Favorite Running Shoes of 2024 So Far: 16 Picks Across Every Category

Introduction

Halfway through the year is the ideal moment to separate the shoes that photograph well from the ones that actually earn their miles. This mid-year roundup covers four categories: daily trainers, max stack shoes, lightweight and performance trainers, and racing shoes, plus a bonus look at last year’s models that are now heavily discounted. Every pick here has real mileage behind it, and each one comes with honest notes on where it shines and where it does not.

Favorite Daily Trainers

The daily trainer category was genuinely competitive this year, with several shoes fighting for the top spot.

The On Cloudmonster Hyper double-dips as both a daily trainer and a max stack pick, and for good reason. Its Helion HF PEBA midsole core is bouncy and lively with a decent amount of softness, while the surrounding CloudTec frame acts a bit like a flexible structure that firms things up just enough to keep you moving in a straight line. There is no plate in it, which means you get a touch of rigidity without losing flexibility under load. The one caveat: at faster paces it can feel slightly clunky, so treat this as an easy-run and long-easy-mile shoe rather than a workout partner.

The Puma Velocity Nitro 3 is the straightforward classic of the group. It is a very neutral, traditional-drop training shoe with nothing overly fancy about it, but the Nitro foam offers solid cushioning and the traction underfoot is dependable. It runs a little narrow, so it best suits neutral mechanics, but it is a shoe you can pile miles onto all day without thinking about it.

For fans of ASICS, the Novablast 4 is arguably the best-fitting ASICS daily trainer in recent memory. The tongue is nicely integrated with the upper, there is a comfortable midfoot wrap, and the cushioning hits a sweet spot: plenty of foam without the marshmallow feel that some runners dislike. Despite a stack that pushes into maximal territory at 40.5 mm in the heel for women, it stays reasonably light at 7.9 oz for a women’s size 8. The AHAR rubber outsole delivers genuinely good traction on wet roads, which has not always been a given for this brand. Released in December 2023, it still stands above most 2024 daily trainers.

Favorite Max Stack Shoes

Max stack does not have to mean heavy and clunky anymore, and this category proved it in 2024.

The Mizuno Wave Neo Vista is the hands-down favorite, and it is not close. It handles recovery jogs, regular easy runs, and medium-long runs, and unlike many max stack shoes it still performs when you pick up the pace. A huge cutout in the midsole lets the medial and lateral sides adapt to terrain, which paid off dramatically on a 12-mile point-to-point run on crowned roads: feet stayed comfortable the whole way and could have gone 20. The specs back up the impressive feel, with 9.4 oz for a men’s size 9 and 7.8 oz for a women’s size 8 alongside a 44.2 mm heel stack and 36.2 mm in the forefoot. Traction held up in wet and rainy conditions on every run. At $180, it undercuts many comparable super trainers, making it exceptional value.

The On Cloudmonster Hyper is the runner-up here as well, and its asymmetric CloudTec frame deserves specific praise: it does not extend as far forward on the lateral side as on the medial side, which creates a subtle guidance effect into push-off, especially for runners who land further forward. The softer PEBA midsole feels excellent through the midfoot and forefoot. Just keep it to easy and moderate paces.

The Hoka Skyward X is the softest Hoka many runners have experienced, a classic soft, bouncy, high-stack, rocker-plated shoe. It is a polarizing design in some circles, but the sidewalls, while noticeable, did not cause the irritation that some other Hoka models do. If you want a maximally soft, stiff, high-stack rocker shoe, this is the one that fits that brief most literally.

Favorite Lightweight and Performance Trainers

This is the do-everything category, and both picks here earn their versatility.

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 is the Swiss army knife of the group. It is plated yet retains some flexibility, feels snappy, and the lattice-pattern traction underfoot lets you go slow, fast, or long. It feels softer than previous versions, though the heel can feel a touch clunky for the first couple of miles before it breaks in. Once it does, it handles hard track workouts, long tempo runs, long runs, easy efforts, and warm-ups and cool-downs alike. The grippy forefoot particularly lets you power off the front of the shoe.

The Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2 has already banked over 150 miles and shows every sign of going much further. What makes it special is the extreme heel bevel: it genuinely feels designed around a lateral midfoot landing, so the heel simply never gets in the way. The design team settled on a five-degree foot angle for this shoe after testing angles from roughly 3 to 15 degrees, finding mid-pace runners preferred five. The numbers are 8.5 oz for a men’s size 9 with 35 mm in the heel and 34.5 mm in the forefoot, but ignore those drop figures: in practice it feels like a four to six millimeter drop shoe, not an ultra-style platform. It handles easy runs, strides, and 10K-pace intervals, with excellent rubber traction that survived a very rainy stretch of testing. Most runners will want to go up a half size for length.

