The daily running shoe market has seen some big improvements over the past few years. From versatile non-plated shoes to performance options you can use for everything from easy runs to race day, and we’ve tested most of them.
In this video, we pick our favourites, covering plated and non-plated shoes, the best for cushioning, and great value options that won’t break the bank.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Best non-plated running shoes
00:45 – New Balance Rebel V4
01:40 – Hoka Mach 6
02:20 – Asics Superblast
03:00 – Saucony Ride 17
Best plated running shoes
03:35 – Saucony Endorphin Speed 4
04:40 – Asics Magic Speed 3
Best cushioned daily shoes
05:40 – Saucony Triumph 21
07:00 – Puma Velocity Nitro 3
08:00 – On Cloudsurfer 7
08:40 – Saucony Ride 17
09:00 – Brooks Glycerin 21
09:40 – Asics Novablast 4
10:12 – New Balance 1080v13
Best Value Daily Shoes
11:30 – Puma Velocity Nitro 3
13:20 – Asics Novablast 4
14:40 – Nike Pegasus 40
15:30 – Saucony Axon 3
16:10 – Kiprun KS900 Light
17:00 – Reebok Floatride Energy 5
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video we are going to be talking about The best daily shoes you can buy at the Moment so we're going to be covering Four different categories best Non-plated daily shoe best plated daily Shoe best cushion daily shoe and best Value daily shoe right let's dive in and See what we picked in our list of shoes [Music] We've seen the carbon plates another Technology that's been introduced Through Racing shoes trickle down into Daily trailers over the past couple of Years and some of the best daily Trainers do use that technology but There are certainly still lots of Excellent non-plated daily trainers out There that are just more simple shoes That are still really versatile there Are probably two standouts in this Category and our absolute favorite Overall is the New Balance Rebel V4 this Is the fourth version of the Rebel which Is a lightweight plateless shoe with a Relatively low stack that has been in The past pitched as much more of a speed Focus shoe but with the latest version The stack has been increased a little Bit and it's become a lot wider and That's made it a lot more comfortable And supportive for easy runs relaxed Long runs as well while it's still a Very lightweight shoe that you can pick
Up the pacing this is certainly one of The more versatile shoes out there that Doesn't have a plate and that's down to The new midso design you have with the Rebel V4 which is a new version of New Balances fuel cell foam that's a blend Of peba and EVA foam and that blend Produces a really nice balanced ride It's soft but not too squishy so you're Kind of wading through the foam it's got A nice amount of response a little bit Of Bounce it's not as all that Propulsive and impressive as the best Peber Foams you'll find on the market But it does create nice balanced ride And the shoe is very lightweight as well So you can really do anything in this Shoe really enjoy taking this to long Distances I've gone down the track in it And we rate it as the best overall daily Trainer available if you're not going to Use a plate the runner up though is very Close it's the Hoka Max 6 this is Another excellent plate free shoe that Again just has a very lightweight design But a lot of comfort and stability that Means it is very versatile it's great For cruising through long runs in Particular the Max 6 very comfortable Ride nice and balanced and you can pick Up the pace in it just because it is a Pretty lightweight shoe you've got a Super critical EV midsole on the HX 6 Has a little bit of Bounce and response
As with the re you're not getting an Incredibly squishy ride or phenomenally Bouncy one but it's just really nicely Balanced it's comfortable there is a bit Of Pop there if you want to up the speed And all around the HX 6 is just an Excellent shoe both of these shoes are Pretty good value as well compared to Super trainers and you can redo a bit of Everything in them when it comes to the Other shoes to consider in this category There are a couple of really good Options from Ax and one of them is a Contender for being the best overall if It wasn't so expensive it's the A6 super Blast this is a phenomenal shoe it's got An FF turbo midso which is the foam used On the previous generations of asx's Metas speed Super Shoes so the Sky Plus And the edge plus it's a really bouncy Foam and a very comfortable one as well And despite the massive stack on the Shoe which is you know 45 mm at the heel It still weighs in around 250 g in my Size you're getting a shoe that can do Everything even though you are going to Have to pay through the nose through it Very comfortable great for long runs Speedy enough to do short distance work In there as well yeah great shoe as ex Has the Nova Blast for which is a much Better value shoe hasn't got the same Foam as a super plast in the midsole but It is a very versatile shoe all around
