Best Running Shoes of the First Half of 2024: 13 Standouts and a Few to Skip

Introduction

After logging a lot of miles in a lot of shoes over the first half of the year, a clear pattern emerged: the market has moved decisively toward higher stacks, more foam, and rockers that help you roll along. This shortlist reflects that shift while keeping a balance, because not every runner wants maximum cushion underfoot. Below you will find the max cushion standouts, the best daily trainers, the race day picks, one wildcard, and three shoes we would honestly skip.

How We Shaped This List

The picks come from hands-on testing across everyday miles, long runs, and faster workouts, with shoes accumulated over roughly six months rather than whatever launched last week. Fresh releases were excluded where testing was too thin, so everything here has real mileage behind it.

Three themes drove the selection: how comfortable and fun a shoe is to run in, whether it earns a slot in a multi-shoe rotation, and whether the price makes sense against the competition. New Balance and Hoka landed more than half the picks simply because they are making excellent products right now.

Best Max Cushion Pick: New Balance More v5

The More v5 is a standout max cushion shoe that manages to stay bouncy, easy to run in, and genuinely fun despite an enormous amount of foam. Stack height is tall, with numbers around 40mm or above in the heel reported, paired with a very wide, stable base and a prominent front rocker.

That combination lets it cruise at surprisingly quick paces, including fast finishes well below typical max-cushion territory. It suits heel strikers who want cushion, stability, and a bit of fun, and it doubles as a favorite walking shoe. The trade-off is weight, which makes it harder to turn the legs over quickly, and it is not ideal for runs over two hours during marathon training.

A Max Cushion Alternative: Hoka Skyward X

The Skyward X is a tank in the best sense: nearly 50mm of heel stack, two types of foam with a race compound involved, and a carbon fiber plate. It deadens impact completely, offers essentially zero ground feel, and makes it almost impossible to have a bad run.

The ride is explosively bouncy and comfortable, and the wide, sidewall-wrapped construction keeps it stable. It is one of the heavier shoes tested this year, so lighter runners or those with less leg strength may struggle to turn it over on longer efforts, but powerful runners will love it. The outsole held up reasonably at 100 miles, though the foam is expected to outlive it.

Best Do-It-All Daily Trainer: Adidas Adizero SL2

The SL2 is the versatile, do-everything pick: fast runs, easy runs, workouts, even walking. Its midsole uses Lightstrike Pro race foam at the core with a firmer Lightstrike training foam wrapped around it, giving a soft, bouncy ride that mellows into a more stable feel after a few runs as it breaks in.

Compared with the More v5 it feels more natural and flexible, with better ground connection while still delivering a modern ride. It is also the cheapest shoe on this list at $130, making it exceptional value. Heel strikers will get the most out of it thanks to the higher drop; forefoot strikers may prefer something with more of a rocker.

View more details for Adidas Adizero SL2

Best Marathon Training Trainer: Asics Novablast 4

The Novablast 4 grew on us over 100 miles. It does not deliver an exciting, blow-you-away ride, but it nails stability, comfort, and support, which is exactly what you want for high-mileage marathon training and long runs.

Despite a similar amount of foam to the More v5, it weighs just 280g, which keeps it lively over long distances. The upper is comfortable but not the most breathable for summer, and grip is a genuine weak point, so runners in wet climates may prefer the TR version or alternatives from New Balance or Hoka. At $140 it is a solid investment for long-run duty.

View more details for Asics Novablast 4

Best Low-Stack Lightweight Pick: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4

The Rebel v4 is the lightweight pick for runners who occasionally want to feel closer to the ground. Its FuelCell foam is neither the bounciest nor the softest, but with a 30mm heel stack and an aggressive rocker, the shoe works through geometry and lightness rather than foam heroics.

It is among the lightest trainers available and has a decent amount of support in the sweet spot between minimal and max cushion. The catch is durability: around 130 miles in, the foam is visibly wearing, so this is not a durable workhorse. At $140, it suits a few runs a week, walking, or even gym sessions rather than heavy mileage.

Best Workhorse Stability Trainer: New Balance 860 v14

The Fresh Foam 860 v14 is the sleeper pick of the bunch: a stability shoe that is also simply a great shoe to run in. It has a high stack, foam wrapped up the sidewalls for inherent stability, and a plastic “stability plane” plate, plus a big but not overly aggressive rocker.

The foam is soft with a hint of bounce, and there is a lot of outsole rubber, which is why it earns the workhorse title: this thing will go forever. It handled a 21-mile long run with ease and works at any pace. If you want a slightly easier ride than the Novablast 4, the 860 is the better call. It is also clearly better than the 880 from the same brand.

Best Fun Tempo Trainer: Hoka Mach 6

The Mach 6 is the pick if the SL2 sounded good but you want more rocker and a more modern ride. It sits slightly higher off the ground with less ground feel, and the aggressive geometry tips you onto your toes, which makes it feel quick and fleet of foot.