Favorite Racing Shoes

The racing category saw real shake-ups this year, with several shoes now knocking on the door of long-established favorites.

The ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris is nearly unbeatable at 10K and below. It is astonishingly light at roughly 6.6 to 6.7 oz for a men’s size 9, a touch lighter than the Vaporfly, and it is super responsive. One honest note from track racing: the shoe loves rhythm, and in a crowded track 5K where constant jostling and pace surges disrupt the flow, that can wear on you. With clear road ahead, however, it is a superb short-distance racer, and it can stretch up to the half marathon and marathon for runners who like an aggressive feel.

The Nike Alphafly 3 rebounded strongly after a less-loved second version. Nike filled in the midsole and added a deep midline groove, which made the platform noticeably more stable and less harsh on the inner arch, a sore spot in earlier versions. At right around 7.0 oz for a men’s size 9, it delivers a super lively forefoot bounce that keeps you going even at marathon pace once your stride settles in. Forefoot traction is solid, though the midfoot and heel can feel slightly slippery depending on surface.

The Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 is the top racing pick overall. Its 11-degree foot angle, developed from research across racing paces, feels perfect for half marathon to marathon effort, and no shoe has felt better at marathon pace. Version two widens the toe box meaningfully and thins out the heel counter without causing any lockdown issues. The traction is the best of any racing shoe tested, biting into the ground on turns in a way few shoes do. Go up a half size for length.

The Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 is a different animal from the softer Pro 3: firm, highly responsive, and clearly best suited to fast short races. It comes in at 6.5 oz for a women’s size 8 and 7.7 oz for a men’s size, and the traction improvements are real, with zero slipping issues across extensive wet running. It fits long, so pay attention to sizing, and it is best kept to 10K and shorter distances.

The On Cloudboom Echo 3 rounds out the racing picks as a short-race specialist. Used across two road miles and a couple of 5Ks, it feels a hair lighter than the Endorphin Pro 4 at roughly 7.4 oz for a men’s size 9, and the heel is completely unnoticeable even during easy warm-up jogs, which makes it feel slightly more natural on foot.

For long road racing, the Saucony Endorphin Elite remains a proven choice, having carried two full marathons, but the Rebellion Pro 2 and Alphafly 3 have narrowed that gap considerably.

Best Deals on Last Year’s Shoes

With the 2024 lineup rolling out, 2023 models are being discounted heavily, and some of those deals are better than any new release.

The Brooks Hyperion Max is the standout bargain. Normally $170, it is on sale for $110 at Brooks and other retailers. For a shoe that many runners consider an all-time favorite, that price is remarkable, and it makes sense to buy a pair or two before the inevitable update arrives.

The Nike Vomero 17 is currently around $111.97 directly from Nike, and it holds up beautifully. There is a bit of ZoomX in the midsole, the outsole is durable with good traction, and it comfortably handled every type of run thrown at it last year. It even passes as a casual sneaker in the right colorway.

Saucony’s own lineup is also deeply discounted across various retailers, with discounts reportedly reaching upwards of 40% on some models. The Ride 17 in particular is worth grabbing if you can find your size: a runner can easily put 200 miles on a pair and still have plenty left.

Buying Advice

If you can only buy one shoe this year, match it to your biggest mileage bucket. Easy-mile-heavy runners should look at the Mizuno Wave Neo Vista or the Novablast 4; racers chasing 10K and shorter should lean toward the Metaspeed Edge Paris or Endorphin Pro 4; and marathoners have a genuinely difficult choice between the Wave Rebellion Pro 2 and Alphafly 3. And before paying full price for anything, check whether last year’s version is on sale, because shoes like the Hyperion Max and Vomero 17 at around $110 are better value than most new releases.

Conclusion

The first half of 2024 delivered depth rather than just a handful of standouts, but a few shoes clearly separated themselves: the Mizuno Wave Neo Vista as the best max stack super trainer, the Wave Rebellion Flash 2 and Pro 2 as geometry innovations that genuinely work, and the Cloudmonster Hyper as a delightful no-plate max cushion option. Add in the deep discounts on 2023 favorites, and there has rarely been a better time to upgrade your rotation.