As well it's kind comfortable great for Cruising for long runs and it's another Mac stack shoe that offers a lot of Versatility for your daily training last Shoe we're going to mention this Category is a s ride 17 which is more Cushioned and a bit more geared up Towards the easy and long runs than the Other shoes we've covered so far still Has a bit of speed in it though with the Power run plus foam delivering a nice Poppy ride it's still a pretty versatile Shoe and certainly a comfortable one We've got a whole section on cushion Daily trainers to come as well but the Ride 17 probably stands out from that Crowd by being that little bit more Versatile and Punchy for fast runs while Still being very comfortable for relaxed Stu [Music] Now it was the S endorphin Speed 3 that Really set the Benchmark for the best Plated daily trainers and our top pick In this category is the nextg successor The sakon Endorphin speed 4 now the Speed 4 Builds on the Speed 3 Legacy and Simply put this is a shoe that can Handle almost any run soy largely stuck With a winning blueprint here you've got Light comfortable roomy Airy and Perforated zonal mesh uppers a decent Siz stack of power run pbpb super foam You got a winged nylon plate that's been
Re-engineered to provide more stability Rigidity and 4ot flexibility and the Shoe retains sakon speedroll geometry With a decent rocker shaping that really Adds to the overall clip Al along There's also more rubber on the out Soole to boost the durability here for £180 this shoe offers Great allrounder Value it'll happily soak up the road on Easy and Recovery efforts but it's also Excellent for your faster efforts Intervals and Tempo runs it's Lively Cushioned and wonderful underfoot it Feels light and full of energy a Punchy Controlled response without any Harshness or fussy business with the Uppers there's a lightweight Precision Here in each step to the shoe nothing Feels bulky cumbersome or baggy and That's where these definitely have the Edge over non-plated Rivals like the Nova blast 4 now our second top Recommendation in the play to daily Trainers category is the asex magic Speed 3160 or $160 it's a slightly Cheaper daily trainer racer than the Endorphin speed 4 this latest gen packs More flight foam blast plus Midol foam a Meta speed series inspired upper and a New overall lighter Design This is a Trainer stroke racer that lives up to The concept of being a cheaper version Of a full carbon shoe it's a fast Performance oriented shoe that's very
Quick and nippy certainly over shorter Distances it's nice and lightweight Maybe not as good for cruising easy runs As the magic Speed 2 or even the Endorphin speed 4 so it lacks a little Bit of that versatility you'll get in The Endorphin speed 4 but if you're Looking for a fast speed focused daily Trainer the magic Speed 3 is an Excellent option that we highly [Music] Recommend so daily trainers have always Been around but it definitely has been More of a trend for Brands particularly Over the last 12 to 18 months to launch Shoes they go high and cushioning give You that protection and comfort over Longer distances and just be something That can handle a lot of training time Now in terms of our top pick right now For that kind of cushion daily trainer Profile we would be going for the toy Tri 21 now we know the tri 22 is out we Are testing away on that shoe and There's a first run video up on the Channel but for now we would probably Say the S TR 21 is the one that we Unanimously kind of pick in terms of That kind of cushion daily trainer Profile I think when you think about What you're getting here in the midsole In terms of the the upper youve got that Kind of comfort in the right places it's A flat knit style upper you're getting
Good level of padding in the heel and The tongue and the midsole has that Power run plus uh kind of midsole foam But also kind of power on plus sock Liners you do really kind of sink into The shoe but there is some bounce there There is some kind plushness as as well There too to give you that level of Comfort but unlike a lot of cushion Daily trainers we think this is one that Offers some versatility as well too it's Definitely a shoe that you can run long In but it definitely is a shoe that can Handle some more Up Tempo running and Can be a shoe that can handle a mixture Of different runs unlike a lot of other Cushion daily trainer shoes that have Appeared on the scene as we said over The last 12 to 18 months another pick For us in kind of a bit of a runner up And you might not be that surprised We're going to mention it it is the Humor velocity Nitro 3 and we just think In terms of value for money this is one Of the standard shoes you can pick up if You are on a strict budget and you're Looking for a shoe that can cope with a Lot of running mileage can also handle Some kind of more uptempo running as Well too this is one of the best shoes To do it outside the soing Triumph for 21 and what we like about this first and Foremost it's a pretty good weight in Terms of a cushion daily Trainer shoe it
Is also got a lovely kind of midsole Foam in it and a kind of midell in General which does have the capability Of feeling nice and responsive when you Are running a bit quicker but definitely Has that kind of comfort and protection When you are eating off as well too and You've got a very good outo on there as Well so it's definitely well built for Handling a lot of kind of running Mileage but also maybe going and do some Lighter Trail work as well too Absolutely is uh capable of doing that So our top cushion taily trainer pick is The S Tri 21 and our going to runner up Is the Puma velocity Nitro 3 so a few Other that have definitely stood out for Us I think worth considering here as Well in this category first starting With the oncloud surface reeven again I Think that's another one that really Kind of all surprised us and definitely Saw on take its kind of shoes in a Slightly different direction in terms of Moving slightly away from that kind of Firmer feeling kind of cloudtech Cushioning to something that is still Cloudtech at its core but it is Definitely a little more plush a lot More softer um a lot more comfortable um On your legs and coupled with an upper That really is snug and kind of hugs in The right places that is another shoe Designed for kind of easy Pace runs and
