By Kieran Alger
A good daily trainer is an essential in any runner’s rotation. Built to handle the bulk of your weekly mileage, the best daily trainers offer guaranteed comfort and reliable performance particularly when you’re moving slower and building volume.
A good daily running shoe works with your running style and – in an ideal world – offers a healthy dose of versatility across a range of pace. You know you've found a good workhorse when you find yourself reaching for them first for most of your runs.
Some daily trainers prioritize big cushion and impact protection over paciness and agility. While others cater more for pushing pace and running faster mile splits.
I’ve tested dozens of the latest and best daily trainers from all the big brands like HOKA, Saucony, New Balance, ASICS, Adidas and Nike. Not to mention a few smaller shoe makers. And below I’ve picked my tried and tested shortlist of the best daily running shoes you can buy right now.
Fast & Versatile
1. HOKA Mach X3
A plated shoe built for everyday training with added pep, the HOKA Mach X3 is an excellent choice for those up-tempo miles and easier runs.
Lively and bouncy, with plenty of cushioning for longer runs, it’s a slightly heavier shoe than some, but, with a more breathable, airy upper than its Mach X2 predecessor, it feels effortlessly light on the foot. For many runners, it could happily turn its hand to race day efforts too.
Propulsion comes via a winged Pebax plate giving plenty of powerful push off. A more flexible option than carbon, this offers a more controlled ride on longer runs and sustained efforts without ever feeling too wild.
There’s a big stack of foam with a dual-density setup – ultra-responsive, high rebound PEBA on top and a layer of traditional EVA foam underneath. The midsole combo is supposed to be 30% more resilient than the carbon-plated HOKA Rocket x3, making it ideal for clocking up the miles on your training plan without worrying too much about wear and tear.
There’s also a welcome heel collar upgrade from the Mach X2. Some reported gripes with rubbing in the predecessor but this time round there’s added padding for extra comfort.
2. Saucony Endorphin Speed 5
A great all-rounder with a speed-tuned edge, the Endorphin Speed 5 may have its eye on those faster training miles and up-tempo runs, but this is a shoe that’s versatile enough to handle a whole lot more.
A comfortable shoe from the moment you lace it up, it’s cushioned, protective and smooth enough for easier runs as well as speedier efforts, and offers balance and energy without trying to do all the work for you.
The PWRRUN PB foam midsole stack – with Saucony’s Speedroll rockering – helps power you forward on up-tempo efforts. And there’s a winged full-length nylon plate to bring rigidity and snap for quick return with smooth transitions.
The engineered hexagon mesh uppers are nicely lightweight and breathable, and there’s a less enclosed mesh across the toe box than in the Speed 4 predecessor, which offers a bit more room in the forefoot.
Some runners might want more softness for longer or easier miles but if you like shoes with a snappiness that encourages a quick turnover, these do that nicely. That controlled cushion also helps deliver reliable, generally quite stable landings.
3. New Balance Rebel V5
A versatile daily trainer that offers a really happy balance of comfort, road protection and energy coming back from the midsole, this is one of the best New Balance shoes I’ve tested over the past 12 months. And I’ve put this shoe through everything.
From 10km progression runs, to slow and easy recovery sessions, I’ve even raced the 90km Comrades ultra in them (coming away with all my toenails intact, thanks to the breathable, airy uppers and roomy toebox).
For the amount of cushion they pack, the Rebel V5 is a pretty light feeling shoe, helping deliver fast-run energy that feels controlled over a variety of different paces. On progressions runs I’ve moved from easy to faster than marathon pace, and the Rebel handled it all with confidence.
The midsole stack with its blend of PEBA and EVA foams, is bigger and softer underfoot than its Rebel V4 predecessor, offering a smooth and balanced ride with a bit more rebound. It’s a midsole that punches back but isn’t overly energetic, or too wild to handle.
The Rebel V5 may not be as snappy or full-on bouncy as some shoes, but they’re a well-priced and very capable daily trainer that may suit some runners for races too.
4. Adidas EVO SL
If you’re looking for a versatile shoe that can see you through your daily training and pick up the pace for tempo runs and intervals, the Evo SL is a great bet.
A cracking all rounder, it has plenty of support for higher mileage and offers a bouncy ride with excellent energy return for faster efforts. It also comes in at a lower price point than many of its competitors, meaning you get a whole lot of Adidas tech for your money.
Softness and cushioning from the midsole give comfort on longer runs without ever feeling too squishy. And that comfort extends to the lightweight upper. Made of a thin engineered mesh, it keeps you firmly in place while still providing room for manoeuvre in the toe box.
When you’re picking up the pace, the responsive single-layer, lightweight Lightstrike Pro foam in the midsole, combined with the gradual rocker, helps keep you moving forward efficiently.
Adidas bills the EVO SL as a ‘speed-inspired’ shoe but while it can certainly handle its own on faster efforts, this is a reliable, everyday training shoe that does much more than it says on the tin.
6. ASICS Sonicblast
Also Available at
Asics
Lightweight and responsive, with a bit of stiffness and pop, this is my kind of shoe. ASICS says it’s got a ‘fast feel for tempo runs and daily training’ and after putting it through its paces, I’d say, for many runners, this is a shoe that can genuinely do it all.
Fun and easy to get comfortable in, it strikes almost the perfect balance
of spring and energy with cushion and control. I also found the grip to be excellent when weaving through rain-soaked city streets.
A big and bouncy stack, with a mix of FF Blast Max and FF Turbo Squared foam delivers a great balance of cushioning with pop. And sandwiched between that dual-foam setup is a Pebax Astroplate – made from a lightweight, flexible thermoplastic – to add some extra snap and propulsion to the proceedings.
