Every runner is an individual with their own preferences in shoes. Some love super-squishy and soft cushioned shoes, while others prefer ultra-light and aggressively rockered trainers.
It can sometimes be difficult as a reviewer to pick out the best running shoes for everyone as a result, but I try to highlight sneakers that offer a bit more than their rivals in the same category, whether that’s better value, more fun, or a higher level of performance.
The poll feature at Tom’s Guide gives me a chance to get feedback on running shoes in general, and recently, I asked readers to vote on the brand they wear. After counting 380 votes, I was pleased to see a clear winner that aligned with what I’d voted for myself.
Which running shoe brand do you wear?
Brand |
% Total |
Asics |
43% |
Adidas |
12% |
Nike |
11% |
Hoka |
10% |
Brooks |
6% |
New Balance |
6% |
Other |
6% |
Saucony |
4% |
Puma |
1% |
On |
0% |
Asics actually got more votes than the next four brands combined, and for me that isn’t a surprise, because right now the Japanese brand has some of the best options in a wide variety of running shoe categories.
I’ve picked out my favorite Asics shoes below and also gone into why I think Puma is a brand people are sleeping on.
The poll is still open if you want to add your own vote to see if it shifts the results.
My top Asics running shoes
Whether you’re looking for one of the fastest carbon plate racers on the market or a cushioned shoe for easy runs, the Asics line-up has you well covered, and it also boasts the best all-rounder available in my view, which is the Asics Megablast.
The Megablast is very expensive, though, so the alternative most people might prefer is the Asics Novablast 6, one of my favorite shoes of 2026 so far. It’s a great cushioned daily trainer with a bit more punch for faster efforts than other Asics max-cushioned shoes, like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 28, which I found relatively dull on the run.
For race day, Asics has three of the best super-shoes going. I’ve set PRs in the Asics Metaspeed Ray and Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, while some might prefer the Asics Metaspeed Edge Tokyo to the Sky — they’re similarly great shoes, with different ride feels.
Overall, the Sky would be my top pick in this category from Asics, even over the ultra-light Ray, which is pricier and very soft and unstable, so it might not suit everyone.
If you’re heading onto light trails and gravel paths, then the Asics Blazeblast is a shoe I thoroughly enjoyed testing this summer. It’s as comfortable as a cushioned road shoe with an outsole that offers better grip and durability when off-road.
Puma should be more popular
Looking at the rest of the results, the one that really stands out to me is how low Puma ranked. It’s understandable because for a long time Puma was not a force to be reckoned with for road running shoes, but that has all changed in recent years.
They have a smaller line-up than Asics but challenge for the top spot in a couple of key categories of running shoes.
The Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 just edges out the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo as my top racer right now, while the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is a great lightweight daily trainer to rival the Novablast 6 as perhaps the best new shoe of 2026.
Puma shoes tend to offer good value in general as well, and they crop up in sales regularly, so they deserve to be higher in the rankings in my view.
It was interesting to see "Other" do well — I’ve been testing shoes from a few up-and-coming brands this year, and some have been exceptional, most notably the Dynafish Xiaonian.
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