Every year we publish our best running shoes video covering our top picks across five categories of road shoe. This involves each of the team picking their favourites from the current shoes available and a complicated algorithm (Tom and a spreadsheet) works out the final top three.
In this podcast we chat through the categories and some of the main shoes on the list.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN
00:00 – Intro
03:00 – Best Race Shoes
10:30 – Best Daily Shoes
14:00 – Best All-rounders
17:30 – Best Cushioned Shoes
19:00 – Best Value Shoes
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers very soon We're going to be releasing our best Running shoes guide which is one of our Biggest videos uh that comes out across The year in this video which is also the Podcast we're running through all of the Categories in the guide and talking About the short list of shoes that we've All picked to see why we've picked them And give a bit of an idea of the process That we have in order to choose the Shoes in the full guide this video is Also part of the podcast so if you're Planning on listening to the podcast Don't watch this video and also be Warned it does spiral into a bit of Nonsense chat by the end of it hope you Enjoy [Music] It okay so we are about to do our best Uh running shoes video which is by far Our most popular video on the channel uh Where we talk about all the different Road categories and we pick our top Three picks and some additional um Options that you can look for from all Of these different categories um so what We're going to do in in this video or Podcast is talk through all of the Options that we've got talk through the Categories and give a bit of an overview Of why we've chosen the ones that we're Looking at and for what reasons we put Things in these categories basically uh
Is that clear yeah first question to Answer is why are we doing it in July People always ask that oh yeah year Since we did the last one so one reason The reason we do this in July is because In one because we do the awards in at The end of the year which is all of the Shoes that come out over the course of The year um uh but the main thing reason We do it is because there's so many Shoes that come out over the course of The Year by the time we get halfway Through the year we've already tested an Awful lot of shoes um and if we leave it Till the end of the year to do it and do The best shoes of the year nobody Watches that video because they're all Trying to watch best shoes of 2025 by The time that comes around and it no Long means anything it's also not just The best shoes of this year it's the Best shoes in these categories so lot of Picks will be older shoes yeah and the Awards is just for the ones in the year Exactly exactly also you want to buy a Shoe in 2024 good to know about it in July I think yeah basically you get two You get you get two videos one one is The best shoes video which comes out now And then you get the awards that comes Out at the end of year so you get two Videos covering the best shoes that are Coming out that fair it's very fertile Excellent okay so let's start by looking
At the first category so how this works Is uh we all uh vote give give our top Three shoes in a category and then I Work out based on a point system which One is first second very shady point System is Shady and it's quite biased It's an algorithm it's an algorithm that No one understands lot lot of votes get Nullified in the old algorithm lot of Lost Votes uh well the first one that we do Is the big one and that is best ratio um Which is probably the most obvious Category to talk through but uh somebody Want to pick up how what is the best Ratio and how we pick it it's got to be A carbon good year for it this year cuz We've all done marathons we've all raced Lots and it's yeah we just picked the Shoe we like racing in the most which is Now always a carbon plate shoe I think It always has actually since the start Of our channel it's always been carbon Hasn't it don't think we ever yeah yeah So this will be from any year but is it Is it fair to say we we're kind of Thinking it does c other races but a lot Of these would be Marathon worthy well I Think most well especially this year When the probably the big Target for Most of first off was a marathon and Then even like your big Target second Half the year and you're probably not as Fust about the shoe so much as the
Experience I guess um whereas yeah when You go chasing a time in the marath yeah We are quite Marathon Fus it's fair to Say um but nearly all the issues work For short distances as well yeah and It's it's it's quite General as well Because we do have other videos Throughout the year where we talk about Specific distances and things like that So this is more personal preference Towards if you could only pick one ratio For your running career which would you Which would you go for yeah I think That's fair to say all right so I am Going to go through some of the options We've got and we're going to talk Through them how's that sound sounds Good okay so one that's cropped up a lot Is the aex meta speed Sky Paris um and I Think yeah it's safe to say every we've All tested that now I think Yeah yeah I Think yeah so think yeah two of us set PB is it so get quite clear clear vote Didn't it yeah I think it's probably Safe to say that that shoe has probably The the most surprising in a good way Shoe this year it's really every time Any of us have used it we've gone wow Asex has really done a good job with This shoe they've really um developed What they had previously and and and Really improved it yeah it's Sensational Shoe and we just started testing the
