Best Running Shoes of Early 2022: The Complete Trainer Matrix

Introduction

Every running shoe rotation needs structure. The idea behind this guide is simple: match the feel of the shoe underfoot, from soft cushioning to firm ground contact, to the type of run you are actually doing. Race day shoes are deliberately left out of this list because they deserve their own deep dive. What follows are the trainers that earned a place in the early 2022 rotation, including a few 2021 carryovers that are simply too good to drop, many of which are now on sale.

Easy Day Shoes

Easy days should be easy, and the shoe you pick should help you slow down and bop along. For a soft landing, the Adidas Solar Glide 5 takes the spot this year. It is available now and delivers exactly the unbothered, comfortable ride you want when the pace does not matter. A word on the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v3: it remains a shoe worth buying again, but it is simply too much shoe underfoot for anything beyond easy days, feeling almost boat-like at faster efforts.

For those who prefer a firmer ground contact feel on easy days, the Adidas Adistar is a standout. With a durometer reading around 62 in one part of the midsole and about 52 in the white section, it is a genuinely firm landing shoe, built on two types of foam under step. It is unmistakably on the firm end of the spectrum.

If you still want responsiveness on an easy day, the Adidas SL 20.3 is a versatile pick. It can serve as an easy day shoe, slide into daily trainer duty, and even bump up to tempo work when needed. Personally, easy day is easy, and a slightly heavier, clunky shoe suits that purpose just fine.

Rounding out the easy day category is the New Balance 1080 v12 for energy return. It is just coming to availability, and the only real drawback is a touch of weight, but the Fresh Foam midsole delivers a genuinely pleasant bounce under step.

Daily Trainers

Daily trainer days, or what we call steezy days, sit around seven minutes per mile: steady, but with a bit of purpose. In the softer category, the Puma Velocity Nitro 2 is one of the favorite shoes of 2022 so far and easily earns its place at the top of this column.

The Hoka Kawana covers the firmer landing side, with a durometer score of 52. Some people slot it into the cross-training or walking category, and honestly that works too. If you are just getting off the couch, walking is a great way to introduce running into your lifestyle, and the Kawana bridges walking, jogging, and daily training nicely.

Then there is the Saucony Kinvara 13, the only shoe to hit a score in the eights this early in 2022 and one of the favorite shoes of the year. At $115 it delivers a remarkably lightweight ride, but you need to be in charge of your foot strike: strong ankles and a controlled foot strike are a prerequisite.

For a responsive, snappy ground contact feel, the Mizuno Wave Rebellion is worth watching. It is pricey, but the wave plate through the midsole sets it apart, and the durability is exceptional. Mizuno as a brand feels like it is onto something here.

Finally, a 2021 carryover that refuses to stop selling: the Hoka Rincon 3. Its bouncy energy return makes for a genuinely fun ride. It may not be the most durable shoe in the lineup, but it is still flying off shelves for good reason.

Tempo Days

Tempo day shoes need to hold up at faster paces without punishing you. In the soft, high-cushion slot sits the Brooks Aurora BL, with durometer readings in the 38 to 42 range, which turns out to be the sweet spot for a soft-but-tempos-able ride. The catch: it may never reach full production, so availability is uncertain.

For firm landings, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 carryover would be the natural pick, but this category also belongs to a shoe we keep coming back to. The Skechers GOrun Horizon Vanish 2 is another carryover that handles ground contact beautifully: light, nimble, and fun, provided you are ready to dig in and really feel the ground under each step.

The Tweener: Skechers Razor Excess 2

Tweener alert. The Skechers Razor Excess 2 blurs category lines entirely, with a carbon plate hidden inside the midsole. In size testing it weighed just 7.1 ounces, which is remarkably light. At $139 it is one of the most exciting shoes of early 2022, and the enthusiasm is high enough that it seems likely to sell out. It works as a tempo shoe and a daily trainer, would absolutely work for a long run, and stretches all the way to 10K and even half marathon duty. It is a little heavy for a 5K, but for 10K and half marathon distance it is a strong bet.

For energy return at tempo pace, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 is an oldie but a goodie and still very much earns its place.

Threshold Days

Threshold days are faster than tempo days: you are not quite at race pace, but you are approaching it, and you are definitely working. For a soft landing under step, the New Balance RC Elite 2 is the pick. So soft, so cushioned, and if it works, why change it.

On the firmer end, the Adidas Takumi Sen 8 has carbon rods under step. It did not work for one tester’s stride, but it is clearly working for a lot of runners, and the ride is a little on the firmer side because of those rods.

For a ground contact feel, the New Balance SC Pacer is a lower stack height option. It is currently under embargo, so it cannot be shown in detail yet, but keep an eye out for this one through 2022. It looks promising.

Filling out the category with energy return is the Asics MetaSpeed Sky. It appeared in the previous column and carries its bouncy ride straight into threshold work.

Middle Distance and Long Runs

Long run shoes need soft, high-stack cushioning that protects you over distance, with the caveat that tall stacks demand attention. The Adidas Prime X is exactly that: a ridiculous stack height, but a genuinely good ride and a lot of fun. Do not take sharp corners fast, as it is an ankle breaker, and it runs a little heavy, so it is not a racing shoe. For long runs where you want something a bit out of control, it is a good time. Adidas is making a strong showing in this early 2022 lineup overall.

For a firmer landing on long and middle distance runs, the Adidas Adizero Boston 10 remains the carryover champion. Nothing has trumped it in the firmer-landing category for this kind of running. It is not for everyone, but some runners genuinely love a firm ride, and this is the benchmark.

The Skechers GOrun Speed Freek appears in this long run slot as another tweener from a brand that is all across the board this season, joining the Razor Excess 2 as proof Skechers is serious about the category.

Finally, the Nike Zoom Fly 4 takes the energy return spot for long runs. It runs a little on the heavy side, but the midsole delivers real energy return. It is not bad at all, and there is a sense it has a lot more potential in future iterations, but as it stands it earns its place here.

Overall Buying Advice

A few practical notes before you buy. First, many of these shoes cross over between categories, so think about your full rotation rather than a single perfect shoe. Second, plenty of excellent 2021 shoes like the Rincon 3 and the Endorphin Speed 2 are on sale right now, and with supply chains recovering, a fresh wave of 2022 releases is expected within a few months, so patience can pay off. Finally, if you buy from a retailer offering free returns with a pre-packaged return label, you can try shoes risk-free and send back anything that does not work for your stride.

Conclusion

The early 2022 lineup is unusually strong across every run type: the Solar Glide 5 and 1080 v12 for easy days, the Velocity Nitro 2 and Kawana for daily work, the Kinvara 13 and Razor Excess 2 as standout tempo options, and the Prime X and Boston 10 anchoring long runs. Match the shoe to the run, respect the nuances of each ride, and your rotation will do the rest.