7 Best Road Running Shoes in 2024 (2024)

After long hours in the lab and pounding the pavement, ASICS Novablast 4 emerged as the best road running shoe. It’s a neutral trainer with unmatched comfort, versatility, and reliable support for any pace and distance.

We can’t get enough of its FF Blast+ ECO foam. Running for long hours on tough surfaces still feels pleasant because of the plush and decadent cushion. It combines maximum height with pillowy goodness. Our durometer confirms it’s 28.7% softer than average. Despite this, our runs still had a lot of pop for faster efforts.

Even with the thick slab of foam, Novablast delivers a smooth and stable ride by providing extra width in the midsole for safe landings. In terms of longitudinal movement, this pair moves fluidly with our motions, which is a plus for comfort. Our bend test shows it’s 13.5% more flexible than average.

After reaching double-digit miles, we were impressed to see that the outsole had very minor scratches which was purely visual — the plushness and pop remained the same. When put against our Dremel test, Novablast 4 establishes its longevity by showing less wear than average.

Unfortunately, the upper feels too warm for tropical weather. We recommend using this pair in cooler temperatures only to enjoy its full potential.

The Nike Pegasus 40 is a force to be reckoned with. It superbly blends outstanding versatility, remarkable comfort, and extraordinary durability. After embarking on multiple runs and taking it apart in the lab, we crown the Nike Pegasus 40 as the best daily trainer among road running shoes.

It is the Goldilocks of running shoes! With a midsole that is 28.6% softer than average, the Pegasus 40 is more than comfortable enough for our daily runs.A real do-it-all shoe, the Pegasus 40 is a daily trainer like no other.

Our runs were insanely comfortable and enjoyable. Its heel area and dual-layer mesh upper are well-padded. Its velvety smooth upper also helped us avoid hotspots or blisters. All of these, coupled with the 8.6 mm gusseted tongue—which is 2.8mm thicker than average—make it perfect for daily runs.

Durable and grippy—the Pegasus 40 has the perfect combination for a world-class outsole. At the lab, we tested it to be 7.8% firmer than average confirming the outsole durability. We ran on dry and wet roads, and even on light trails—and the Pegasus 40 gripped tremendously well on those surfaces.

It may be a jack-of-all-trades shoe, but it is also a master of none. Runners may look at other shoes for faster racing or more comfortable easy runs.

Extremely fast, ultra-lightweight, superbly comfortable, and fast. Yes, the ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ is extraordinarily lively that we had to mention 'fast' twice. After running a fair share of races and conducting lab tests, we hail the ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ as the best road running shoe for races—a must-have for setting new personal bests.

During speed sessions and races, the Metaspeed Sky+ was remarkably responsive through and through. While the carbon plate contributed to the lively pop, our lab's flexibility test also confirmed the shoe's stiffness. It needed 102.4% more force to bend it compared to the average road running shoe. On our runs, we could feel effortless propulsion with every step.

At only 6.8 oz or 193g, the Metaspeed Sky+ is so much lighter compared to the average race shoe (7.3 oz or 207g). We also tested its breathability by pumping smoke inside the shoe, and we witnessed how quickly and easily the smoke breezed through the shoe's upper. Tremendously light and top-tier breathability—running on clouds is an understatement. Whether it's a 3k race or a marathon, this shoe's almost weightless feel is sure to shine.

Durability is one area it can improve on. Its rubber outsole is only 2.0 mm, while the average is 3.5 mm. Because of this, we recommend that serious road runners reserve the ASICS Metaspeed Sky+ for A-races only or 10/10 effort-based speed sessions.

After testing hundreds of shoes in the lab and on the road, we discovered that Fuelcell Supercomp Trainer v2 is the best for long miles. It offers the highest level of comfort thanks to the ultra-soft, super-stacked cushion and the flexible carbon plate that doesn’t sacrifice speed. Best of all, the robust outsole is long-lasting.

Soaring to a 39.3 mm heel height, it falls within the 40-mm race limit. Under the 30.9 mm forefoot, the generous amount of cushion protects all our footstrikes. The buttery-soft FuelCell foam mutes out ground feel almost entirely. Our durometer confirms it gives a rare luxurious comfort, standing 59.5% softer than average.