It really does look good and offer a Really comfortable plush kind of feel in Terms of that ride so that's another one To consider here there's also the sakon Ride 17 which is slightly similar in Terms of the profile of the Triumph 21 Another shoe that's a little bit cheaper That can offer something that's going to Cover a lot of it easy runs give that Comfort that kind of roomy feel and a Really kind of nice kind of snug feeling Upper as well too another shoe worth Looking at here in this category is the Brooks Glycerin 21 now this is again Another shoe that's kind of Highly Cushioned and is designed particularly For those kind of easy runs and probably Lacks a little bit of Versatility you Get with the so Triumph 21 you've got a Nice kind of thick comfortable mesh Upper you've still got that DNA Loft B3 Kind of nitrogen Infuse mid sulfone There's definitely more of it here on The glycerin 21 and you've got a big Kind of thick out soole that tells you That this is a shoe that's going to Handle a lot of running time and you get A kind of plush feeding plenty of kind Of midsole there underneath your foot That's going to give you protection but Also give you something that's going to Feel comfortable over longer runs as Well so that's the Brooks Len 21 you've Also got things like the aex Nova blast
4 which definitely has a little bit more Of a faster Edge to some of the shoes That we've mentioned here and that's Mainly down to the fact that you've got A a lighter shoe you've got something That has a midsole that is a little bit On the firmer side but definitely means Allows it to be a little bit more Responsive in general and definitely Feels like a shoe that can handle some Quicker runs but also be a shoe that you Can run more relaxed and easier in as Well and last up is the New Balance 1080 V13 which was definitely a huge revamp From the previous 1080 shoes it's a nice Super light cushion daily Trainer shoe It's giving you something that's going To feel plush under your foot as well in Terms of that kind of fresh foam X Midol Foam but you're also getting some Something with a rocker that's actually Going to give you something that can Handle some slightly more uptempo Running as well but generally is Designed for those easier runs um from a Surprisingly light overall design as Well so those are our picks of the top Cushion daily trainer shoes and some Other shoes to consider as [Music] Well so best value trainer can be quite A tricky category to cover a lot of Brands do release cheaper shoes but they Don't tend to be as good or the
Performance benefits that associated With shoes in a higher category so even Though that you can get a cheaper shoe You often don't get the benefits that You're going to get from a more Expensive shoe because that's how Running shoe brands work um what we Often say with best value trainers is That there are brands that come out with Cheaper shoes but it's often better to Look at older versions of uh more Expensive shoes or shoes in a higher Price bracket because then you tend to Get very similar benefits from that shoe But you're paying the same price as a Value trainer so our first pick for Best Value running shoes is going to come as No surprise to a lot of you it's the Puma velocity Nitro 3 we've been massive Fans on the Channel all of us of the Velocity Nitro range since it started It's just a fantastic line of shoes Which comes in at a really really good Price but is comparable with shoes that Are far more expensive than it the pum Velocity N3 has seen some updates not Many it's a slight modification to the Midso Um and some upper changes it still is a Fantastic allrounder daily trainer that Comes in at a really really good price Slightly more expensive than the older Versions Puma are obviously increasing The cost of their shoes as time goes on
And inflation Rises um but it is still a Really really good value shoe and what You find about the pum velocity Nitro Range is that it comes down in price Quite quickly even though this shoe Comes in 105 RRP you can find it for Around £60 now and which is an absolute Steel for this shoe it is a nice Balanced shoe so it has a good level of Cushioning but it's also quite versatile Shoe as well the cushioning isn't too Soft um and it really does work well for Lots of different sessions as well it's Definitely a great shoe to have if You're looking for one shoe maybe you're A beginner Runner or you're a general Runner that just wants one pair of shoes To do all of your running in or it's a Great shoe if you're looking for a cheap Backup shoe to have in your rotation That you can use for pretty much Anything and not worry about it over Time wasting money and the shoe being Not being durable it's still a very Durable shoe it's great for easy runs It's great for picking up the pace a bit It's not the fastest shoe in the world But for the price you can't really Expect that and it's just really Comfortable as well it's got lots of Padding around it it's just a fantastic Shoe out of the market at the moment and Well worth picking up especially if you Can get it at a really cheap price so
