The Best Running Shoe From Each Major Brand: Our Top Picks

Introduction

Every major running shoe brand has that one model worth grabbing if you can only buy a single pair. Picking just one from each lineup is tough, because most brands now have two or three shoes that genuinely earn their keep. This guide settles on a single winner per brand, based on how each shoe performs across pace, comfort, durability and value.

Brooks: Hyperion Elite 5

Brooks has a couple of strong candidates. The Glycerin Max delivers massive, consistent cushioning with great grip, built on a combination of soft foams and a big maximum-cushion stack. The upper materials feel a touch plush, though lockdown is excellent. It is a great shoe, but not everybody needs a super max cushion trainer, so it is not the single best Brooks pick.

The Hyperion Elite 5 is the one to go for. It is extremely light compared to the Glycerin Max, with a racing stack, a plate and a thinner upper that still keeps the rigidity, now smoothed out by a Pebax midsole. It is easily the most on-the-money Brooks racing shoe in years and puts the brand on par with its competitors. A good race shoe should disappear on foot so you can focus on form, breathing and pace, and this one does exactly that.

Asics: Metaspeed Edge Tokyo

Most people would expect the Super Blast 2 here, and it is a fantastic shoe. It is light enough for longer, faster runs but still works for easy recovery efforts, never feels mushy, and has impressive durability with runners reporting 400 to 500 miles of longevity. What it lacks, perhaps, is excitement.

The Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is the more engaging pick and arguably the current best Asics shoe out there. It carries over what worked in the Metaspeed Sky Paris, with a portion of the new FF Leap foam in the forefoot. It is superbly light, holds up well over real mileage, and shines on intervals, repetitions or race-tempo segments inside a longer run. Grip is great even with a thinner spread of rubber, and the lockdown and fit are superb.

Nike: Zoom Fly 6

The Alphafly 3 deserves a mention first. It is a great model for training and racing, and with sensible care it can absorb a lot of miles, especially long runs on forgiving surfaces. The sticking point is price, which feels prohibitive even though the shoe is readily available.

The Zoom Fly 6 is the smarter recommendation. It is probably Nike’s best model right now: a strong price, decent grip, proven durability across a multitude of weather conditions, and easy to find in mainstream sports stores. The carbon plate and the on-point weight make it one of the few genuinely nimble shoes in the lineup. It occupies a great space between training and racing, which is versatility the Nike range otherwise lacks.

Saucony: Endorphin Speed 5

Saucony has plenty of contenders. The Huracan 25 is a great daily option but a bit too chunky for faster sessions, and the Endorphin Pro 4 is a solid shoe that some may find a little rigid and short on fun.

The Endorphin Speed 5 is a return to form and the best version since the original, which was a favorite for many runners. The nylon plate provides propulsive rigidity that never feels overbearing, and the ride works from easy recovery pace right up to faster race paces. The breathable mesh upper is a genuine asset on hot days, the improved outsole means you can comfortably run down to 5 or 10k pace, and the fit is just right for slightly narrower feet without excessive lace cinching.

Puma: Velocity Nitro 4

The Fast R3 is a fantastic shoe, but it is awfully expensive, not built for training, and not the most durable. For price and performance combined, the Velocity Nitro 4 is the clear pick and a genuine pleasant surprise.

The midsole is a beautiful thing, handling all sorts of paces very well with a slightly softer version of Puma’s Nitro foam. The design is simple, traction from the Puma Grip outsole is excellent, and it works for easy days, tempo runs and even lighter trails where the lugs are up for the task. At around 110 pounds in the UK, it is arguably the best value running shoe available right now.

Adidas: Evo SL

Adidas has a deep lineup. The Adios 9 is cheap by super shoe standards but sits low enough that some runners will only use it in a few rotation slots. The Takumi 7.1 is another great shoe, though many will find it too rigid for easier paces and notably firmer, with a big price jump over the Adios 9. The Adios Pro 4 is also a standout, now available for well under 200 pounds in the UK with loads of colorways: super soft and a great half marathon to marathon race option, though a touch too soft for 5 or 10k for some.

Still, if you buy one pair from Adidas, go with the Evo SL. At around 129 pounds, nothing else in the lineup comes close. It is fun, readily available in practically any sports store, and does so many things well. The Lightstrike Pro foam can feel a little firm out of the box but keeps getting better as it breaks in, and the shoe is nimble and responsive across lots of different runs. The one detractor is the outsole rubber, which is a little smooth in the forefoot and could use a few ridges.

Overall Buying Advice

If you want a pure race day weapon, the Hyperion Elite 5 and Metaspeed Edge Tokyo are the most exciting picks here. If versatility matters more, the Zoom Fly 6 and Endorphin Speed 5 both span a huge pace range. For value, the Velocity Nitro 4 and Evo SL are hard to beat, delivering near-elite performance at prices that leave room in the budget for a second pair.

Conclusion

Each of these shoes earns its spot as the single best pick from its brand: Brooks finally has a race shoe on par with the competition, Asics has its most engaging model yet, Nike’s most versatile trainer, a return to form from Saucony, runaway value from Puma, and a do-everything standout from Adidas. Match the shoe to your pace and purpose and any of these six is a safe buy.