A velvet platform doesn’t equate to a dull run. The flexible carbon plate and rocker geometry sustained our faster paces. New Balance’s Energy Arc includes a void in the carbon plate to allow our free movement, and therefore a more comfortable ride.

Underfoot, the outsole strikes a unique balance between durability and grip by incorporating rubber that’s tougher than race shoes and softer than daily trainers. Our durometer confirms a 73.0 HC measurement vs. the 80.3 HC average. Even after hundreds of kilometers, we barely saw signs of wear.

A warning for runners in tropical areas: the upper doesn’t feel breezy enough to handle warmer temperatures.

The Gel Nimbus 26 truly embodies plush cushioning. It stood out among the road-running shoes we tested with its pillowy embrace and gentle yet stable landings. Our lab numbers only verified what our feet already knew—comfort is #1 for this ASICS shoe.

Running on clouds feels like an understatement. The Gel Nimbus 26 was immensely comfortable during all our runs, regardless of distance. The secret to this luxurious comfort lies in its super soft and super thick midsole. Our lab reveals its 40.4/33.5 mm mega stack stands 21.6% softer than average, erasing the harshness of the ground. Further dampening landing impact is the PureGEL technology located in the heel.

The Gel Nimbus 26 is also stable, adding to our confidence as we soared through the roads. Its vast platform is complemented by a stiff construction that resists excessive lateral movements and twists. Our manual assessment reveals a solid 5/5 rating for torsional rigidity, effectively avoiding ankle rolls.

While it provides next-level comfort, it lacks responsiveness for fast days. We recommend exploring other cushioned options that can handle speed sessions.

Shoes made for overpronating runners aim to mitigate the excessive inward rolling of our foot as we run, which can cause strain and injury. While these corrective measures are usually quite stiff and uncomfortable, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 breaks the mold with a shoe that’s supportive, stable and, above all, comfy as heck! It’s easily our choice for the best stability road running shoe.

One of the most basic tenets of stability is a wide base, and the Adrenaline GTS 23’s midsole is certainly robust enough for purpose. Measuring 117.3 mm at the forefoot and a whopping 113.2 mm at the heel, according to our caliper, the shoe is wider than the average by 3.9 mm and 6.8 mm, respectively. This means that we enjoyed surefooted landings and stable toe-offs during our test runs in the shoe.

The Adrenaline GTS 23 makes use of Brooks’ GuideRails technology in the form of stiff plastic pieces integrated around the heel, with the aim of mitigating excessive lateral movements of the foot during our stride. It manages this by giving the shoe an above-average level of torsional rigidity, that we scored 4 out of 5 in our manual assessment. Meanwhile, our longitudinal flex test demonstrates that the shoe is 41.6% more flexible than the average road shoe. This unique combination gives us a great balance of comfort and pronation support.

The shoe’s stack is 3 mm shorter than average at only 21.5 mm at the forefoot, according to our caliper. While this should be enough cushioning for most easy to moderate runs, it does mean that forefoot strikers won’t enjoy nearly the same level of impact dampening as their heel-striking counterparts, especially when it comes to covering long distances.

The Saucony Axon 3 is a reliable all-rounder, proven by our lab and run tests. Aside from its cushioned platform and impressive durability, it’s a versatile trainer that doesn’t break the bank. No doubt, it’s our best budget road running shoe.

At only $100, Axon 3 offers value beyond its price tag. It undercuts its competitors as the average daily trainer costs $130. It can keep up with its more expensive counterparts as it showed strong performance in our runs.

The Axon 3 conquered all types of runs. It’s comfortable enough for easy runs yet nimble enough for tempo days when we want to pick up the pace. Not only is it light in the pocket, but also on foot. Our scales show it’s only 8.6 oz (244g), 12.5% lighter than the average daily trainer. Our durometer also confirmed our sensations — the cushion is 22.5% softer than average, explaining its all-day comfort.

After running around 100 miles in these shoes, there were no visible signs of wear and tear — especially in the outsole. Its 3.9 mm rubber is 0.7 mm thicker than the average, making it tough enough to take the abuse of training blocks.

Given the shoe’s low-drop geometry, we recommend excessive rearfoot strikers to explore other options.