Every Running Shoe We've Tried in 2026 So Far: Grades, Standouts, and Letdowns

Introduction

Halfway through the year is a good moment to take stock. We’ve tried a wide spread of 2026 running shoes so far: marathon racers, plated trainers, max-cushion dailies, and a few oddballs that defy easy categorisation. Rather than padding this out with long-winded reviews, here’s a quick-fire grade for each shoe, from E (not great) to A (superb), plus a closer look at the few that genuinely earned top marks.

How We Graded the Lineup

Each shoe gets a grade based on ride quality, fit, durability, value, and how well it fits its intended use. A grade reflects performance for the shoe’s stated purpose, so a great daily trainer isn’t being compared directly against a marathon racer. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

The Standouts

Three shoes separated themselves from the pack this year. If you’re shopping right now, these are the ones worth your attention first.

Rat UFO

The Rat UFO is a total banger, and we only regret not trying it sooner. The PebaX midsole delivers just the right amount of compression without a plate, with enough rigidity to give a genuine pop at toe-off. Plush cushioning makes it a natural fit for recovery and easy paces, with enough in reserve for the occasional tempo effort. The upper is unique and slightly strange, but it works beautifully for narrower feet. The transparent rubber outsole shows no signs of wear at all, which is remarkable for the price. At £180 it is a slightly pricey shoe, but the build quality and durability justify it.

Saucony Endorphin Elite 3

Some shoes feel assistive the moment you put them on, and this is one of them. It lowers the effort required to hold pace, and it shines at marathon effort with some flexibility down toward half marathon pace. The V3 is more stable than its predecessor thanks to refined sidewalls and a slightly wider heel, and the IncrediRun foam has proven far more durable than expected. Grip is superb, the heel padding is generous, and it is one of the best-looking shoes of the year. It is not the pick for short 5K or 10K efforts, but for long runs with pace woven in, it is excellent.

Adidas Hyperboost Edge

A banger, plain and simple. The new foam compresses beautifully and delivers a fun, lively feel underfoot that recalls the best of a few years ago. Traction from the Lightstrike outsole is outstanding, the upper works without any rubbing issues, and it pulls double duty as a lifestyle shoe. It performs best at steady and easy sustainable paces, and we’re genuinely excited to see where Adidas takes this midsole material next.

Mid-Pack: Good Shoes With Real Caveats

A large group of this year’s releases landed in B and C territory: solid, enjoyable, or promising, but each with a trade-off worth knowing about.

The Mizuno Hyper Speed Elite earns a B. It’s very light on foot, low drop, and nimble, with a forefoot that rewards hard efforts and grip that inspires confidence. Serrated laces out of the box are a nice touch. At around £125 in the UK, it’s an underrated option for distance workouts up to about half marathon range, though the heel stack is slightly less generous than some rivals.

The ASICS GEL-Cumulus 28 also scores a B. The FF Blast Max midsole feels lovely, there’s a subtle hint of stability, and it’s a good alternative to the Novablast if that shoe feels too squishy or too tall. The main detractor is a foam-rubber outsole that isn’t ideal in wet weather, so it’s best treated as a road and pavement shoe.

The Mizuno Neo Zen 2 takes a B as well. It’s packed with cushion and stack for a daily shoe, the upper materials are comfortable, and the pull tab, odd as it looks, genuinely works. Top-level fit and build quality make it a shoe that’s been slept on.

The Mizuno Neo Vista 3 is another B, with superb grip, a great fit and feel, and strong colorways. It’s early days, but first impressions are very positive.

The Saucony Endorphin Azura lands somewhere in the solid-but-flawed zone. The PWRRN PB midsole is great and the outsole is improved, but the strange upper design, sliding tongue, and overly long stretchy laces get in the way. Think of it as a plateless Endorphin Speed 5 with an upper that needs rethinking.

