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The 9 Best Running Shoes of 2026: Adidas, Asics, Hoka and More

Foams, uppers and rockers have come a long way since the advent of super shoes. Lace up in our picks for the best new trainers of the year.

Collage of close-up shots of various colorful running shoes, including red and white, black and gray sole, blue and neon yellow, and blue with multicolor accents.Gear Patrol
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By Jack Seemer

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When it comes to running shoes, it’s fair to wonder whether the rapid tempo of releases makes any new design all that consequential.

Foams, uppers and even rocker geometries have come a long way since the advent of super shoes. Brands big, small, near and far have yet to slow down. In fact, the race has only become more competitive.

Fact is, daily trainers have never been faster, more comfortable, more capable or more exciting.

And while some new shoes represent genuine leaps in technology, others are simply designed to make those innovations more accessible to all.

Best new running shoes of 2026

If there is a throughline across our list of the best new running shoes of 2026, collected below, it’s this: elite performance is no longer reserved for the realm of elite athletes. And you don’t need a certain PR to reap the benefits of progress.

Editor’s Note: While some of last year’s top models, such as the Nike Vomero Plus, remain solid choices in 2026, we’ve focused this list on new shoes released in the calendar year.

White and gray New Balance running shoe with black laces and a green-to-yellow gradient sole.New Balance

New Balance 1080v15

The 1080v15 marks the biggest overhaul to New Balance’s flagship daily trainer in years. Out goes Fresh Foam X for Infinion, a supercritical nitrogen-infused TPEE/EVA midsole that cuts roughly 1 oz of weight while adding measurable energy return. The result is a 40mm-stacked, 6mm-drop shoe that holds its reputation for long-run comfort while feeling livelier at tempo paces.
Blue Hoka running shoe with neon green logo and white cushioned sole.Hoka

Hoka Mach 7 Men’s Road Running Shoe

The Mach 7 is Hoka’s speed-focused daily trainer built for runners who want a fast, cushioned ride without sacrificing comfort over the long haul. Its supercritical EVA midsole delivers a snappy, responsive toe-off, while a redesigned creel jacquard upper sheds weight and boosts breathability. An internal gusset locks the tongue in place, and J-Frame technology keeps overpronation in check.
White and gray running shoe with black stripes and thick white sole labeled "Lightstrike Pro.Adidas

Adidas Adizero Evo SL Exo Shoes

The Adizero Evo SL Exo takes Adidas’s well-regarded Evo SL and wraps it in a new exoskeleton upper for a more secure heel-to-toe lockdown at pace, addressing the chief complaint of the original. The Lightstrike Pro midsole carries over unchanged, delivering a lightweight, energy-returning ride with an aggressive rocker profile inspired by the brand’s top marathon racer.
White slip-on athletic shoe with black logo on side and yellow cushioned sole.On

On LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper LS

On’s Cloudmonster 3 Hyper LS is a daily super trainer built for long runs and tempo work, borrowing its upper directly from the brand’s elite race-day shelf. A robot sprays filaments onto a last in minutes, producing a laceless, seamless LightSpray upper that wraps the foot like a second skin. Beneath it, oversized CloudTec pods and a dual-density Helion midsole balance max energy return with lasting durability.
Blue and green gradient running shoe with coral and beige thick sole and "FF Leap" text on the side.Asics

Asics Superblast 3

The Superblast 3 is Asics’s long-run super trainer, now 10 grams lighter and packing 1.5mm more stack height than its predecessor. It also carries 15.4 percent more bounce, per Asics. A dual-foam midsole pairs FF Leap cushioning with a base layer of FF Blast Plus for composed, high-energy transitions. A revised engineered woven upper fixes the cramped toe box that dogged earlier versions.
White and red athletic shoe with thick sole and three red stripes on the side.Adidas

Adidas Hyperboost Edge Running Shoes

Adidas built the Hyperboost Edge around the plate-free Hyperboost Pro midsole, a TPEE-based particle foam that delivers a 45mm stack height and exceptional energy return. The upper is a bit stiff out of the box, but the rest of the shoe delivers on its promise: max cushion and genuine responsiveness without the rigidity of a carbon plate.
White running shoe with thick, sculpted sole and subtle silver logo on the side.Puma

Puma Deviate Pure Nitro Men’s Road Running Shoes

The Deviate Pure Nitro strips the carbon plate from Puma’s performance Deviate line and replaces it with a full dose of Nitrofoam, nitrogen-infused midsole foam tuned for maximum energy return on daily training runs. Priced at $150, it becomes the first true competitor to Adidas’s wildly populat Evo SL.
Light blue and white running shoe with thick cream sole and white laces on a gray background.Hobby Jogger (Supwell)

Dynafish Xiaonian Super Trainer

China’s most talked-about daily trainer finally has a US home. The plate-free Dynafish Xiaonian packs 43mm of supercritical TPEE foam in the midfoot and weighs in around 202g in a men’s size 10.5. That makes it lighter than many carbon-plated racers, while the CPU rubber outsole handles road grime and rough surfaces. A rockered geometry keeps turnover quick across easy miles, tempo sessions and long runs alike.
White and light blue Saucony Azura running shoe with black laces and a thick sole featuring orange and maroon accents.Saucony

Saucony Men’s Endorphin Azura

Saucony’s Endorphin Azura is fast, light and plateless. A full PWRRUN PB midsole delivers soft landings with a snappy, energetic rebound, while SpeedRoll geometry rolls each stride forward into a smooth transition. XT-900 rubber keeps the outsole durable on daily road miles. At roughly 7.95 ounces, it suits versatile runners chasing easy days and tempo sessions in a single shoe.
About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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