shoes putting a lot of Stack Underneath your foot which I think Ultimately is going to protect but it's
A kind of slightly plush feeling there's There's a little bit of responsive Edge To It ultimately as well too but that's Really about you engaging with it I Think if you're just going to go out and Just really kind of focus on putting Your you know time and your feet then You're going to get something in return I think just feels very comfortable very Protective and also has a little bit of Enjoyment in there as well too so the First one for me would be the Haw of Sky X I think the second one for me would be An older shoe or an older generation Shoe would be this New Balance 1080 v13 Obviously the 1080 v14 has just launched Now I would personally go for this shoe Over that shoe at the moment and still Do ultimately because I do think that The makeup of the fresh foam in that Shoe has slightly changed for me I do Think this is a lot more plush feeling Than the 1080 v14 I think ultimately They're designed or give similar Experiences terms that ride but this is A little bit lighter I prefer that Plusher feel underf foot which I do Think you get on the 108 v13 compared to The 108 v14 and again I talked about That rocker there's a very moderate kind Of rocker in there but just enough that You know if I'm out and spending you Know kind extended time my feet then This is a shoe that you know just is
Going to you know nudge you forward just Enough I think to keep you out there and I think in terms of that ride it feels Very comfortable I love the weight of This shoe you know for for an easy day Shoe um I think the big biggest Compliment I can give with these two Shoes and I think what is an ideal um Easy day shoe for me is a one you know One that ultimately you're going to be Feel comfortable walking in and spending A lot of time walking in ultimately for Me generally transfers to being a shoe That I want to spend time in running or Running at an easier Pace or my recovery Pace so yeah those are my two easy run Shoe picks the new B 1080 V13 and the Hawker Sky r [Music] X so as a runner I skew a little bit More towards easy sessions when I'm Training for a marathon I do quite a lot Of interval sessions I do quite a lot of Tempo runs and my style of running just Changed quite a bit when I train for a Marathon because I'm trying to get Faster times but the majority of the Time throughout the year the runs that I Normally do tend to focus more on the Easy day runs so I generally when I'm Not training for something I'll probably Do four sessions a week most of those Will be easy runs at my pace which is About 5 minute 15 kilm and as a runner I
Really like soft cushion shoes big Focus For me when it comes to running is just Having and comfort just T ticking off The miles and getting to the end of the Run and just feeling out my legs are Nice and fresh and I really enjoyed the Run so this is a video that I've been Waiting to do for a while because I do Have a lot of easy day shoes and it's Quite a tricky Choice picking um which I'd go for just if I was solely picking Shoes for easy days now if you watch the Channel you'll probably know that I'm a Massive fan of the mo range um this Video does not contain the mo V5 cuz I Haven't tested that yet and I'm not Going add in the more V4 uh because There's some shoes that are sueded that That I quite like but as soon as the More V5 comes in I'll do a full review Of that and hopefully I'm going to like It okay so my two picks for uh easy day Shoes my first one and I should carry Out this and saying that there is going To be some crossover in this video um Which is probably good because it Suggests that more than one of us Actually really like these shoes uh so My first pick is the new band 1080 B13 Now this is an interesting one because It's a daily shoe it's not Max stack Shoe um and it is a shoe that Historically has been used to be a bit More versatile the 10 v13 and I think
Mike talks about this as well is a shoe That even though it's a daily shoe it is Massively skewed towards easy runs the The the Fresh Foam um X Midol foam in The 10 v13 is way softer than previous Versions of the shoe which does make it A little bit of a polarizing shoe Because people who really like those Previous versions have said that or some Of them have said that it's a little bit Too soft and the reason that um that's Probably the case is that one it does Sort of sap your energy if you are Trying to run a bit faster um and also It loses a little bit of stability but For me on easyday runs I'm not overly Bothered about stability and I'm Definitely not bothered about something Versatile I just want it really Comfortable I love the softness in this Midsole it just sinks you into the Ground doesn't give you loads of pop Back but when I'm doing an easy run I'm Not really looking for that I just want A really comfortable ride and it just Nestles your feet into the ground Feels really comfy it does have a fairly Nice transition in it so you can you can Get a nice consistent enjoyable Pace but It's definitely not a shoe that you'd Use for running faster and it just it You just end up getting tired legs if You're using this for faster sessions or Really long runs and things like that
But for those easy runs up to about 10 15K I love using this shoe um and also It's not massive shoe a lot of the Really big cushion shoes out there do Tend to be quite chunky this does feel Like air fairly lightweight daily shoe But it does feel lighter than some of The max cushion shoes out there so Overall I just I just really enjoy using This shoe it's just a great shoe to pick Up if I'm going out for a run and I'm Just ticking up the miles maybe doing a 5k or 10K and I just want something to Wear that makes me want to go out for a Run and not think I don't really want to Do this run this is the one of the shoes That I go for because it's just very Comfortable like putting it on does the Job uh I'm a big fan not as big a fan of The 1080 v14 um New Balance has Addressed the um slight lack inst Stability from the 1080 v13 by making The shoe a little bit firmer and change The geometry a bit of that shoe but as a Result it's not as soft it is more Versatile but I really like the shoe for E dat and I'd much rather use this than The 108 v14 my next pick is a new one uh And I've done probably about 100K in This sh I've been using it solidly for The past few weeks now this is the um Brooks Glycerin Max now massive fan of The glycerin range for the past few Versions of that shoe you think it's
Fantastic um and in later versions it's Become a little bit more versatile as Well it's become a bit more of a daily Shoe the uh glycerin Max is a shoe that Is clearly Max stacked there's a lot of Cushioning in this shoe but because it's Brooks um Brooks are very focused on Having a nice stable ride so um they've Made this shoe uh which obviously has a Lot of Gooding in it but it's still a Fairly stable shoe that midell foam is Quite dense it's not too squishy um and It really does Hold Your Position foot Position in plays quite nicely so it's a Good one for newer Runners who maybe Don't want a really soft wobbly shoe or Definitely don't want a soft wobbly shoe Um and it's a good option if you really Want a lot of comfort uh and a lot of Cushioning but you you still want a nice Wide base that is going to hold you in Place um I really like using this shoe For a number of reasons um one I'd like The rolling action to it it's got a nice Little rocker Tipper um as you're Running so it tips your over nicely and Just keeps you running nice and Consistently um the midsole is probably For me um it's not as soft as what I'd Normally go for it's it does have a nice Level of um softness in it um but Because of this Max stack I would have Assumed it probably be a little bit Softer but Brook shoes don't tend to be
Really really soft um it's actually and I'm not me to be talking about Versatility too much in this video but It is a bit more versatile than some of The other cushion shoes out there Because of that mid cell foam and that Rocker as well but for easy days it's a Lovely shooter Cruise in it just tips You over nicely and um it's definitely a Great option if you're looking for a Good easy day shoe or recovery day shoe Um that just feels really really Comfortable and relatively stable that's It from us on this easy Day's Video Thanks a lot for watching don't forget To like subscribe click the little bell And if you go to ction below you can Find a link to our podcast which comes Out a couple of times each month thanks Lot for watching catch you next time [Music]