6 New Running Shoes to Watch: Road and Trail Picks from New Balance, Hoka, Nike, Brooks and Puma

Introduction

A fresh wave of road and trail running shoes has been rolling out, and this batch covers brands that do not often share a list: New Balance, Hoka, Nike, Brooks and Puma. Some are complete rebuilds, others are careful refinements. Here is what each one brings, with the key numbers so you can judge whether it fits your running.

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4

The Rebel has long been a favorite lightweight daily trainer, and the v4 is essentially a brand-new shoe from the ground up. New Balance has fitted a completely different outsole design, added 5mm of extra cushioning to a new peba and EVA foam blend in the midsole, and redesigned the upper with a lighter Phantom Fit construction using a near-transparent engineered mesh with plenty of overlays for structure and breathability.

The stack height now sits at 33mm at the heel and 27mm under the forefoot for a 6mm offset, and it remains a non-plated training shoe. At 215g (7.58oz) in a men’s US 9.5, it stays firmly in lightweight territory. It launches around March at $140 in the US, roughly £135 in the UK. The main question is whether all that added cushioning dilutes the balanced, responsive feel that made earlier versions so popular.

Hoka Tecton X3

The Tecton X3 is Hoka’s elite ultra-distance trail shoe for the year, and a prototype of this exact model was used to take victory at UTMB by superstar trail runner Jim Walmsley. The most visible change is the new upper: the same super lightweight, durable Kevlar fiber-reinforced textile, now with a knitted collar extending from the tongue around the ankle to keep debris out.

The midsole moves to two layers of supercritical peba foam, up from one, with a 40mm heel and 35mm forefoot for a 5mm offset. The dual parallel carbon plate setup carries over, and Hoka has added rear lateral wings for stability on uneven ground on that deeper cushioning. The Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsole returns with a redesigned traction lug pattern that adds micro lugs on the sides of the main lugs for extra grip. Expect a July release at a steep $275.

Nike Zegama 2

Nike’s trail running output has drawn mixed reactions over the years, but the original Zegama had real strengths: a glove-like upper, comfortable ride, and a dual-compound midsole with good cushioning. The weakness was stability, with the shoe feeling wobbly enough on technical mountain trail to cause a few rolled ankles. The Zegama 2 is the chance to fix that.

It arrives in May 2024 at $160, around £145 in the UK, weighing 320g (11.29oz) in a men’s US 10. The midsole offers a 36mm heel and 32mm forefoot for a low 4mm offset, and the biggest update is underfoot: the 4mm-lugged outsole is now clad in Vibram Megagrip rubber, a meaningful spec upgrade for grip on mixed terrain.

Brooks Catamount Agil

Brooks has two trail launches worth watching, starting with a brand-new model: the Catamount Agil. It is positioned as a lightweight, responsive and fast trail racer, running a plated DNA Flash v2 midsole setup similar to what Brooks uses on the Hyperion Elite v4 road shoe.

The upper is lightweight and stripped back, coming up fairly high around the ankle with a close fit that recalls the Hoka Zinal 2 upper, which suited a narrow, glove-like fit. Out on the ground you get a solid 4.5mm lug depth. It is due around March, and it is the Brooks trail shoe with the most obvious racing appeal.

Brooks Catamount 3

Alongside the Agil, the standard Catamount gets an update. The Catamount 3 has already landed in the UK at £160, tipping the scales at 263g (9.4oz). It uses a new DNA Flash midsole construction with a 6mm heel offset, and a propulsion plate is housed inside the midsole aimed at uphill efficiency.

The result is a lightweight, responsive trail shoe with a clear up-tempo bias. If you want one shoe for faster trail days and races rather than grinding ultra distance, this sits naturally next to the Agil as the more conventional pick of the two.

Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2

Puma closes the list with a plated road racer, the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2, and it is a striking looking shoe thanks to its split midsole setup. The new Nitro Elite foam compound now runs throughout the midsole rather than only in the front section as in the previous version, which had an EVA heel.

The plate has been stiffened and extended beyond the toe of the shoe to aid forward propulsion. It looks unusual, and whether it actually works in motion is exactly what testing needs to answer. The knitted upper is lightweight, secure and breathable for race-pace running, and the outsole is covered in sticky Puma Grip rubber. Weight is 240g (8.4oz), stack height 40mm at the heel and 32mm at the forefoot for an 8mm offset, with a February 2024 release.

Which One Should You Pick

For a lightweight daily road trainer, the Rebel v4 is the natural starting point, with the caveat that its big overhaul changes the character of the shoe. For ultra racing and long mountain days, the Tecton X3 brings elite-level tech at a premium price. The Zegama 2 appeals if grip and comfort matter more than razor stability on technical ground. Brooks’ pair splits neatly: the Agil for fast racing, the Catamount 3 for responsive all-round trail use. And if you want a bold, propulsive road racer, the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 is the most experimental shoe here.

Conclusion

This lineup covers nearly every running need: daily miles, ultra racing, technical trail grip and road racing speed. The stand-out themes are more cushioning across the board, wider use of peba and Nitro Elite foams, and plates appearing in ever more categories. Match the shoe to the terrain and pace you actually run, and each of these has a clear case.