The Brooks Glycerin 23 scores a C, though it’s one of the best Brooks of the year. The DNA Tuned foam delivers lighter, softer, compressive cushioning with excellent impact protection, a plush upper, and good lockdown. It’s best suited to heavier runners or anyone after maximum protection with decent stability.

The Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 gets a C. The midsole is more consistent and stable than the Elite 3’s, it locks into marathon pace well, and it should suit heel strikers. But the upper has less heel padding, we swapped the laces for serrated ones to improve lockdown, and it isn’t as light as some rivals. It’s a versatile half and full marathon racer and a durable long-run option, just not for everybody.

The Rat Synth also takes a C. It’s a cheaper, more daily-oriented entry into the Rat ecosystem, stable, consistent, and responsive in the mold of shoes like the Adios 7 from a few years back. Nothing flashy, just a solid short-to-mid-range option.

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro rounds out this tier with a C. It’s a nice light all-rounder you can use for lots of things, but a master of none. It’s better than the Pegasus 42, though it’s not the Evo SL killer some people claim.

What to Skip or Approach With Caution

This is where the grades turn uncomfortable. None of these are dangerous purchases, but each has issues that made us hesitate to recommend them.

The Puma Deviate Nitro 4 was a regretful purchase. It’s firm and uninspiring, lacking the fun race-like feel a plated trainer should have. The upper is slightly better than the V3’s, but the V2 remains the high point of this line. The Saucony Kinvara, Speed 5, Azura, and Mizuno Neo Vista 3 all offer more excitement for the money at around £130.

The ASICS Superblast 3 earns a D, and it hurt to write it. The added softness turns it into a different, max-cushion daily shoe, and it loses the airy, dense responsiveness that made the first two versions all-time greats. Early outsole wear on the forefoot, a slightly unstable FF Blast top layer, and a strange scuffing or sticking sensation at toe-off complete the picture. The Megablast is the better ASICS at pace.

The Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite gets a D. It’s mega soft and bouncy and fun at pace if you can hang on, but durability is poor (we glued the rubber back on twice), the stretchy laces hurt the fit, and the heel is way too soft for most people to marathon in. Add in availability and pricing that make established rivals the easier buy, and the hype exceeds the performance.

The 361 Furious Future 2.0 takes a D. The extreme curved rocker forced us to change how we strike the ground, the ride is rigid with less compression than expected, and it only works if you can sustain genuinely fast paces. It may suit some runners, but it didn’t click for us.

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is a D, and a disappointment. The new foam is dense, rigid, and unforgiving, without the bounce of the V3. The tighter upper and removed heel rubber haven’t helped. V2 and V3 were standout models; this feels like a step back in direction while chasing a lighter weight.

Finally, the Nike Pegasus 42 takes an E. The ReactX foam plus full-length air unit makes it firm and responsive but heavy, and it feels dated next to foam-only rivals. With the Adidas Evo SL coming in cheaper and readily available, the Pegasus needs a serious refresh; it feels much like the same shoe that’s been around for years.

Buying Advice

If you want one clear takeaway: the plateless, lively, slightly plush shoes are having a moment. The Rat UFO, Adidas Hyperboost Edge, and Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 show that you don’t need a plate for an exciting, assistive ride. For everyday mileage, the Mizuno Neo Zen 2 and Neo Vista 3 represent excellent value, while the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 28 suits runners who want a firmer, lower alternative to the Novablast. On the racing front, the Endorphin Pro 5 remains a sensible marathon pick if you value consistency over bounce.

Match the shoe to your actual training. Plush dailies for easy miles, nimble light trainers for workouts, and proven marathon racers for race day. That simple framework will save you from most of the disappointments on this list.

Conclusion

2026 has already delivered some genuine highs, with the Rat UFO, Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, and Adidas Hyperboost Edge leading the charge, and some notable stumbles from brands that chased lighter or softer at the expense of character. We’ll update grades as the year goes on, and if you’ve tried any of these shoes yourself, the second half of 2026 looks set to keep the momentum going.