Having spent 2007 running in a dazzling array of running shoes it's no simple task to choose the best training shoes on the market.
The beauty of the shoe market today is that the range of running shoes available reflects the diversity of runners who hit the roads, trails, treadmills and races.
Choice is a great thing but very often it makes choosing a running shoe difficult. That is why www.shoeguide.co.uk allows you to search for trainers by a whole range of criteria. It is also why it is a journey of a thousand dilemmas to pick out one running shoe and say it is the best running shoe in a given category. But we’re not scared of a challenge so we are going to do it anyway!

No category is easy to pick a winner in but the neutral shoe and support shoe categories are probably the hardest out of the lot. This is due to the number of contenders and the different factors you can take into account. The burden weighs particularly heavy on us as these are the shoes which most runners will spend their hard earned cash on.
After thousands of miles of testing we have gone for the Nike Air Pegasus+.
Of course after all these miles we are fully aware of the other strong contenders for this title and had to ask ourselves some searching questions, 'What about the cushioning of the ASICS Gel Nimbus or the Nike Air Vomero? What about the responsiveness of the Mizuno Wave Rider?'
All well and good. Yes, those shoes have these clear strengths but the Nike Air Pegasus+? It scores highly right across every criteria you could want in a neutral shoe.
It is versatile enough that you just can't pin down what makes it such a good shoe. You can argue about it long and hard. Is it the fit? The flexibility that means it is as at home on a swift fartlek as it is on a long Sunday run?
The cushioning in the Nike Pegasus is not something that makes you fall out of your seat in amazement. In fact, that's exactly the point. You don't notice anything about the shoes, you put them on, you go for a run and you return home happy. That's the way you want it. If you want luxury and pampering you can buy a day at a health spa. A running shoe is for running in.
When you are running in the Pegasus the cushioning does its job with quiet, fuss-free efficiency. If you stray on to slippery off-road or get into a club night burn up you still won't ever return home regretting your choice of footwear. And in terms of who it is suited to there are a whole range of people who can pull his shoe on and be happy as Larry. You don't often get that, especially for 65 pounds!

Our winner is the Saucony Progrid Paramount - an adrenaline rush of a shoe.
In many ways the Saucony Progrid Paramount is everything that our choice for the best cushioning shoe, the Pegasus, isn't. It has no history, it is not the type of running shoe everyone should turn to and costs enough to make you wince. It is not a 'safe' shoe at all. You really wonder if it should be a Saucony.
But it is all those reasons that make us salute it.
When you first run in it you realise that this is exactly the type of running shoe you thought you'd never get to wear when you found out you were an over-pronator. It's light, its ride is silky smooth, it urges you to push the pace, the upper fits like a glove, it's stable yet the guidance is subtle and it's innovative.
Historically the two big players in this category would be the ASICS Gel 2120 and the Nike Air Structure Triax. They're both safe, reliable and there's rarely a dissatisfied customer. Nike and ASICS are no fools. Their shoes take what has gone before and make sensible, calm, measured adjustments to remain great support shoes which will continue to sell in great volume.
But with the Paramount it is almost as if the designers at Saucony have locked the marketing guy in the stationary cupboard, ripped up the brief that had read along the lines of 'Build a sensible shoe at a sensible to please the maximum amount of sensible runners', then added 40 pounds to the target price and worked late every night to design the running shoe every competitive runner would want to run in if they had the cash. We love it.
If you are heavy don't buy it apart from for faster training (ouch that's 110 quid!). If you over-pronate more severely don't touch it. This shoe is not for everyone. But if you are a regular over-pronator who wants to blow the budget on a running shoe that's great fun go out and get a pair.

