Best Running Shoes of 2021: Our Year-End Road Running Picks

Introduction

A year of running shoes is a lot to sort through, and some of the shoes below arrived way back at the start of the year, so a quick wrap-up feels overdue. These are our top road running picks across every category that matters: racing, tempo days, daily training, max cushion, stability, plated trainers, budget buys and track spikes.

A note before the list: these picks cover shoes released during the year itself, so an obvious favorite from the previous year is not included here even though it remains a fan favorite for race day.

Best Racing Shoe: Asics MetaSpeed Sky

The MetaSpeed Sky checks every box you want in a race shoe. Its Flightfoam Turbo midsole is super bouncy and responsive, the geometry rolls with a rocker feel, and the upper is extremely lightweight. The whole package gives you the sense that you can fly, which is why it carried our testers through essentially every race of the year.

Everyone on the team who tried it enjoyed running in it, and it proved itself as a genuine PR shoe. For many, it is the closest thing to that Vaporfly feel that brands have been chasing for years, and in some ways it may even surpass it. Great performances on race day this year, including a strong showing at a major fall marathon, only reinforced the pick.

If you are shopping for a race day shoe, this is the one at the top of the pile.

Honorable Mention: Saucony Endorphin Pro+

The Endorphin Pro+ surprised us. The regular Endorphin Pro is a very good shoe, but something about this update just clicked. The new upper works beautifully, the shoe feels faster and lighter, and it genuinely feels like a race day shoe.

Best Tempo Shoe: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2

The Rebel v2 came out of nowhere in the best way. The original was already good, but this update nailed it: the FuelCell midsole is a touch lighter and bouncier, the look is stunning, and it sits right in that sweet transfer zone between an old-school racing flat and a modern performance shoe. You put it on, look down, and feel ready to run fast.

The midsole has that perfect amount of bounce without ever feeling unstable, a little like squeezing a stress ball under your foot. It technically works as a daily trainer too, but we found it made us want to push the pace when we should have stayed in our easy zones, which is exactly why it earns a spot in the tempo category instead.

For us this is one of the all-time great tempo day shoes.

Runner-Up: Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

The Endorphin Speed 2 will not shock anyone who follows running gear closely. It is essentially the same shoe as its predecessor, which was our favorite overall shoe the year before, with only a modest upper update. Some of us actually prefer the RunShield version, which is lighter and adds wet weather protection.

Almost every tempo run of the year happened in this shoe. It is fun, flexible enough to double as a daily trainer, quick enough for fast days, and some runners can even race in it. If it is not broken, Saucony clearly did not need to fix it.

Best Daily Trainer: Asics Novablast 2

This may be the most coveted award of the year, since most of your miles land in this category, and it also doubles as our best overall shoe. The Novablast 2 fixed the main complaint about the first version. The original had a wonderful energetic step but felt a little squirrely and too soft in the heel, especially for midfoot strikers. This time the midsole was firmed up slightly, giving a more grounded feel while keeping the ride exceptionally bouncy.

The Flightfoam Blast midsole is superb, the upper is incredibly comfortable and fits exactly the way you would want an upper to fit. The strongest endorsement is simple: everyone we recommended it to loved it, and our team logged hundreds of miles in their pairs.

Runner-Up: Nike Pegasus 38

The Pegasus 38 is the standard. Nearly four decades into this line, it remains the shoe we recommend to anyone getting into running who just wants something to eat up daily miles, maybe race a 5K, and cover whatever running needs come up, all at a very affordable $120 price point.

You get React foam, an air pocket under the toes that gives a subtle launch sensation, and a well-fitting upper. The heel lift issue from the previous version was fixed, the outsole is solid enough that some trail runners use it for everything, and it remains one of our absolute favorites.

Best Max Cushion Shoe: New Balance More v3

The first two versions of the More did not win us over, but the v3 is a different story. There is so much Fresh Foam underfoot that every landing feels pleasant from your feet all the way up to your hips. Despite being on the heavier side, it can run surprisingly fast, and the way it rolls through your stride makes easy runs effortless.

What separates it from the 1080 comes down to cushioning volume and an upper that fits perfectly, one of the best uppers New Balance has ever made. The whole shoe works together cohesively, and it out-cushioned the brand most people associate with max cushion, with a livelier, bouncier feel.

Honorable Mention: Hoka Bondi X

The Bondi X raises eyebrows by putting a full-length carbon plate into Hoka’s most cushioned platform, and after running in it, we think the plate genuinely helps. Softening the foam made the plate a source of stability, and once you get rolling, the shoe really rolls along.

One of our testers put enormous mileage into it and rated it among her favorites of the year. The main reason it edged out as runner-up is price: at $200 it is the most expensive shoe in Hoka’s line. The upper is also one of the better ones we have experienced from the brand, and if you are a devoted Bondi fan, you will love the Bondi X.

