Must-Have Running Shoes of 2025, Part Two: Five Standout Releases

Introduction

If the first part of our 2025 running shoe roundup proved anything, it is that this year looks like another strong one for running shoe technology. So many exciting releases are on the horizon that a single list was never going to cover them all. This second installment brings together five more shoes we are genuinely looking forward to testing: two ultra-distance trail contenders, a heavily updated carbon-plated marathon racer, a promising lightweight trail shoe, and one brand’s very first road running shoe. A few honorable mentions close things out for good measure.

Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide

Salomon’s new S/Lab version of the Ultra Glide builds on a shoe that already helped take the brand in a fresh direction beyond its Speedcross legacy. This one is essentially the Ultra Glide with everything turned up. It retails for £230 in the UK, tips the scales at 326g in a men’s UK 8, and runs off a 6mm heel offset with a 4mm lug rubber outsole. For an ultra-distance-focused shoe with this much midsole cushioning, the weight seems fair.

The midsole uses a dual compound setup: Salomon’s Energy Foam Plus, already found in some of its performance road shoes, cradled inside a slightly firmer, more stable and more durable standard Energy Foam. The real talking point is underneath, where a unique wave-like geometry called Relief Spheres is designed to diffuse pressure buildup and manage foot fatigue and discomfort over long distances.

It is one of those shoes that feels great straight out of the box, and early impressions after trying it on indoors are very promising. Full test content is coming soon.

Hoka Cielo X1 2.0

Heading back to the roads, Hoka has made some big changes to its carbon-plated marathon shoe. The Cielo X1 2.0 gets a new upper design, a more cushioned heel, and a midsole cutout that has moved from the lateral side to the medial side. Most welcome of all, the laces have been changed: the originals were difficult to lock down properly, and that issue looks fixed.

The midsole shows an impressive rocker geometry with a deep stack of PEBA foam, which should mean plenty of comfort, efficiency, and bouncy energy return. They are due for release in February, so the wait will not be long, and we are keen to get a pair on test given how much we enjoyed the fit, feel, and performance of the original Cielo X1.

Brooks Caldera 8

Back to the trails with the all-new Brooks Caldera 8, a shoe that has come a long way since the early versions. Brooks has tweaked the upper for improved fit and breathability, using a new quick-dry engineered mesh, and added a handy pull tab for easier on and off.

The midsole carries a good helping of Brooks’s nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 foam, with a stack height of 38.5mm at the heel and 32.5mm under the foot for a 6mm heel offset. They come in at 10.6oz, or 300g in a men’s UK 8.5, and sit on a chunky 4mm lug Brooks TrailTrack rubber outsole.

The Caldera 8 has just launched in the UK at £140, with two colorways available for men and for women, and a first impressions test is on the way.

La Sportiva Prodigio Pro

This is a shoe we have been anticipating ever since first spotting it at the Centurion South Downs Way 100. The original Prodigio performed really well over that 100-mile distance, and the Pro version aims to raise the bar further. The bootie-style upper uses a new Power Wire TPU fused yarn technology for greater foot stability.

The highlight is the new midsole: La Sportiva’s X Foam Speed supercritical compound forms an inner core, surrounded by an outer cage of X Flow foam for high levels of stability and cushioning. Underfoot there is a super sticky Friction White rubber compound with 4mm lugs.

Weighing a superlight 255g in a men’s UK 8.5, with a 34mm heel and 28mm forefoot stack for a 6mm drop, this could be a game changer for the La Sportiva range. It is expected around springtime at roughly £170.

Speedland RX FPY

For the last shoe we head back to the hard stuff, and it is the striking Speedland RX FPY, the brand’s first ever attempt at a road running shoe. Speedland is already known for its patented removable carbon plate system in trail shoes, and that system is crossing over into this road offering, though the plate runs a little stiffer here.

There is a very deeply cushioned midsole with a 40mm heel and 33mm forefoot stack, giving an unusual 7mm heel offset. A BOA closure system, believed to be a first on a road running shoe, should deliver the secure and precise fit that similar systems have given on other shoes we have tested. Despite all that soft cushioning, they come in at a super light 226g in a men’s UK 8.5.

No confirmed price yet, but judging by the rest of the Speedland range they will not be cheap, and we would expect somewhere around £250 in the UK. The good news: they are due for release in February 2025, so you will not have to wait long.

Honorable Mentions

Two more shoes are worth keeping on your radar. The first is the XC, the very first running shoe from Swiss brand X Bionic. Having run extensively in their running apparel, we expect plenty of interesting innovation here.

The second is from Mount to Coast, a new running brand we tested for the first time last year. Their first ever trail running shoe launches in 2025 with a unique dual lacing system, a 4mm heel offset, a 36mm heel and 32mm forefoot stack, and a chunky lugged Vibram outsole. Both look worth a closer look once they land.

Conclusion

That brings this second installment of must-have running shoes for 2025 to a close. Between Salomon’s relief sphere geometry, Hoka’s reworked marathon racer, Brooks’s refreshed trail workhorse, La Sportiva’s supercritical midsole experiment, and Speedland’s dial-equipped debut road shoe, there is plenty here to get excited about. We hope to get all of them on test soon, and we will keep this list updated as real-world testing rolls in.