Edge which at the moment we feel we Probably I think me and M test it we're Probably leaning still toward W the sky Even though I think we're both Edge Runners according to aex but the sky Feels a little bit special still and They and they're they're almost merging Into the same shoe so I think it Probably says a lot about where things Might go but I think my experience has Been so far that you know the sky feels Like The Stand Out shootting feels like It offers something slightly different From the dge Paris so far Al like about The sky in general is that it's Exceptionally light and I think that Will hopefully prompt other people to Start pushing their carbon shoes in that Direction because I really like a light Racing shoe even if it is going to be Big and bouncy you can make it really Light as aex has shown and Puma's done Now as well and even Nike's Racing shoes Are getting lighter while they make the Rest of their shoes heavier so yeah I Like that Trend okay another shoe that's cropped Up quite a lot in this in this list is The alphafly 3 um and I I to be honest I'm not I've Talked about this a lot I much prefer The Ally one I actually found it tricky To choose juice for this one because There's not many I test the last year
That I really really liked but the AL 3 Did crop quite a bit what are our Thoughts on the AL 3 so far I'm Still yeah I think it's pretty great I Think it's I was very surprised when I Tested that shoe I didn't think there' Be anything I'd like more than that this Year but then the yeah obviously the aex Met speed Sky Paris has come along the Ally is fantastic I think it's bouncy Springy airpods give it that extra punch Smoother ride than past Alpha flies yeah You trade some of the bounciness of the AL one but you get I think a faster Turnover for someone like myself who is A high Cadence Runner I think it's a Brilliant shoe would be very happy if That' be my Rao all year long after Testing it I've done a lot of miles in It now some really hard sessions raced In it but I think it's a spectacular Shoe I think it's the best shoe Nike has Made but alow one is still pretty Special as Well okay and I think you and me oh Mike You've got you've tested the vly as well I have yeah so the V CRS up obviously Quite a bit still sticking around list Is yeah uh So V fly why why is that on the list um Go Mike um I mean I think and proba I Guess other guys who test it I think It's a sh whenever I put on and I've Wanted to run quick in or racing it's
Felt amazing to do so it gives you all That you would want from a from a racing Shoot very you know the upper in terms Of the weight I think in terms of that Kind of propulsive feel you won over the You know over the shter and even a Little bit longer distances in it as Well too you know I just always if I've Wanted if there's a shoe I've looked to For running or racing a little bit Quicker you know I've never been Disappointed putting this um shoe on and I think that's why it's still around and Kind of in this discussion about kind of Racing shoes still the shoe I see the Most at races around me as well like It's either vaporfly 2 or if they've Gone through those vaporfly 3 I think It's still got that that's still got That hold reputation with Runners and It's not disappointing them at all so I Think they opened it up they made it Slightly more cushioned as well which I Think makes it a bit more accessible for Probably a wider group of Runners but For me I'm I'm the opposite end I I kind Of think they softened it too much and I Think they took the the fast edge off it Which is what I really like actually About the the sky Paris it just feels a Bit like the old Vaper fly to used to Feel um The Vapor just lost a bit of his Edge for me but I know why people like It I think it gives you a little bit
More protection later into races if Things aren't going particularly well so I'm not surprised that lots and lots of People now lace it up across the cut of Different pace Ranges all right okay so no surprises There um should with big big throw a Boner to the Hocus yellow X1 which I Think has been one of most surprising And enjoyable shoes of the year been Mentioned the shoe I've done the most Miles in this year probably I think just Because I used it for so many training Sessions because it's such a fun fast Bouncy Shoe yeah it's um yeah I mean a lot of My bigger kind of London marath train Runs was in that shoe and um it was just Enjoyable to go out on there I me I Don't love everything about it you know I think Nick you've had some you know Interesting experience with the lacing I Think which is quite clear there's maybe Something needs to be rectified for a a Next version but I think in terms of What you're getting in terms of that Ride terms of experience in terms of Being out and just kind of you know Getting through that mileage in that Shoe it just feels like a really nice Shoe to get you and I've never felt like My legs have been wrecked after running In that shoe and I think you know you Know ha has had a good year I think
