Running shoe models by technology and brand

Brand: Nike Model: Pegasus 41

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: ReactX, Zoom Air
Outsole: Waffle-inspired rubber

Details

Best for: Everyday road miles
Upper: Engineered mesh
Stack height: 37 mm heel / 27 mm forefoot, 10 mm drop
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Does everything adequately, which is the whole point of a Pegasus
Two Zoom Air units add pop without making the shoe unstable
Outsole rubber lasts

Cons

Heavier than its rivals at around 297 g
Nothing about it is exciting

What I think

The default answer. If you want one pair of running shoes and do not want to think about it again, this is the shoe the whole category is measured against.

Brand: Adidas Model: Ultraboost 5

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: Boost
Outsole: Continental rubber

Details

Best for: Long easy miles and all-day wear
Upper: Primeknit
Stack height: 38 mm heel / 28 mm forefoot, 10 mm drop
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Boost does not go stiff in the cold, which matters here
Continental rubber holds on wet pavement
Comfortable enough to wear all day, not only to run in

Cons

Heavy for a running shoe at around 275 g
The knit upper soaks up rain and stays wet

What I think

More a comfortable shoe that runs than a running shoe. Excellent for easy miles and for standing about; there are lighter, livelier options if you want to go fast.

Brand: Hoka Model: Clifton 9

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: Early-stage Meta-Rocker
Outsole: Durabrasion rubber

Details

Best for: Cushioned road running and long days on your feet
Upper: Engineered mesh
Stack height: 32 mm heel / 27 mm forefoot, 5 mm drop
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Very light for the amount of cushioning – around 248 g
The rocker takes work off the calf over long distances
Kind to the knees on repeated easy miles

Cons

The tall stack feels unsteady on uneven ground
Patchy rubber wears faster than a full outsole

What I think

The shoe that made maximum cushioning normal. Best on tarmac and on long walks; not the one for tight turns or rough paths.

Brand: Asics Model: Novablast 4

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: FF BLAST PLUS ECO
Outsole: AHAR Lo

Details

Best for: Easy and moderate road running
Upper: Engineered mesh
Stack height: 41.5 mm heel / 33.5 mm forefoot (1 mm lower for women)
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Genuinely bouncy – it makes easy runs more enjoyable
Foam is partly bio-based, from sugarcane
Firmer and steadier than the version before it

Cons

A very tall stack: it rolls on rutted ground
Exposed foam through the midfoot wears quickly

What I think

The fun one. Buy it for the ride on easy days rather than for racing, and keep it on smooth surfaces.

Brand: Salomon Model: Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX

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Technology

Upper: GORE-TEX
Insole: OrthoLite insole
Midsole: -
Outsole: Contagrip

Details

Best for: Mud, wet ground and winter trails
Upper: Textile with SensiFit and a GORE-TEX membrane
Stack height: Not published by Salomon
Waterproofing: Yes – GORE-TEX membrane
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Five-millimetre bi-directional lugs bite into soft ground
Waterproof membrane earns its place through a British winter
Quicklace works with cold, wet fingers

Cons

Those lugs wear down fast on tarmac and you feel every one
Once water gets in over the collar it stays in

What I think

Made for one job and very good at it. If your running is muddy paths and bridleways between October and March, few shoes hold the ground better.

Brand: On Model: Cloudmonster

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: CloudTec, Helion superfoam
Outsole: -

Details

Best for: Cushioned road running
Upper: Engineered mesh
Stack height: 34 mm heel / 28 mm forefoot
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

A ride nothing else feels quite like
Helion holds its bounce when the temperature drops
Plenty of cushioning for the weight

Cons

The open pods pick up gravel and small stones
People either take to the feel immediately or not at all

What I think

The most distinctive shoe on this list. Worth trying on rather than reading about: the underfoot feel divides people more than any other model here.

Brand: Saucony Model: Endorphin Pro 4

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: S-shaped carbon plate, PWRRUN HG, PWRRUN PB
Outsole: -

Details

Best for: Race day, from 10k to the marathon
Upper: Thin engineered mesh
Stack height: 38.1 mm heel / 28.6 mm forefoot measured; Saucony states an 8 mm drop, measured 9.5
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

Two different foams either side of the plate, which is unusual and works
Light for how much shoe it is – around 220 g
More forgiving at slower paces than most plated racers

Cons

The thin upper and 2.1 mm of outsole rubber are not built to last
Priced as race-day kit, and it wears like race-day kit

What I think

The plated racer that makes the most sense if you are not elite. The plate is there, but the shoe still behaves when you slow down – which is more than several of its rivals manage.

Brand: Nike Model: Vaporfly 3

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Technology

Insole: -
Midsole: Full-length carbon plate
Outsole: -

Details

Best for: Racing, and very little else
Upper: Flyknit mesh
Stack height: 37.1 mm heel / 26.0 mm forefoot measured; Nike states an 8 mm drop, measured 11.1
Waterproofing: No
Price: not listed yet

Pros

The lightest Vaporfly yet at around 190 g
ZoomX is still the springiest foam most people will ever run on
The shoe the whole carbon-plate category was measured against

Cons

The drop is far bigger than Nike states – measured nearer 11 mm than 8
The foam packs down quickly: this is a shoe with a race count, not a mileage
Unstable on anything other than smooth road

What I think

The one that started it. Buy it for races you care about, keep it for those, and do not expect it to survive being your everyday trainer.

Running shoe models by technology

Models

Brand: Nike Model: Pegasus 41

Technology

Details

Pros

Cons

What I think

Brand: Adidas Model: Ultraboost 5

Technology

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Pros

Cons

What I think

Brand: Hoka Model: Clifton 9

Technology

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Pros

Cons

What I think

Brand: Asics Model: Novablast 4

Technology

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What I think

Brand: Salomon Model: Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX

Technology

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What I think

Brand: On Model: Cloudmonster

Technology

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Pros

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What I think

Brand: Saucony Model: Endorphin Pro 4

Technology

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What I think

Brand: Nike Model: Vaporfly 3

Technology

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What I think