Best Daily Trainers of 2023: Top 5 Running Shoes Worth Your Miles

Introduction

The daily trainer is the shoe most of us spend almost all of our running time in, which makes it the category worth thinking hardest about. 2023 was a genuinely strong year for it, with several brands revising flagship models in ways that made them lighter, springier and more versatile than the versions they replaced.

This list collects five releases that stood out, ranked from fifth to first. Every shoe here was chosen because it does the core daily trainer job well: comfortable enough for easy miles, capable enough to pick up the pace when the session calls for it.

Why the Daily Trainer Matters

A great daily trainer needs to cover a lot of ground. It has to handle long slow runs, feel pleasant on easy days, and still step up for tempo work or strides without complaint. Pace versatility is the quality that separates the truly great ones from shoes that only do one thing well.

The five shoes below all deliver on that balance, each in a slightly different way. Some lean plush and forgiving, others feel trimmed and lively, and one sits right in the sweet spot between the two.

5. Adidas Supernova Rise

Adidas has had excellent race shoes for years, but its daily trainers historically needed some work. The Supernova Rise looks like the shoe that fills that gap: a true daily trainer for the road warriors, marathoners and long-distance endurance runners in the lineup.

It uses a supercritical midsole foam with an EVA bottom layer to keep everything stable underfoot. The upper offers one of the more forgiving toe boxes Adidas currently makes, and while the tongue and heel collar feel a little too puffy, many runners will find that extra padding genuinely comfortable, even for all-day wear.

It is a recent release, but early miles suggest it is a shoe worth reaching for again and again, and a big deal for Adidas in this category.

4. On Cloudsurfer

The Cloudsurfer might be the best shoe On has ever made, and it is a major departure from what the brand usually does. The signature clouds are still there, but reconfigured into a new design called CloudTec Phase: the shapes, arrangement and alignment are all different, so the foam compresses and decompresses in a much more deliberate way through each stride.

Just as importantly, On removed the speedboard, the rigid plate found in nearly every On shoe. It was interfering with what the foam was trying to do and made most On shoes feel harsher than they should. Without it, the ride is noticeably smoother.

The fit is a tailored On upper, but more relaxed than usual, with puffy padding around the tongue and heel cup. It is arguably more than the shoe needs, but if you want something super cushy for your runs and your daily life, this is a really fun option.

3. Hoka Clifton 9

Released right at the start of the year, the Clifton 9 still uses compression-molded EVA on paper, but it simply does not feel like it. The foam is so light, airy and bouncy that it reads like a supercritical midsole: plenty of squish, but with a quick, pleasant rebound as you run.

That springiness gives the shoe real pace versatility. It covers long slow easy runs comfortably, yet has enough bounce to handle a proper workout when you need to pick things up.

Hoka also trimmed down the design, removing much of the excess bulk on the sides that made earlier Cliftons feel like comfort cruisers. Clifton diehards may miss that plush feel, but for most runners the leaner shape makes the shoe enjoyable in far more scenarios.

2. New Balance 1080 v13

The 1080 was historically a max cushion shoe, but this version has slimmed down in a way that puts it squarely in the daily trainer category. New Balance revamped the shoe substantially, changing the vamp and reconfiguring much of what goes on inside it.

The foam still carries the Fresh Foam X name, but it feels very different from previous versions: lighter, airier, and with a genuine bounce to it. It delivers all the sensations you want in a modern daily trainer, with just what it needs and nothing more in the midsole.

The upper materials are a little on the boring side, but they fit well and get the job done. There is a small pillow of extra padding in the heel cup that is not really necessary, but it is easy to overlook in a shoe this fun to run in. Great for easy runs, lively enough for faster work, and full of pace versatility.

1. ASICS Novablast 4

Barely edging out the 1080 v13, the Novablast 4 claims the top spot. It is a shoe that keeps earning miles: 100 of them racked up quickly, including big trips where it served as a travel shoe worn all day, chased elite packs through the streets of New York, and then did the same at the California International Marathon.

It excels on easy days, works as an all-day travel shoe, and steps up to workouts when the pace picks up. That ability to do almost everything well is exactly what a great daily trainer should be.

ASICS also switched the foam to FF Blast Plus Eco, meaning 24% of the midsole comes from bio-based material. That kind of progress, combined with a shoe that captures the essence of the category, makes the Novablast 4 the 2023 daily trainer of the year.

Buying Advice

If you want the best all-rounder, the ASICS Novablast 4 is the pick. If you prefer a plush, relaxed ride for easy days and everyday wear, the Cloudsurfer or Supernova Rise will suit you well. Runners who want a lighter, trimmed feel should look at the Clifton 9, and those moving away from max cushion without losing comfort will love the 1080 v13.

Conclusion

2023 was a standout year for daily trainers, and these five shoes show it: slimmer silhouettes, livelier foams and more versatile rides across the board. Whichever one matches your running style, there is a strong case for putting serious miles into any of them.