Best Stability Shoe: Nike React Infinity 2 and Asics Gel-Kayano Light 2

This category ended in a genuine tie, and it is a tie between two shoes that approach stability in a fresh way rather than leaning on a traditional medial post. Our stability-focused testers ran hundreds of miles in both.

The React Infinity 2 second version builds on a divisive debut with support structures along the sides, rail-like clips and an additional medial piece for extra support. The most common complaint is the arch, which takes some getting used to and can be noticeable when worn casually, but nearly everyone who ran in it enjoyed it.

The Gel-Kayano Light 2 takes a different route, using shaped foam geometry that creates more lift on one side than the other, plus 3D interior construction and a small gel unit under the toe for comfort. The Flightfoam Light midsole is light and bouncy, and the Light line leans into more eco-conscious materials. It is a genuinely good shoe with a stability approach that feels like the future.

Puma’s Breakout Year

Puma arrived out of nowhere and shook up the entire road lineup. The Deviate Nitro led the way with a nitrogen-infused midsole and a grippy plate, a fun and fast option for daily miles. The Liberate Nitro followed as one of the best speed shoes of the past year, and the Eternity Nitro filled out the range as a stability shoe that our testers ran relentlessly into the ground.

The brand essentially went from the bench straight onto the varsity team. Expect harsher scrutiny next year, but for now, well done Puma.

Honorable Mention: APL Streamline

The Streamline came with baggage. The brand is known for fashion-first shoes, the price sits at $300, and initial skepticism was high. The miles changed our minds. This was some of the most enjoyable running we did in any shoe this year, with a proprietary foam that genuinely feels great underfoot, presumably an EVA blend, and plenty of rubber outsole.

The upper runs too tight and narrow, and the price keeps it out of daily trainer contention, but for a brand not known for performance running, this was a shockingly good effort.

Best Plated Daily Trainer: Skechers Max Road 5

The Max Road 5 is the shoe our team evangelizes constantly. The combination of Hyper Burst foam and a rocker geometry is everything Skechers has ever done finally coming together in the best shoe they have ever made. They were the first to experiment with nitrogen-infused foam, back when people scoffed at “pool noodles,” and now everyone else is using it.

You can run daily miles in it, use it for tempo work, and honestly race a marathon in it. The small H-plate in the forefoot adds a little extra pop off the toe, the ride is fantastic, and the Goodyear rubber adds durability. The one caveat is the upper, which is too baggy and roomy; fix that and this would be a nearly perfect shoe.

Runner-Up: Hoka Carbon X2

The Carbon X2 is a complete turnaround from the first version, which we did not love. The key change: the carbon plate moved down, away from the foot, sitting lower in the midsole. That leaves soft foam against your foot while keeping the plated, rockered firmness coming off the toe, and the whole thing works far better.

One of our testers called it a favorite of the year from the start, and it held up. Between this and the Bondi X, it is a neck-and-neck race for the best plated Hoka shoe.

Best Budget Shoe: New Balance FuelCell Propel v3 and Brooks Revel 5

At exactly $100, the FuelCell Propel v3 is tremendous value. It is a lightweight daily trainer with the FuelCell midsole and a nice layer of rubber for decent mileage. Compared with the Rebel v2 it lacks the light, airy upper, and the extra rubber trades away some of that balance and feel, but at this price you cannot beat it.

The Brooks Revel 5 has been a quiet favorite budget daily trainer for three years running. It is one of those unreal shoes nobody talks about: around $100, often discounted even lower, and it does everything you need from a daily trainer. If you want maximum value, look here first.

Best Track Spike: New Balance FuelCell MD-X and Nike Air Zoom Victory

For the track, our high school and college-aged reviewers put a pile of spikes through their paces. Their favorite was the New Balance FuelCell MD-X, a featherweight middle distance spike weighing just 4.4 ounces. One tester broke her mile time by five seconds in it, and plenty of Olympic athletes were seen running well in it this year.

The runner-up is the Nike Air Zoom Victory, which combines ZoomX foam with an air unit in the forefoot. Our young athletes loved it, and while its closest competitor had some durability concerns, these spikes looked and felt spectacular on the track.

Conclusion

The year rewarded brands that fixed their mistakes and dared a little: Asics turned a soft, unstable ride into a daily trainer everyone recommends, New Balance delivered a max cushion shoe that can still move, Puma fielded a complete lineup overnight, and Skechers quietly built one of the best plated trainers around. Match the shoe to the job you actually do, race shoes for race day, tempo shoes for fast days, cushioned trainers for the miles in between, and you cannot go wrong with any pick on this list.