Best Running Shoes of 2022, Part Two: Tempo, Stability, Trail, and More

Introduction

Part two of our best running shoes of 2022 roundup covers the categories where this year genuinely surprised us: tempo shoes got faster, stability finally got interesting, plated daily trainers became a real category, and a few brands that looked sleepy bounced back. Here are the picks worth your attention, plus our overall brand ranking.

Tempo Shoe of the Year: Nike Streakfly

For speed work days, intervals, and fast 5Ks, the Nike Streakfly was the clear favorite. It is considered more minimal than a modern race day shoe, yet its stack is almost double what marathon flats used to be, with some rigidity in the middle from a shank rather than a full plate. The Zoom X midsole bounces off the toe, and the fast feel beat out even the Vaporfly 2 for some testers.

Honorable mention goes to the Adidas Takumi Sen 8. There is some debate about whether it officially counts as a 2022 shoe, but its grip is outstanding and it would be a tough head-to-head choice against the Streakfly.

Stability Shoe of the Year: Saucony Tempus

Stability shoes are usually the most conservative category in running: a medial post, gray colorways, heavy builds, and little real innovation. The Saucony Tempus changed that. It uses the same PWRRUN PB foam found in Saucony’s racing shoes in the heel and forefoot, with a firmer horseshoe of foam around the back of the shoe for what Saucony calls guidance rather than old-school posting.

The result is a light, lively shoe that works even for neutral runners. Many people who did not need stability ended up loving it anyway, and some even raced in it. The upper fits beautifully, capping off a strong year for Saucony uppers.

Honorable mention: the ASICS GEL-Kayano 29, which some testers ran 18 miles in straight out of the box. It feels like a stability version of the GEL-Nimbus 24, with a top layer of FF Blast Plus over a firmer base, soft under the forefoot and firmer through the heel. It simply is not as light and lively as the Tempus.

Best Road-to-Trail Shoe: Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX

The Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX solves a long-standing problem: Nike trail outsole grip. The new rubber is much stickier and grippier than previous versions, which had been a persistent weakness. Combined with a pure React midsole with no air pod, it delivers the best-feeling version of React in the lineup.

The previous version felt boxy and heavy; this one feels light and agile. Despite the aggressive tread, it rides smoothly on pavement without feeling like knobby mountain bike tires, and plenty of runners use it purely as a road shoe. The rounded toe box feels like a slipper on trails, the Gore-Tex upper keeps feet cool and dry while keeping debris out with a gusseted collar, and it doubles as one of the most comfortable everyday walking shoes.

Runner-up: the Altra Outroad. A simple trail shoe with good outsole grip and an Altra Ego midsole that feels softer than most Altras, with Altra’s reliably excellent, slimmed-down upper fit.

The Surprise of the Year: On Cloud Monster

We expected to be disappointed by the On Cloud Monster. Instead, it turned out to be one of the best surprises of the year. It is On’s max cushion daily trainer, with a big stack of Helion foam and the signature CloudTec pods, though “max stack” is relative: for a non-On shoe it feels more like a well-cushioned daily trainer.

The Helion foam is tuned with a bit more bounce and a touch of rocker, giving smooth landings and transitions. For the first time, the pods genuinely compress and release, delivering real energy return. The upper could use work, and On is reportedly revamping it for the next version, but consumers clearly agreed: it was flying off shelves when we checked with running stores. On gets our surprise brand of the year nod.

Best Reliable Daily Trainer: Saucony Ride 15

The Saucony Ride 15 is the category’s Honda Accord, except this year it sang. There is no fancy foam, just PWRRUN, and the upper is not flashy, but everything is done right: it is lighter on the feet, rolls through the stride, and fits beautifully.

Plenty of runners race in it. At the London Marathon, it appeared on feet running well under 3:30, and the orange and cream colorway was everywhere at local races. It is proof that a well-executed standard daily trainer can still be exciting.