They've had some very strong shoes and The seatt X1 is definitely one of their Kind of Stand Out shoes from this year Do we think that the pum devate Nitro Elite 3 is going to Appear I mean it's I think if we get a Couple of races in I think I want to you Know you still want to see those results Don't you that's the problem with racing Shoes you need to racer them to really Learn to love them or what you think About them but there's nothing I haven't Liked about it yet yeah I've done a f I've done I did a 5k racing it um and I I do I I really wanted to see how it's Kind of hand going to handle over longer But I think I just got a good sense of What it's going to offer and it just Feels a massive step up for me from the Previous shoe in terms of being a more Racing kind of centric shoe for me uh And I think P's got a lot right here With this Shoe all right let's move on to daily Shoes now uh we it's trick we have a Daily shoe category and an allrounder Category Nick what is the difference Between what is the difference that we Give for daily shoes and allrounder Shoes well proba for me there isn't much Of a difference I guess is the problem But uh I like to use all rounder shoes As daily shoes but I think all rounder Shoes are talking more like things you
Know on the super trainer but shoes you Can you can use for everything so Including fast running and then I think For daily shoes people would probably More think of a slightly more cushion Feel as in your daily runs are often Very easy tends to I mean but it is a Bit of a it's it's a tough distinction But I guess there's probably slightly More cushion than all rounders all Rounders probably a bit more of an edge To them if you are going to use them for Fast runs you can kind of use an Allrounder as a daily you can't necessar Use all dailies as all Rounders nicely Explained okay okay all right well clear As mud I picked the same shoe in both Categories so I don't know why you Me this is good this is a good Explanation of it we talked in in the Podcast about the Mizuno Neo Vista and Super Blast 2 I put the Neo Vista in Daily and super Blast 2 in allrounder I Put nerv to an Allrounder did you yeah Yeah you're an anomaly you're just You're confusing this process I think I Don't think it's my fault I think it's a Confusing confusing section of Categories although I guess this is the Whole point is that people might use Shoes for different things anyway so It's kind what constitutes an allrounder
For Nick might not be the same for Tom So it's all good yeah it's fine it's Just the problem is then we pick three And then people get confused but it's Fine we do our individual picks but I I Think there's a lot of crossover Basically put it that way but I think What we don't have in our daily trainers Because none of us really do this is we Don't put in something what we call a Cushion shoe which is another category So if a shoe we think is completely easy Day focused very cushion or that lots of People that is a daily trainer but on Our Channel it kind of isn't because we Like a shoe that has a little bit more Versatility than those very classic Cushion shoes like the aex Joel Nimbus For Example okay so some of the shoes that We've got in this category are the aex Joel Nimbus uh the suy and do speed four has Cropped up Yes that's an allrounder isn't it let's Be honest we should probably take it out This C I think that is an yeah this is Good we're actually just do having Basically a meeting I Think I think we Haven given it two Awards in the past but maybe we should Just we should change it up then all Right then so what about the new Bal Reel
V4 yeah it's really really good shoe Yeah I think that I would class that as A daily shoe Yeah again I think a lot of people Disagree because they wouldn't say it's Cushion enough but I agree it's a daily Issue I do think it's quite cushion I personally for me I think on the Easiest stuff I don't think it it sits That well the easiest stuff compared to Some of the other shoes We're talking About here but I think in terms of you Want a more upt faster focused daily Train I think absolutely but me Personally I find it really wants you to Run a little bit more uptempo in that Sho um that's kind of just been my Experience of it so um yeah definitely We should just put the list out when we Try and explain it we we our yeah we'll Put we'll put some of these shoes in the Comments and then any of the viewers or Listeners can comment and say what they Think viciously debate about it I compl I disagree I put the speed four because I use the speed four for a lot of my Easy miles as well great easy great easy R really good da I find it yeah I find It cushion get rid of the category get Rid of the about three minutes ago the Speed is going to win this because me And Kier both One how how would you put these in a Rotation then so R is quite obvious in a
