I test running shoes for a living, and I love my job. I’m a keen marathoner myself, and having exciting new shoes to try out during my training helps keep me motivated to get out there and run each day. In 2025, I’ve tried out more than 65 new sneakers during my 3000 miles of running.
That’s a lot of shoes, and some of them have been pretty forgettable. Many more of those shoes have been fine — they’ve felt good on the run, but aren’t sneakers that I’ve made part of my own rotation after testing them out.
A select few have been very special indeed, and these are the shoes I still use regularly when I’m not testing something new. I’ve picked out my five best running shoes of 2025 below and even put them in order because who doesn’t love a ranking? Drum roll, please…
1. Adidas Adizero Evo SL
An emphatic winner of my favorite shoe of the year, the Adidas Adizero Evo SL offers exceptional performance at a surprisingly reasonable price, which is something that’s becoming a rarity in the running shoe market.
It’s very light and has a generous stack of springy foam in its midsole, and I’ve found the Evo SL great for a wide variety of runs, from track sessions to easy plods. Some might find it unstable for easy runs, though, in which case it still stands out as a great speed shoe for rotation.
Most shoes that can match its performance cost nearer $200, or even over that, while the Adidas Evo SL is $150 and is now sometimes in sales for less than $100.
Asics Megablast
The Asics Megablast is one of the few shoes that I find more versatile than the Adidas Evo SL, but it loses out on the top spot in my ranking because of its high price of $225. The fact that it’s still in my top five at all, given that price, shows just how fantastic it is to run in.
It has a mega-stack of responsive foam in its midsole but is still surprisingly lightweight and stable, and the Megablast is great for anything from easy or tempo long runs to short interval sessions.
I took the shoe away as my only sneaker for my summer holiday this year because I knew it could handle any kind of run I did, and I like the pink/purple color for general use myself. If you have the money, this is a wonderful running shoe.
Nike Vomero Plus
The Nike Vomero Plus is the first max-cushioned daily trainer that I’ve ever really loved, because unlike most shoes in this category, it’s not just built to be as soft and protective as possible on easy runs.
It’s certainly comfortable, but the springy ZoomX foam in the midsole means that the ride is bouncy and fun, rather than feeling like you have to wade through soft foam, a problem I sometimes have with high stack cruisers.
While the Vomero Plus isn’t as effective for faster runs as the Evo SL and Megablast, it’s the perfect option for picking up the bulk of your easier daily training if you have a shoe rotation, and will certainly work as an all-rounder for new runners.
Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
I love carbon plate running shoes and have used them for pretty much all my races ever since I got my hands on the original Nike Vaporfly 4%.
There have been several excellent carbon super-shoes launched in 2025, and I considered the Puma Fast Nitro Elite 3 and Asics Metaspeed Ray for this spot in my top five, but the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo won my heart when I used it to set my half marathon PR and run 2:24 at the Loch Ness Marathon this year.
It’s unbelievably light for such a high-stack shoe, and the combo of energetic foams and the carbon plate in the midsole makes it feel incredibly fast over any distance.
Carbon shoes don’t work for every runner — they’re expensive, unstable and not that durable — but if you use them, this is my favorite of 2025.
Puma Velocity Nitro 4
The Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is not a flashy shoe compared to the other sneakers I’ve picked out here, but that’s partly what makes it so endearing to me. It's simple, but effective, and it will suit a wide variety of runners.
It’s a good value, cushioned enough for easy runs without being overly stacked, has a great outsole that grips well in wet conditions, and uses a lively midsole foam that feels energetic when you push the pace.
I recommend the Velocity Nitro 4 regularly to friends and runners at my club as a result, and I have yet to get a negative report on the shoe (aside from notes that it’s a little narrow).
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