Best Plated Daily Trainer: Puma Deviate Nitro 2

Plates used to be reserved for race day, but 2022 brought them into daily trainers, and the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 stood out so much it was in the conversation for shoe of the year. A new layer of softer, bouncier Nitro Elite sits over regular Nitro in the heel for stability, paired with a carbon-infused plate for snap. The grip is the best in the game, and Puma fixed the upper, heel lift, and Achilles rubbing issues from the first version.

The catch is distribution: Puma shoes are rarely in local running stores and can be hard to find on the website. If you can get a pair, get one. Runner-up: the ASICS GlideRide 3, softened without being too soft, with a rocker geometry that rolls you through your stride, lightened this year.

Shoe of the Year: ASICS Novablast 3

Shoe of the year means the shoe you can use for the most running possible: daily miles, racing, everything, done in a way you enjoy. The ASICS Novablast 3 earned it. It lost an ounce versus the previous version, keeps the same bounce, gained stability with a slightly wider heel and forefoot, and uses FF Blast Plus in the midsole for a ride that nearly feels max cushioned. The upper is breathable, and it feels light on the feet no matter the pace.

Some found the outsole rubber grippy enough to question in wet conditions, which is a fair point, but across rain, heat, bricks, and gravel it never slipped in our testing. At $140, it delivers remarkable value; the ASICS Superblast at $220 is excellent too, but the gap is not big enough to justify the jump for most runners.

Wide Foot Pick of the Year: New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer

For wide-foot runners, the New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer takes the crown. It is a carbon-plated trainer available in 2E, which is a huge benefit on its own, and it is the best-fitting carbon plate shoe our wide-foot testing has covered. Yes, it is chunky and heavy, but it is a trainer, not an elite marathon racer.

With over 200 miles logged, it kept getting better: squishy, comfy, and easy on the legs the day after long runs. It earned a personal shoe-of-the-year nod too, described as a slow-feeling race day shoe, or a slow shoe with a race day feel: carbon plate bounce, a rolling stride, and durability that feels like it will hold up forever. Runner-up for wide feet: the Saucony Ride 15 in 2E, a daily trainer that just works.

Brand of the Year and Top Three

Ranking brands holistically across daily trainers, speed shoes, and stability, here is the top three:

3. New Balance. Big hits like the SC Trainer and the More v4 as a cushioned shoe, plus the widest range of options for wide-foot runners. But there were misses: the RC Elite v3 felt like a lighter SC Trainer without a race day edge, and the Rebel v3 lost the racy character of its predecessor.

2. ASICS. A complete reversal from a few years ago. The Kayano and Nimbus legends were excellent this year, with the Nimbus 24 landing in our top five. The main miss was the Magic Speed.

1. Saucony. The brand swept across the board. The Tempus reimagined stability, the Ride 15 and Triumph felt fantastic, the Speed 3 was so good it did not even make a single category list, and the Endorphin Pro 3 won race day shoe of the year. Even the trail side delivered with the Endorphin Edge, and the Endorphin Shift 3 was fantastic. The only real problem is overlap: too many great shoes covering the same jobs.

Brands that underwhelmed: Brooks (the Ghost and Glycerin feel interchangeable, the Hyperion Elite is unchanged, though the Aurora and trail Caldera were bright spots), Hoka on the road (the Mach 5 is great but cannot carry the line, though the trail Tecton X is excellent), and Mizuno, where everything except the promising upcoming Rebellion Pro felt pedestrian. Watch Altra and On, both moving in interesting directions.

Conclusion

2022 rewarded shoes that blurred category lines: a stability shoe neutral runners loved, a plated shoe you can run daily in, and a cushioned trainer light enough to race. If you buy just one shoe from this list, match it to how you actually run: the Streakfly for speed days, the Tempus for overpronation without compromise, the Pegasus Trail 4 GTX for mixed surfaces, the Cloud Monster for plush comfort, the Ride 15 for dependable miles, the Deviate Nitro 2 if you can find it, and the Novablast 3 or FuelCell SC Trainer if you want one shoe that does nearly everything.