Our next pick for daily shoe is the A6 Nova blast 4 this is more expensive than All the other shoes that we've got in This category but the reason why I've Added this in is that if you want all The benefits of a good running shoe a Daily running shoe you want a lot of Versatility you want a lot of comfort This is one of the best options out There it comes in at £1 135 which isn't Really a value price um but you're Getting a lot more from this shoe then You're going to get a lot from other Shoes um so you're getting a really good Level of cushioning it works really well As an easy day shoe um but also it's one Of the most versatile cushion daily Shoes out there you can really pick up The pace in this shoe the mids soft pH Has got a good balance of um cushioning And softness but it's still a little bit Responsive as well so um it's a great Shoe especially if you're just looking For one pair of shoes to do all of your Running in this ticks a lot of those Boxes and it's the reason why it's such A popular shoe the Nova blast 4 is one Of our favorite new versions of the Nova Blast it's had an interesting line where Some of the shoes have Chang the way the Shoe feels no blast 4 is back to what we Expect from it a bit more responsive bit Punchier um and just a great versatile Or shoe that's very very comfortable to
To wear so well worth picking up um and Hopefully it will go down in price Because it's been out for a while now Other shoes that you might not look at In the best value category are the Nike Pegasus 40 Pegasus 40 is a very very Long line of shoes and it has changed Quite a bit over the time um it has Existed um it has now become more of a Uh standard daily shoe that is really Just there to tick off the miles it's a Bit of a Workhorse um and it doesn't Really excel in any area it's not the Most it's not the fastest shoe it's not The most Cushing shoe um but it's really Really solid Runner you get quite a Stable ride with the Pegasus 40 which Means it's good for lots of Runners Especially beginners it also has an Excellent outsole on it you can really Use this on most surfaces and even some Lighter Trails as well the out soole is Really really solid uh and it has a very Comfortable upper as well so uh this Comes in £120 but it is you can get it Significantly cheaper you can get it Down to about £65 an hour which is a Great value for a good Workhorse daily Shoe another great shoe is the sakon Axon 3 like the Pegasus 40 it's a very Balanced shoe the mid soole is not too Soft not too firm sits in the middle There so it makes it fairly versatile Shoe it's not the most versatile shoe on
The market but it's a good solid shoe That picks up some of the technologies That exist in the more premium shoes Including the poweron Midol foam which Used to be one of the main Foams that s Used in a lot of its high Lev shoes s Axon 3 comes at £110 which is quite Pricey but you can find it for about £60 In most places now which makes it a Really good option as well if you're Just looking for a solid Workhorse daily Shoe the kiprun ks 900 light is another Interesting option if you're looking for A value shoe but it's a shoe that is Really targeted at Value so de cathlon Create this shoe and it comes in at90 at RRP which is really really cheap for a Shoe at the top level price that it will Come in at it's a solid shoe it's very Comfortable it's designed to be a bit More cushioned it's designed to really Tick off those easy miles that's really Where it sits it's actually this foam Isn't as soft as you'll find in some Other shoes that are in the same Category but it's a solid Workhorse Daily shoe however if you are comparing It with other shoes like the ones in This value list you're probably are Better off buying the older versions of The shoes or the shoes at a cheaper Price in the sales than going for the Full price for the Ki from K s900 light Finally the Reebok float ride energy 5
Is a great option it comes in really Really cheap so it starts at £85 but you Can get it for about £55 now it's not The most amazing shoe in the world it's Just a solid worker shoe like many of The the shoes in this list it hasn't got The softest midso it hasn't got the most Responsive midso but it tis off a lot of Boxes and it's very hard to find a shoe Cheaper than this at the moment so it's Where worth picking up if you're looking For something really cheap but we'll do Everything you needed to do for those Easy General miles and can even pick up The pace a little bit more because the Midell is a little bit firmer that's it From us on this guide thanks a lot for Watching don't forget if you like our Videos and you watch them all the time And you haven't subscribed Please Subscribe and if you haven't heard of The podcast and you like listening to Podcast then you can go into the caption Below and you can find a link to that if You like that as well please please give Us a subscribe on the podcast provider Of of your choice right thanks a lot for Watching catch you next time [Music]
