Mid-Year Running Shoe Bargains: Five Road and Trail Deals Worth a Look

Introduction

Running shoe prices keep climbing, which makes mid-year discount windows genuinely useful. This roundup gathers five shoes that have been put through real testing, both on the road and the trail, and are currently available at notable savings. The mix covers a stability road trainer, a versatile trail all-rounder, a plush neutral daily trainer, a lightweight soft-ground trail racer, and a maximalist cushioning specialist.

Saucony Guide 15: Support That Does Not Feel Heavy

The Guide 15 is not a neutral road shoe. It is a guidance shoe, with extra support on the medial side around the instep to add stability and help control overpronation in your gait. It shares its platform with Saucony’s popular neutral daily trainer, the Ride, so you get a full PWRRUN foam midsole plus comfortable PWRRUN+ insoles for a plush cushioned ride.

The geometry sits on an 8mm heel offset with 35mm of stack at the heel and 27mm under the forefoot. For a shoe with extra medial support it is surprisingly light, with a UK 9.5 men’s pair tipping the scales at just 280g. At the time of writing it can be found for £65, roughly half the original RRP, with three colorways and close to a full size run in the blue option.

ASICS Fuji Lite 4: A Versatile Trail All-Rounder

The Fuji Lite 4 turned out to be more versatile than expected. It is reasonably light at 301g in a men’s UK 9.5 and felt comfortable across most terrain types thanks to its FF BLAST foam midsole. Grip from the ASICS GRIP rubber outsole has consistently impressed, though with only a 4mm lug depth it does struggle in genuinely muddy conditions.

Pair that outsole with a lightweight, well-made and breathable upper and you get solid midfoot lockdown, good heel hold, and a dependable trail option overall. It is also a good-looking shoe in the orange colorway. It can be found for $78.99, a big saving off the original RRP, with a men’s size run from UK 6 to UK 14, though women’s availability is limited to select sizes.

ASICS Gel Nimbus 25: About as Plush as Daily Trainers Get

The Gel Nimbus 25 was among the plushest road shoes tested last year. It features a comfortable, good-fitting engineered mesh upper and a FF BLAST PLUS midsole that feels genuinely bouncy, with a strong sense of energy return while running. For a neutral daily trainer, comfort does not get much better, making it ideal for soaking up steady weekly training miles.

These are not the cheapest daily trainers at a hefty $175 RRP, but they have been found at $119.99 in the anniversary white, red and black colorway, a saving of $55. Sizes are limited rather than a full run, but there are plenty of options. For that money, you get a very well put together, super plush neutral daily trainer.

New Balance Summit Unknown v4 SG: An Underrated Soft-Ground Trail Shoe

The Summit Unknown is a lightweight trail shoe that slips under the radar, and the SG version stands for soft ground, adding deeper 6.5mm lugs compared to the standard version. It delivers a lightweight, foot-hugging, fast feeling with nice lugs underfoot, and testing found it genuinely exciting to run in.

The bootie-style upper feels secure and offered excellent lockdown and support. One caution: the fit is fairly narrow, so runners with wider or higher-volume feet may want to look elsewhere. The FuelCell midsole compound and flexible rock stop plate strike a good balance between comfort, protection and ground feel, and despite its stripped-back design it would happily handle marathon distances. RRP is a reasonable £125, but the SG version has been found for £74. Size availability is limited: men’s UK 7, 7.5, 8.5, 9 and 11.5 at the time of writing.

New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4: Maximum Softness for Easy Miles

If you like a deep stack of super soft, bouncy foam, this is the shoe for you. The midsole delivers 34mm at the heel and 30mm under the forefoot for a 4mm heel offset, and Fresh Foam X cushioning is very soft and extremely bouncy. While that cushioning felt a little too soft and unstable in the trail version on uneven ground, it works far better in this road environment.

New Balance uppers are typically comfortable and well fitting, but it is worth going up half a size as this shoe sizes a little small. Despite the deep stack, the weight stays reasonable at 325g in a UK 10, thanks to the light foam compound. This is a fairly one-dimensional shoe, not suited to speed work, intervals or race day, but it makes a very comfortable option for recovery runs and steady long runs. It is available on the New Balance website with a 30% discount at £98, though only men’s sizes were in the sale.

Buying Advice

Match the shoe to your actual running rather than the discount. Road runners who need some medial support should look at the Guide 15, while neutral runners chasing comfort have two strong options depending on budget: the Fuji Lite 4’s cushioned versatility leans trail, and the Gel Nimbus 25 is the plush road pick. Trail runners should decide by terrain: the Summit Unknown v4 SG suits softer, more technical ground with its deeper lugs, while the Fuji Lite 4 handles mixed terrain better. Check size availability carefully, as several of these deals have limited size runs, and remember the More v4 runs small.

Conclusion

Five tested shoes, five meaningful discounts, and something for both road and trail. As running shoe prices continue to rise, catching a proven performer at close to half price is worth acting on, provided the fit and the intended use match your running.