Being told that you need a motion control shoe is a little bit like being told running will never be fun again.
That is why the Mizuno Wave Alchemy is such a great discovery for runners in this category. To be honest when you are wearing it you wonder if it should be in this category at all. Yes, it has all the support you will want. Yes, the cushioning is great; whether you weigh 10st or look like you have just stepped out of a Sumo competition the ride works well.
But the truth is while it does all the things a motion control shoe needs to do it just doesn't feel like a motion control shoe. The ride says 'Yeah, I'm a responsive support shoe that a heavy over-pronator just might get away with.'
It allows you to push the pace. It feels light and smooth. We expect a few support shoe wearers making the jump and going for this one as it runs so well. Motion control shoes are no longer bricks with laces but the Alchemy takes that evolution to the next level. Awesome.

We could easily be accused of lumping several categories into one with this title.
When you browse through the trail shoe section of this site you will see several distinct interpretations or genres of that title. For one it could be a road running shoe with a more aggressive outsole and more sturdy upper which allows you to venture off-road without losing too much of that road running shoe feel. Or we could be looking at a training shoe that is clearly specifically built for the off-road terrain such as those in the Salomon line. Then there is the category of fell racing shoes that are much lighter, and lower profile. On top of this the brand Inov-8 have made a niche out of creating trail shoes for every kind of trail known to man or beast.
But the shoe we have gone for is one of those that fits the fell running category - the Mizuno Wave Harrier WT. The Wave Harrier is light, responsive and stable. It also has good cushioning given the weight and a secure fit to it. The first version of the Harrier had an outsole that could be slippery on wet rock but the Wet Traction outsole means that this is not an issue now. Which means that the shoe is great for off-road running on a variety of terrain. It may not be a first choice for steady runs off-road if you are used to a thicker, more cushioned midsole but otherwise this is a very strong running shoe that will serve you well on the toughest of your runs.

Sometimes you need a protective running shoe. There can be many reasons for this. You may be injury prone enough to be godparent to your physio’s offspring, you may be whacking out kind of mileage normally logged up by a salesman’s Ford Mondeo, or you may be a beginner who is wanting to avoid all the aches and pains which come as your body adapts to the forces associated with running.
For you we honour the ASICS Gel Nimbus. This is a neutral running shoe that offers a boatload of cushioning, a really comfortable ride and yet doesn’t feel as though you are carrying excessive weight on your feet. The ride is also well guided which helps keep you niggle free and means that even if you have mild over-pronation issues you are not excluded from wearing this shoe (if you do have bigger over-pronation issues take a look at the ASICS Gel Kayano).
As you will have read above most neutral runners will be fine, happy, or even delighted with a pair of Nike Air Pegasus. But that’s not the point is it? Sometimes you want to go to the next level. That is where shoes like the Nimbus come into play.
Buying a more protective pair of running shoes does actually make a difference. You are less sore after runs, you feel more comfortable during runs. You may not want to run in this type of shoe all the time as you may become dependent on the protection it offers rather than allowing your body to adapt to the training load. But when you want comfort the Nimbus is great. It runs like a dream, makes training more fun and it makes people realise that you are serious about your running.

There are two things none of our testers want to be given. A long sentence in a Thailand jail and a pair of Hi-Tec shoes. Or so they thought…
The jail definitely still has no appeal. But the Hi-Tec shoes? Things have changed. No, really. Every time a tester has been given a pair of their running shoes since Hi-Tec got back into the running market they have looked glum and clearly wished they could have been given some 100 pound wonder shoe instead. But when they report back an amazing transformation has taken place. They're on the guilty pleasures list. The Hi-Tec Phtera are really well put together and ride far, far better than you'd imagine. You may think that is not such a bold statement as your expectations would probably be quite low. But we're not just saying they're okay if you don't want to spend much, we're saying they're good running shoes. They feel far better and far more technical than you'd dream of. Good cushioning at heel strike, nicely guided through the midstance and then you're encouraged into a good toe off position. You never get that for 50 quid! Heck, you don't always get it if you spend more than £70. If you're a bit of a crowd follower you will stick to the regular brands. But if you want to be the person who is there ahead of time buy a pair of Hi-Tec, tell people how good they are and then remind them of this in a couple of years time when everyone has caught on to the shoes these guys are now putting out.




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