That is the kind of ride I like, cushioned, energetic but with some rapid return and immediate resistance in the footstrike.
When it comes to easy days and recovery runs, I don’t mind running slower in a stiffer shoe but the firmer edge may not be for everyone. If you prefer more cushioning and softness, then the Sonic’s Megablast stablemate may suit you better.
For Cushion, Comfort and Protection
7. Nike Vomero 18
Also Available at
Amazon
One of my go-tos for everyday training, I’ve now run well north of 200 miles testing this shoe and I really like what I’ve seen.
With a giant 46mm stack of foam and big, soft, padded heel collars it’s geared towards soft, plush comfort without being overbaked. All that extra padding in the uppers and the big stack does make this a slightly heavier shoe, but you’re trading weight for guaranteed comfort. And it runs lighter on the foot than it looks.
Ideal for easier miles, it’s still got enough to pick up the pace, offering much more cushion and spring than its Vomero 17 predecessor.
A great all-rounder, its dual foam set-up – with ZoomX, Nike’s lightest most responsive foam, on top of ReactX, which offers high energy return with a lower carbon footprint – makes for a reliable, stable, cushioned ride with a welcome touch of pop.
For a big-stack shoe, it doesn’t feel like it. The narrow platform brings some precession and there’s still a lot of control to what is a pretty smooth ride.
8. HOKA Arahi 8
Designed to deliver protection and cushioning, stability shoes can be on the heavier side. But with the Arahi 8, HOKA has gone all out to deliver a ride that’s softer, lighter and more agile than your regular stability shoe.
In my US men’s 9.5 test shoe size, it weighs in at 9.5oz or 270g. That’s marginally lighter than its predecessor and notably sprightlier than some of the bigger stack daily stability trainers like the ASICS Gel Kayano 32.
Some of that lighter feel comes from the H-Frame support technology. An H-shaped sweep of firmer foam that runs down the shoe to combat overpronation without adding extra stiffness or weight. While the Arahi 7 had J-Frame support, the upgraded shape adds firmer foam on both the lateral and medial sides for more balanced guidance.
Effortless to run in, it’s a really excellent, reliable, daily trainer that serves up mild stability, lightness and comfort without feeling unnatural or overbuilt. The rolling transitions are smooth and natural, helped by the rocker and the spacious toe box gives plenty of flex and a foot-feel that’s airy and breathable.
It’s roomier than many HOKAs, but there’s also a wide option if your feet are on the broader side.
9. ASICS Megablast
Also Available at
ASICS
It may have a race-day look, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a shoe that’s only made for faster efforts. Versatile, soft and cushioned, the Megablast that will capably see you through everyday training, while still providing enough lightness and energy for marathon and half marathon racing potential.
A super-soft and bouncy ride, on slower, easier runs the FF Turbo Squared foam offers a big dollop of pillowy softness underfoot along with some bouncy energy. If you like your cushioned shoe with a bit more snap, however, the Superblast 2 could be better suited.
For me, the Megablast’s sweet spot is at marathon pace effort. When running with a bit more intent it offers a lovely, bouncy energy to help you power forwards, with the rocker helping the ride feel lovely and smooth.
Energetic, and an excellent road eater, this is a shoe that’ll clip along happily for miles. If the price puts the Megablast out of budget, it’s worth checking out the Novablast 5 for a cushioned, energised ride with a lower price tag.
10. New Balance 1080V14
Also Available at
Zappos ; New Balance
Designed to bring buckets loads of comfort to your easier daily training miles, the fact the 1080 is now on version 14 should tell you all you need to know about its enduring popularity with a whole bunch of different runners.
With a big-stacked, rockered midsole, mesh uppers and ample padding, this is a shoe that screams comfort. Those engineered uppers deliver breathability as you run and good locked-in control – they gave no slippage in the 40 miles I spent testing them.
A great workhorse it’s a reliable, daily trainer with a bit of added pop from the stiffer forefoot, which helps power you forwards as you toe off. The big stack of Fresh Foam X midsole also balances road protection with energy return and responsiveness for longer runs.
It’s a very capable easy-day recovery option that definitely rivals the ASICS Gel Nimbus 27, the Saucony Triumph 23 and the Nike Invincible 3. But with slightly more stability and pop than the 1080 V13 that went before it, it’ll kick you out of those bottom gears when you pick up the pace.
11. Brooks Glycerin Max
Shoes that offer comfort, protection and stability for a wide range of runners, is arguably what Brooks does best. And if it’s comfort you’re after, the Gylcerin Max has it in spades, with a bit more thrown in for good measure.
With more cushioning than its Glycerin 22 and Glycerin GTS cousins, the Glycerin Max is the biggest stack shoe in the brand’s line up. It has a whopping 45mm in the heel and 39mm in the forefoot for a 6mm drop. Technically that’s not race legal, but this is a shoe that’s built for the everyday miles.
That stack of DNA-Tuned, nitrogen-infused foam helps protect you from any pavement-battering impact. It also uses some fine-tuned cell technology, with larger cells at the heel for softer, more cushioned landings, while smaller cells at the forefoot return quicker to improve energy return and create snappier toe offs.
There’s also a pronounced GuideRoll rocker to help create smooth transitions.
A really spacious toe box provides plenty of room for manoeuvre – although if you’ve got narrow feet, you may find them a bit too roomy. The nicely flexible, triple-jacquard air mesh with big padded, roll-top heel collars, thick tongues and laces, is also designed for max comfort.
One of the better massive stack, max-cushioned running shoes I’ve tested. It’s a great option for everyday miles and could be well suited to heavier runners.
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