Men's Journal

We tested 14 of the latest running shoes to separate manufacturer’s hype from real-world performance. Here are our nine favorites, arranged by basic arch shape, the simplest determinant when seeking a shoe to fit your foot. Because when it comes to running shoes, fit comes first. Still, foot shape is more a spectrum than a delineation, so if you’ve got a high arch and the Nike doesn’t feel right, try the Asics. And don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion. The pros at running stores can help you figure out what you need.

Nike LunaRacer
Nike reengineered the foam in the space shuttle’s seats to create the soft but resilient Lunar­lite cushioning, making its debut here in the LunaRacer. “It almost felt as soft as a training shoe — almost,” remarked one tester. The ultrathin fabric upper is slight (the shoe weighs a minuscule 5.5 ounces), but insubstantiality has a price: The treads wore noticeably even on our first time out. [$100; nike.com ]
Detail: The LunaRacer uses Nike’s Flywire system: light, stronger-than-Kevlar support strings.

Adidas Supernova Sequence
For a light- to medium-weight runner, the 12.2-ounce Supernova Sequence provides the perfect balance between cushioning and moderate motion control. “Most shoes in this category fail to deliver a soft ride and adequate stability, but the Adidas pulls it off,” said one tester. It’s also Cadillac-comfy, with a roomy toe box and a plush heel cup. [$95; adidas.com ]
Detail: The Supernova Sequence’s seamless upper allows the shoe to flex perfectly with your foot.

Brooks Trance 8
Eco-geeks will appreciate the Trance 8’s midsole, which biodegrades in a landfill in 20 years, as opposed to 1,000 years for typical EVA cushioning. (And no, it won’t start breaking down before it’s in the garbage.) But the 12-ounce Trance 8 is a superb trainer, earth-friendly sole or no. “It fits my low arch perfectly and gives the right support without feeling clunky,” said one tester. [$140; brooksrunning.com ]
Detail: Brooks didn’t patent the additive that lets its sole biodegrade so that other companies can use it.

Mizuno Wave Nirvana 4
Mizuno packed the Nirvana 4 with technology like heat ventilation channels and a wavy composite plate in the sole that cushions and smooths transitions. Testers liked the shoe’s perfect amount of motion control but found one annoying flaw: Rocks get stuck in the sole, so you sound like a peg-legged pirate on the run. [$135; mizunousa.com ]

Avia Avi-Lite Guide
The 10.9-ounce Avi-Lite Guide is a triathlon-specific shoe, hence the spare construction. Best suited for short runs (on longer ones it feels flimsy), it earned high marks for springy cushioning and ideal arch-side support for runners with some inward foot roll. Downside: The Avi-Lite Guide took longer to break in than any other shoe. [$110; avia.com ]

Asics Gel-Nimbus 10
A snug fit from a smartly designed lacing system sounds simple, but few shoes have one as good as the Gel-Nimbus 10’s. “It wraps around you like a comfy blanket and doesn’t let go,” one tester noted. He wasn’t so keen on the shoe’s bulk, at 12.4 ounces, but said the heft was largely offset by the remarkably soft cushioning. [$120; asicsamerica.com ]

Merrell CT Stamina
Merrell’s been a force in trail-runners for years, but the CT Stamina is its first foray onto asphalt. The 11.5-ounce shoe has smart details, such as deep grooves in the heel’s sole for an even foot strike and a foot bed material that disperses heat, but it’s overbuilt. “It felt pretty good on asphalt but seems better suited to dirt trails,” said one tester. [$100; merrell.com ]

Reebok Premier Trinity KFS III
Unlike the Avia, the Reebok breaks in quickly. “I was able to do a 10-miler in them the second time I wore them,” raved one tester. “No blisters, sore feet, or fatigue.” With a bolster beneath the heel on the inside of the foot, this 12.6-ounce shoe is intended for heavier runners or those with slightly low arches. [$120; reebok.com ]

Saucony Progrid Ride
In replacing the popular Trigon Ride, Saucony trimmed some fat and improved breathability by removing leather from the toe and heel. The result is the 11.6-ounce ProGrid Ride, designed for lightweight runners. It’s a bit firmer than other cushioned shoes, but not in a bad way. Said one tester: “It’s a controlled ride without being too stiff.” [$90; saucony.com ]

How We Tested Them
We turned to our trusty corps of distance runners in Burlington, Vermont, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to pound pavement in this season’s newest shoes. Altogether the 35-man team has completed 414 marathons and 47 Ironman triathlons. In the month they spent testing 14 pairs of shoes for us, they logged a total of 3,046 miles — an average of 87 miles per model, per tester.

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