Rotation uh cushion is quite obvious in A rotation what are the daily and all Round issues in the rotation well I Think we I think we Basically I think what we should do is We should call the daily the shoe that You would have in a rotation maybe and Then the all round would be for someone Who doesn't buy a rotation Yeah that's quite good yeah the way the Allrounder for me is is like if you Could only have in a way you like one Shoe this thing can do you know I I Could rate if I had to I'd race a Marathon in the speed for uh you know It's like it can do a good range and if You've only and buy one shoe the all Rounder sort of ticks most of those Boxes not all of them perfectly but the Problem remains that when we did our Rotations video we both picked the speed Four as Train but so I guess we could we could Try and separate it like that yeah I Think it's if you don't have rotate so For example in dailies I could put two Shoes from my rotation in because the Pum velocity Nitro 3 would be a very Good daily train I would use it daily The speed four i' would also use kind of Daily but I think they're both examples Of different kinds of daily trainers but We could maybe Say if one's very allrounder let's let's
Save it for allr rounders okay so any Other options we've got in this category Are HW Max 6 beautiful daily trainer That beautiful daily trainer h X another solid solid daily trainer I Guess yeah yeah and I guess you know It's a little p for me it's a little bit Peier than the than the Max 6 so you Need probably need to like kind of Slightly more responsive ride that's a Bit more direct for that kind of daily Run than people who want you know with The the caveats of people wanted more Cushioning that Nick was talking about In this area but again I I quite often Do regular miles in the ma X okay so let's do best of rounders next Because that's the Hot Topic uh so in The best of rounders we're seeing uh Super blast to cropping up yeah uh the Well speed for again Rebel V4 again um So I think we take the rebel V4 out of That maybe maybe it's not an allrounder Lots of people yeah yeah Yeah more da it's more shoe that you Would pair with maybe a carbon shoe to Go nuts in and then a more cushion shoe To Long M so there we go that's we've Cleared up a little bit Yeah Neo Vista I Think probably is more daily than Allrounder I agree with you Tom good it Is a very good allrounder I do think It's one of the three best all rounders I've tested this year but if we're gonna
Try and clear it up a bit we can we can Do that I don't mind yeah okay then the Other problem we have obviously with the Videos is these that some sometimes it's Not that common only one person has Tested the shoe so the Boston 12 is a Shoe that would feature very heavily in All rounders only I've tested it I need To add that into my algorithm don't I Yeah it always gets displaced by the Algorithm to it always gets like an also Mentioned because Nick likes it but none Of us have tested it because if if if I If I worked out the algorithm and when I Say the algorithm I me up there working Through a Spreadsheet alith I just compute four People's votes if I if I modified it so It up up uplifted things because people Only had one of them then if somebody Has completely rubbish Choice it would Be massively yeah exactly yeah it it Wouldn't work it can't be acceptable so Okay so that's why that that that does Explain why the people probably wonder Why you know the Boston doesn't because It is a very popular shoe as well but I Um I think that's why that's the reason Like I think you guys would probably Like it but we can't we can't can't base Anything on that b what we're saying is Adidas can you send us all the Boston to Agree Is it we haven't Ted the SL2 either
Which be very good but there's a big Pile of shoes here to get through I'm Not I'm not trying to get other ones Let's do an easy one then best cushion Shoe there's not going to be loads of Debate on speed four Next uh so this is this category has got Not many surprises in it so you've got New bounds 1080 v13 which is definitely A cushion shoe definitely not one I love But is beloved uh Brooks Glycerin 21 Great shoe definitely a cushion shoe on Cloud size first Sur for seven which Just is it is feels like cing shoe it's Not like a ma Max cushion shoe but I Think that's a daily for me I'm going to Say that interesting I'm gonna say it Okay that's I think I'm on the fence With that one you could go either way on That one Brooks goes 16 you probably Thought that a daily would you I think That's a it's a cushion daily yeah Cushion daily okay oh no don't cross the Cushion pum magnify Nitro to that's Definitely a cushion shoe that's a Cushion shoe I think both hum could go In here quite EAS 17 probably would have Used to have been daily but it's Probably moving more towards the world That's I mean that's the epitome of a Cushion daily yeah yeah okay good so We're not really getting anywhere with These we could do a massive V diagram Couldn't we would that be a good video
