Purchasing the right running shoes for you is very important for obtaining the best results. The Beacon might look like a clunker, but looks can be deceiving, and this is actually one of the best all-rounder running shoes available. The Fresh Foam cushioning is so lightweight that the men’s version of the Beacon comes in at just 213g, and the responsive ride it offers makes it as well-suited to racing and fast training sessions as it is long, easy efforts. New Balance opted against putting any rubber on the outsole of the Beacon, which has helped to keep its weight low, but might mean that the unprotected foam wears down more quickly than on other shoes.

At 8 ounces with a 4mm heel-toe drop, the Minimus sits close to the ground but isn’t super light like other minimalist alternatives. This works great for me because I can’t run significant mileage in a shoe much less than about 8 ounces anyway. Take for example the Merrell Trail Gloves – I ran 4 minutes in them and called it a day. Even though the shoe isn’t feather-light, the feel of it on your foot is very glove-like. With a soft, plush upper that’s designed to be worn without socks, it’s incredibly comfortable. There’s also a collar around the heel which prevents irritation around the Achilles tendon. I was dealing with some of this from my ASICS Speedstars so the padding was a welcome relief.

Aside from the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%, of which more later, this is the best road racing shoe you can buy. The Reebok Floatride Run Fast is exceptionally light considering the decent chunk of cushioning on the bottom, which ensures your legs stay fresh through each race, and allows you to kick hard for the finish line. The cushioning on the Run Fast is made from the same Pebax material as is used for Nike’s ZoomX foam – found on the Pegasus Turbo and Vaporfly shoes. It provides a huge amount of bounce despite being very lightweight, which makes it perfect for holding your race pace over 10K and half marathon distances in particular. Some runners will also find that the Run Fast is a great marathon shoe, but others will prefer something offering a little more support for the full 42.2km.

Brooks is known for its exceptionally comfortable running shoes, especially on the more stable end of the spectrum. The Glycerin 16s are a notable standout here, so we’d be remiss not to mention it, even though there’s no award, per se. Like the lighter PureFlow 7, it uses a good deal of padding in the collar, except there’s even more in this shoe. On top of that, it uses a thick, highly padded tongue to envelop the top of the foot in excellent cushioning too. The sock liner it uses is somehow even silkier and comfortable than its speedy cousin. For landing comfort, it’s one of the best scorers, using a thick slab of DNA Loft cushioning. It’s worth keeping in mind that these are heavier shoes meant to stabilize your gait, so they’re a bit more restrictive than other models. They’re also a bit clunky for that reason. Despite their mass, they tend to break down sooner than is ideal, but that can be expected from shoes with lots of stabilizing features and cushioning. Those who are looking for a protective shoe that will keep their gait straight and feet enveloped in pillowy goodness will get the most out of these running shoes.

Even after a lot of races and workouts, the Hyper Speeds are still kicking. Once in awhile I’ll even wear them casually (hey, I’m a running nerd). I credit the sole, which isn’t too stiff or too hard. If you’ve ever owned a pair of Saucony Kinvaras, you know that the soft sole deteriorates quickly. I only got about 250 miles on them before they were retired. For those looking for the most minimalist racing shoe on the market, look elsewhere. The Hyper Speed 4 has a substantially raised sole for a racing shoe and weighing in at 6.6 ounces it’s definitely not the lightest. See extra info at https://info4runners.com/.