Best Running Shoes of 2024: Top 10 Picks Plus Honorable Mentions

Introduction

Choosing a favorite running shoe for a whole year is never easy, but 2024 produced a genuinely strong field. After testing a large number of models across training, recovery runs, and racing, a clear top 10 emerged, along with a few honorable mentions that narrowly missed the cut. Some picks earn their place on fun and speed, others on sheer versatility or value. Here is how the year shaped up.

Honorable Mentions

Three very good shoes just missed the top 10. The Hoka Cielo X1 delivers a smooth, enjoyable ride, but its slightly heavier feel and higher price tag meant other models offered more for less. The Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 has a superb midsole with a compressive, responsive feel, but the upper fit proved difficult to dial in, even after swapping in different laces to improve lockdown around the foot. The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 remains a top shoe, yet the Adizero lineup has so many near-identical models that you are effectively paying for a few extra millimetres of midsole foam compared with its siblings.

Number 10: On Cloudboom Strike

The Cloudboom Strike was one of the most fun shoes of the year, full stop. It is light, nimble, and packed with cushion and bounce, and On’s unusual midsole insert gives it a character unlike anything else tried this year. The upper is interesting, with a fairly generous toe box but a material that grips the foot well. It sits in the weight ballpark of other race contenders, uses a soft PEBA-like foam that proved surprisingly durable, and the outsole rubber delivers solid grip. Two caveats: it is not recommended for runners new to plated shoes, and it works best with a midfoot to forefoot strike.

Number 9: Saucony Endorphin Speed 4

The Endorphin Speed 4 returns closer to the superb original than the slightly too-soft third version. Grip improved noticeably over the V2 and V3 thanks to more aggressive outsole ridges, which worked well on UK roads and roots. The balance between upper softness and lockdown is well judged, and aside from slightly stretchy laces, it is a great all-rounder capable of handling changes in pace and different effort levels. It lands lower on the list mainly because the price pushes toward the 200 pound mark, and a refresh in the V5 would be welcome.

Number 8: Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2

Testing the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 produced one of the most exhilarating runs of the year. It is a clear step forward from the original, which felt tough in the heel, with a much softer ride and real energy return from the updated Nitro Elite foam. The extended carbon plate running beyond the toe box gives the shoe real character, and it is simply hard not to run fast in it. Durability is outstanding: the foam barely creased or tore, the outsole showed almost no wear after 100 miles, and the football-boot-like upper makes lockdown easy.

Best Value Pick: Adidas Adizero SL2

The Adizero SL2 makes the list purely on incredible value. It is a light shoe carrying top-tier Lightstrike Pro foam in the midsole, wrapped in a durable casing, and pairs have been spotted for as little as 65 pounds. The lack of a Continental outsole is nothing to worry about; these will deliver plenty of miles. Any runner, novice or experienced, can get something out of it, and it is an ideal bridge between overpriced super shoes and cheaper models that will not actually move you forward.

Best Plated Daily Trainer: Hoka Mach X2

The Mach X2 may be the best Hoka shoe tried to date. The ride is smooth, cushioned, forgiving, and drives you forward, making it especially good at tempo-level work. The upper fits almost like a football boot, with the toe box height judged just right. The stack is higher than many daily shoes without the weight penalty of maximally cushioned models, the foam is soft yet responsive, and a plate adds stability for heel strikers and midfoot strikers alike. Grip was on point on every surface and in all weather. Some reviewers reported early heel wear, but nothing concerning approaching 100 miles, and it could even double as a race shoe.

Number 5: Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3

The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is one of Puma’s best offerings yet, and it earned race-day miles as well as training duty this year. Cushion and energy return are excellent, with the foam quickly springing back to shape and propelling you forward. The fit is well tuned, though very wide feet may struggle. Durability concerns about Puma are misplaced here: approaching 100 miles, the outsole looks barely used and the midsole shows no tearing or creasing. It came into its own at half marathon distance, but it can also handle fast 10Ks and 5Ks and tough training sessions in harsh weather.

Number 4: Asics SuperBlast 2

The SuperBlast 2 has been a go-to for almost every kind of training. Traction, the downfall of the first version, is much improved. The big stack of supers-light foam is barely felt on foot, so you can turn up the pace without the weight penalty that drags down other max-cushion shoes, and it is noticeably lighter on foot than rivals like the Invincible Run 3 or Nike Vomero. It is pricey and can be hard to find, though availability has improved with recent drops, but few shoes tick as many boxes in a training rotation. Half-size runners should consider going down half a size.

Number 3: Nike Zoomfly 6

Few shoes surprised as much as the Zoomfly 6. After some duds in recent years, this is a big return to form: much lighter than past versions, better underfoot cushioning from two fused foams, and a feel much closer to Nike’s top-tier race shoes. It is a brilliant, durable plated training model at only 155 pounds, which puts many race shoes to shame. Grip is excellent, the plate adds pop and heel stability, and the upper is genuinely comfortable. The only frustration is availability, with most colorways sold out, which says a lot about how well received it has been.

Number 2: Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris

The Metaspeed Sky Paris delivered a huge amount of joy this year, including personal bests at 10K and half marathon. It is remarkably light for how much cushioning it carries, coming in around the sub-200 gram mark, and the new FF Turbo Plus foam is super propulsive and bouncy, with a kind of magic that is hard to pin down. Grip is top level, and it is a real upgrade over an already loved predecessor. The only minor gripe is durability, as the foam takes a pounding over high mileage, but the trade-off is worth it for race day.

Number One: Nike Alphafly 3

The Alphafly 3 was the favorite shoe of 2024 and easily the one with the most miles logged. It is exciting, propulsive, yet forgiving and compressive, saving the legs on long runs while still letting you tear up the pace without a weight penalty. Nike reduced the weight, removed foam where it is not needed, improved the fit and underfoot feel, and freed up the Air units at the front so you can engage them more, which makes the ride genuinely exhilarating. Yes, it is expensive, but it keeps getting better with age: at around 150 miles a pair felt as good as, or better than, out of the box. It works brilliantly as an uptempo trainer for longer road runs and was the chosen shoe for a spring marathon.

Overall Buying Advice

If you want one shoe to do almost everything, the SuperBlast 2 and Zoomfly 6 are the safest bets. Runners chasing personal bests should look at the Metaspeed Sky Paris, Alphafly 3, or the more affordable Deviate Nitro Elite 3. Beginners and value seekers should start with the Adizero SL2. And if you are new to plated shoes, ease in with the Mach X2 or Endorphin Speed 4 before reaching for something as characterful as the Cloudboom Strike or Fast-R Nitro Elite 2.

Conclusion

2024 rewarded both the sensible and the spectacular. The Zoomfly 6 proved that a great plated trainer does not need race-shoe pricing, the Metaspeed Sky Paris showed how far Asics has come, and the Alphafly 3 earned its place at the top through sheer miles and joy. Pick the one that matches how you actually run, and any of these will serve you well.