Our spring shoe guide includes 23 pairs of running shoes with photos, video reviews, wear tester ratings, and data from our Shoe Lab. Browse through to see all the new models, or try our Shoe Finder tool if you need a little help finding the right pair for you.
New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3
EDITOR’S CHOICE
$100. This lightweight, responsive shoe is light enough for speedwork but soft enough to handle long runs and half-marathon races. New Balance changed the shape of the sidewall and outsole protrusions. Underfoot, reshaped treads are smaller and spread side to side, with small notches in each to increase flexibility.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Women’s version
Brooks Ravenna 8
BEST BUY
$120. The Ravenna has long been capable of handling both long runs and tempo runs with ease. The update has a softer ride and springier toe-off, and an X-shaped patch of rubber in the midfoot smooths the gap between the heel and forefoot.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Reebok OSR Harmony Road
BEST DEBUT
$120. The Harmony Road is a comfortable option for daily training with a soft landing and smooth transition from heel to toe. Its secret ingredient is a high-rebound cushioning material comprised of tiny yellow tubes placed under the heel.
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Shown: Women’s version
Adidas Supernova
BEST UPDATE
$130. Adidas overhauled the Supernova from top to bottom, making it softer to appeal to more runners. To amplify the cushioning, it added even more Boost in the heel for a bouncier feeling. The heel and forefoot cushioning have gotten considerably softer while a rail of firmer EVA foam helps runners stay centered over the midsole.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Brooks Launch 4
$100. The Brooks Launch has a firm heel and flexible forefoot that lets you run fast when the mood strikes. This update has more blown rubber in the forefoot than the previous version, delivering a softer and quieter landing while also shaving some weight.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Women’s version
Skechers Performance GoRun 5
$100. The GoRun 5 added an updated circular-knit upper which brings the materials closer to the foot, while ample venting lets your feet breathe. The bottom of the shoe has a new look, with a thin web of rubber replacing the pods of earlier models, giving the shoe more surface contact with pavement.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
MBT Speed 16
$110. MBT shoes are defined by their massively padded midsole. The Speed 16 brings your foot much closer to the road—its profile is nearly in line with traditional trainers. The pronounced curve of the sole is still there to help you roll forward smoothly while discouraging heel-striking.
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Shown: Women’s version
Saucony Kinvara 8
$110. The Kinvara remains a flexible, soft shoe with low drop. This update gets “more energized,” Saucony says, through the use of a 3-mm-thick layer of bouncy foam under the sockliner, which runs the full length of the shoe.
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Shown: Men’s version
361 Degrees 361-Sensation 2
$120. The 361-Sensation 2 is a high-mileage trainer that hits the sweet spot of moderate cushioning and stability. It has a quick feel for such a heavy shoe which comes from an EVA and rubber blend it uses for the top layer of midsole.
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Shown: Women’s version
Altra Intuition 4.0 / Instinct 4.0
$110. The Intuition (women’s) and Instinct (men’s) put Altra on the map of low-slung trainers. This update returns to the original rendition’s fit but maintains taller heel and forefoot heights.
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Shown: Men’s version
Altra Provision 3
$120. The midsole of this update still delivers stability without the use of a rigid medial post. Instead, the heel is widened toward the inner edge and the crash pad has been extended to slow the inward roll of your foot. Guide rails are incorporated into the top layer of midsole foam and keep your foot traveling down the center of the shoe.
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Shown: Women’s version
Asics Gel-DS Trainer 22
$120. The 22 gets a full-length midsole made from FlyteFoam, Asics’s new lightweight material that’s been rolled out their premium shoes. That’s also helped bring this shoe back into the lightweight territory, making it a solid choice for intervals on the track and tempo runs on roads.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Mizuno Wave Rider 20
$120. The Wave Rider mellows and gets a little softer but with a good balance of weight and performance. Mizuno is using a softer foam and has introduced a new shape to its Wave plate so when you land, your heel presses down in the center as you apply weight, and it snaps back when you shift forward.
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Shown: Women’s version
Hoka One One Arahi
$130. The Arahi is Hoka's first support shoe. It uses a J-shaped piece of firm foam that wraps around the back of the heel and up the inner side of the shoe. The stack heel and forefoot thicknesses are on par with the company’s speedy trainer, the Clifton, for a similarly soft ride.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Under Armour Speedform Gemini 3
$130. The Gemini uses an engineered mesh in the front half of the shoe. Combined with a densely woven mesh farther back and external heel clip, it locks the heel and midfoot directly over Under Armour’s top-of-the-line foam delivering a cushier ride than many shoes with similar profiles.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Women’s version
On Cloudflow
$140. The network of pods protruding off the bottom is a hallmark cushioning feature of all shoes built by this Swiss company. The Cloudflow is constructed from foam, unlike the rubber pods on earlier models, to reduce weight and improve flexibility. It’s a little firm for everyday training, but the shoe excels when going fast.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Hoka One One Bondi 5
$150. The most cushioned road shoe Hoka makes, this update maintains the same soft platform as previous versions but it fits a little roomier in the toebox. Because Hoka painted the top half of the sidewalls, the Bondi 5 has the sleek look of a traditional running shoe.
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Shown: Women’s version
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v7
$150. The 1080 is the most cushioned shoe in the Fresh Foam lineup. The forefoot is more flexible, thanks in part to a reconfigured outsole. The hexagon tread shapes are smaller and clustered in areas where there is more pressure from the foot, improving durability and allowing the rubber to bend easier.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Nike Air Zoom Vomero 12
$150. Comfort remains the key here, with a thick collar lining and tongue padding intact. The outsole is now made of a durable foam, rather than rubber, for an exceptionally smooth and silent transition.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Salming enRoute
$159. This Swedish company makes unstructured, low-to-the-ground running shoes. Its new model has a soft heel and plastic torsion unit in the midfoot for added structure. The midsole features Salming’s version of a bouncy foam.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Women’s version
Brooks Transcend 4
$160. A year ago, we gave the Transcend our Best Update award for softening the stability “guide rails” and giving the shoe an upturned toe for a faster ride. This update has reworked grooves in the sole for better forefoot flexibility.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Mizuno Wave Horizon
$160. The Horizon uses a new Wave plate sandwiched between two foams to deliver both cushioning and stability. The plate shape has been tweaked so it deforms under pressure, then pops back into shape as you move through your stride.
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Shown: Women’s version
Saucony Freedom ISO
$160. The Freedom ISO has a full midsole made entirely of the bouncy material, Everun. It is heavier than traditional foams, but it provides extra bounce and proves to be more durable over time. To compensate for the heavier material, Saucony has stripped away all extra features from the upper, leaving just a lightweight mesh and minimal tongue padding.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Men’s version
Newton Running Gravity 6
$175. The Gravity is Newton’s high-mileage trainer, with five lugs under the foot that deliver a highly responsive ride and fast feel. The newest model gets even softer, thanks to a new bouncy foam that sits close to the foot.
Men’s Review · Women’s Review · Buy Men’s · Buy Women’s
Shown: Women’s version
Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. A true shoe dog, he's spent more than a decade testing and reviewing shoes. In 2017, he ran in 285 different pairs of shoes, including a streak of 257 days wearing a different model.