Just a US drawing a huge V diagram what Is it of you drawing it we'd all be There Tom we'd all be there we draw the Circles we just keep writing more shoes Into different I think it could work I Think it'd be more interesting for us to Properly Define these ceg they are men With men so that is the job of the uh The listeners to to sign our categories For us listeners you think people any More contrary than all the people any More people contrary than us is Everyone's going to comment they're it's Be have a wild disparity of views coming Hon the only ones we need to know are What is a daily shoe what is an Allrounder cushion shoe I think is fine I think I think you you can allow for a Certain level of actually that might Slip into daily but it is quite a Cushion shoe so I think lot of the Cushion shoes we like are because they Have a bit more about them for daily Training actually cush shoes are there For like slower easy comfortable miles You're not necessarily going to go Faster in them sole purpose is comfort And cushioning so what about the P Velocity nitr 3 tricky on that cushion daily isn't it Yeah it's my cushion shoe in my rotation There the problem with we haven't got Enough people yeah well that's it's Actually a value shoe so uh yeah we just
We always get away with velocity Nitra Vel Nitro can e be in all of these Categories but get shoved into value cuz It's cheap even though it's I think it's Better than any of the shoes anyway yeah Actually that's a good point a lot of The shoes crank can cross over but they Can't all win because just cuz the shoe Can cross over the categories doesn't Mean it's the best in a category yeah Yeah you know what would really Express This a huge F diagram that they're all Standing around just writing shoes into Can you can you just do that on your own I can but I feel I feel we wouldn't Publish it we basically need to hire a Massive crane with a top down camera Giant Circles and Nick with a big pile Of shoes just putting them in different If we could Art Attack it Kier Dr Tom's got a drone right drone oh yeah I can do That right let's move this along uh best Value shoes the final category got his Best value shoes that one is very easy It's just a shoe that's really good Value it can be any type of shoe uh it's Probably a mixture of being relatively Cost effective but also being durable Verstile you know you know what a really Good verstile she would be in my mind an Allrounder yeah yeah but allers aren't Necessarily cheap are they the best all Round is probably not going to be the uh
Cheap one cheaper one it's the P of lost 3 I mean category there is all right so To stick in it listeners if you've Managed to get all the way through this Video and uh you have views on what Makes up these categories please comment Help us please help you have access to Several large rings and a and a drone And Neil Buchanon ideally yeah we will Um we'll get this done yeah let us know We C we were originally going to say What would you think goes in this what What would you pick of these categories But considering we need to defy the Categories that's probably the most Useful thing to get your help on Actually you know when I we just did the List and we had all the pics and I said Maybe we should discuss this we should Never have discussed it we should have Just got the pics actually the pics are Fine yeah yeah good to know for next Year all right all right well um yeah We'll uh we got to sort it out the next Week or so so uh i' got to edit the Video we have to put the link into this Uh for all the people who have Complaints rightly yes yeah I mean I'm Kind of confused about whether which bit Of this is the meeting and which bit is The video that's going to go out yeah It's real time we do the meeting the Podcast this is all going out this is All going this is this is like behind
The scenes behind the scenes yeah they Saus made you can see it see out like it Does yes all right well uh G glad we Cleared all that up uh so in the next uh Few weeks we will be releasing our full Guide to the best running shoes you know What the first comment is going to be Why isn't the S and Dophin speed the Best daily trainer Second comment really like Tom's new Doors third comment Nick always talks About pity Nitro 3 that is true fourth Would be kieran's T-shirt wrong with This all right I think that'll do us for Now Yeah we've got some work to do right I'll see you guys later oh my God I'm Sweating so bad that's it from us thanks A lot for watching this preview chat About our best running shoes guide don't Forget to like subscribe click the Little bell and if you click in the Caption you can go to the podcast and if You like it please leave a review or Give us a rating or a like or whatever It is on the podcast platform that you Use thanks a lot for watching catch you Next time [Music]
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