Training foam rides nearly as well as many race foams, and it cruised comfortably at very fast paces. It is squishy and a bit squirrely, so it is not ideal if you need stability, and it is not the best for long time on feet. Think of it as a fun workout shoe up to around 90 minutes, especially for training toward shorter races.

Best Race Day Pick: Saucony Endorphin Pro 4

The Endorphin Pro 4 is the race day pick of the year. The rocker geometry works perfectly with a heel-striking stride, and the PWRRUN PB foam is one of the most comfortable and bouncy race compounds available. Unlike many speed shoes that punish slower paces, this one stays comfortable at warm-up, cooldown, and long run pace.

It undercuts the competition by roughly 10 percent at $225, since most mainstream carbon racers now sit at $250 or above, and grip is excellent. One caveat: the heel is notably narrow and the foam is not wrapped up the sidewalls, so aggressive heel strikers needing extra stability, especially over four-plus hours, may want to look at the Salomon S/Lab Spectur as an alternative instead.

Fun and Aggressive Race Day Pick: Hoka Cielo X1

The Cielo X1 is the wild, aggressive racer with only a sliver of the shoe touching the ground thanks to an extreme rocker front and back. Two race foams, softer on top and firmer underneath, sit around a dramatic carbon plate that produces a bouncy, fun, soft yet aggressive ride that pushes you onto your toes.

Stack height pushes beyond the legal racing limit through midfoot trickery, but that matters more to pros than to recreational runners. It is a bit heavy for a race shoe, yet the bounce more than repays it, and it works as a tempo and training shoe too. It is genuinely fun, just maybe not a shoe for the grocery run.

Wildcard Tempo Pick: Topo Spectre 2

The Topo Spectre 2 is the wildcard, and it deserves the spotlight that smaller brands rarely get. It uses 100 percent race foam in the midsole, firmed up just enough to stay stable without a plate, delivering bounce and pop without feeling squishy or unstable. The drop is 5mm and the ride is smooth, especially at pace.

It competes with shoes in the super trainer and speed trainer categories and is the best pure tempo-day pick for running fast, steady miles. The roomy, platypus-like toe box gives toes plenty of space. Testing is still early, so treat this as a promising pick with a small asterisk attached.

Shoes to Skip: Nike Pegasus 41

The Pegasus 41 was tried hard to be liked, given how much the long-running line has meant over four decades, but the foam felt flat, the ride firm, and the whole package uninspired. A full 100-mile week produced only aggravation. If you want a Nike trainer, the Vomero 17 is soft, bouncy, durable, and often under $100, the Zoom Structure 25 offers comfortable stability that suits bigger runners, and the Invincible 3 delivers a huge stack of ZoomX foam for fun, cushioned miles.

Shoes to Skip: New Balance 880 v14

The Fresh Foam X 880 v14 looks nearly identical to the 860 v14 and shares a confusingly similar name, but the execution is nowhere near the same. The foam here is one of the firmest and flattest compounds tested all year, while the 860 sits right next to it with a noticeably softer, bouncier feel and a rocker.

The 880 is a textbook example of brands coasting on legacy names while the market moves on. For less money you can have a far more enjoyable ride elsewhere, and within the same family, the 860 is the obvious upgrade.

Shoes to Skip: Saucony Triumph 22

The Triumph 22 simply did not work. At $160 it is heavy, the wide base and leather overlays make it feel bulky, the padding is excessive, and the PowerRun PB midsole here feels flat and hard to compress, which is frustrating given that the same compound name refers to a much better race foam elsewhere. It feels like too much shoe on the foot while somehow delivering less.

If you liked the idea of the Triumph, the Novablast 4 is the better protective daily trainer, the Invincible 3 offers that soft bouncy race-foam feel, and the Topo Spectre 2 is the closest-feeling replacement for Triumph 20 or 21 owners.

Buying Advice: Building a Simple Rotation

Rather than hunting for one perfect shoe, think in slots. A protective max cushion shoe like the More v5 or Skyward X covers recovery and everyday miles, a versatile trainer like the SL2 handles everything in between, and a racer like the Endorphin Pro 4 covers race day. Rotating between different shoe types is widely considered one of the best injury-prevention habits, second only to strength training.

Match the shoe to the run: long marathon efforts call for the Novablast 4, tempo days suit the Mach 6 or Spectre 2, and short, light efforts are where the Rebel v4 shines. Most importantly, skip the legacy coasters like the Pegasus 41 and 880 v14, because better options now cost the same or less.

Conclusion

The first half of 2024 rewarded brands that leaned into modern geometry, generous foam, and honest pricing, with New Balance and Hoka leading the charge. Whether you want a pillow-soft cruiser, a do-it-all trainer, or a carbon-plated racer, there is a strong pick on this list. Choose the shoe that fits the runs you actually do, and build from there.