The Best Running Shoes for Men in 2024

Running is an exceptionally simple sport. You just lace any old trainers and head out the door. The more you run, though, the more you’ll realize that having the right gear, specifically the right shoes, will make a difference. The best running shoes for men will not only help you capture that elusive runner’s high, but they’ll also keep you comfortable on your feet, help prevent injuries, and flex your personal style. 

Running shoes don’t have to be anything special to help you get your miles in, but with the right pair, you’ll find yourself seriously looking forward to each and every workout. There are shoes for every type of runner — and every type of run — so it’s important to have at least a passing understanding of what’s out there, whether you’re prepping for your first 5k or pushing yourself through a 20-week marathon training plan.

Almost every brand in the sport makes a shoe optimized for a different type of run: long runs, speed workouts, recovery days, 5ks, marathons, ultra-marathons — the list goes on and on. 

Runners have more shoe options than ever, which is definitely a good thing. However, it can make choosing the perfect pair quite the undertaking. To make this decision easier for you, we tested dozens of pairs to pick out the best of the best. When it comes down to it, the choice is yours, but this is a great place to start your search. 

Editor’s note: For our November 25, 2024 update, we added our new favorite, the Mount to Coast R1, the speedy Hoka Mach X 2, and the surprisingly plush zero-drop Altra Olympus 6.

The Best Running Shoes for Men

Running Shoes for Men Comparison Chart

How We Tested Running Shoes

Our Expert Tester

Lead tester Will Porter is a multi-hyphenate runner who just likes to get out and run for as long as possible. He relishes the Sunday long run and will hit the local Boise foothills a few times a week for a trail run. Right now, he’s training for both a road half marathon and a trail 50k, so it was the perfect season to put a number of shoes to the test. 

He’s partial to a plush shoe with a decent drop, but for midweek speed sessions, he likes something light and barely-there — he says it reminds him of his high school track days. 

Our Testing Process

Every runner is different, so we also solicited feedback from a diverse group of runners. For this review, GearJunkie tasked a test team with logging miles and weighing in with their perspective as competitive runners, physical therapists, and former shoe designers.

We tested the latest shoes from every brand, and all testers were asked to rank each shoe numerically and write short-form reviews of the top-ranked shoes. Armed with our testers’ feedback and our own impressions, GearJunkie picked the best running shoe in the most popular shoe categories.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Running Shoe

Running shoes have their fair share of complexity. Sorting through today’s shoe stats like stack height, heel drop, weight, and now carbon fiber plates can give anyone a headache. Luckily, we’re here to cut through the noise and give it to you straight.

Over our years reviewing shoes, GearJunkie testers have run in just about every running shoe produced. More than that, we’ve recruited teams of testers for feedback and talked with shoe engineers, podiatrists, and specialty running store owners.

Armed with this knowledge, we’ve picked the best shoes of the season based on our editors and test team’s input paired with head-to-head comparisons.

It’s worth noting that this guide focuses specifically on road running shoes. Be sure to check out our comprehensive guides on the best trail running shoes and the best hiking shoes — if that’s more your pace.

Comfort Is King

After talking with many physical therapists, running store owners, and shoe experts, they all agree on one thing — pick a running shoe based on comfort. The shoe that feels, fits, and runs the best is most likely going to be the best shoe for you.

Fortunately, most of today’s online shoe retailers allow a full refund or credit on used shoes within a 30- or 90-day window. This allows you to buy a pair of shoes, try them out for a few runs, and make the decision. This is also a nice feature to ensure that you get the correct sizing.

Sizing Properly

In our experience, most people wear running shoes that are too tight. The rule of thumb (literally) is you should have a thumb-width of space between your longest toe and the edge of the running shoe. For most, this will be half to three-quarters of an inch.

You need this space for two reasons. First, as you run, your feet will slide slightly forward. This extra space prevents your toes from consistently banging up against the inside wall of the shoe. Second, if you run long enough and in higher temps, your feet will swell. Again, extra space is necessary. The thumb’s width rule is a great way to size your shoe while accounting for how much your feet may swell during a long run.

Finding the proper width is a little trickier. Shoe width varies from brand to brand and even within the same brand between models. There are brands that are known for being wide or narrow.

Altra and Topo are known for favoring runners with wide feet. Aside from these two, it’s hard to make absolute assumptions across all models of a brand as being wide or narrow.

The Details: Stack Height, Drop, and Weight

If you want to geek out on the stats of a shoe, that’s fine. But we would steer clear of making decisions solely based on them. Pay attention but don’t obsess.

Sure, there is a pretty big difference between a 12mm drop and zero drop, so much so that we don’t suggest making such a drastic change. But between a 4mm and 6mm drop, it’s marginal. To put it in perspective, it’s the difference in the thickness of a nickel.

Stack Height

This is usually the measurement of the bottom of the shoe to the bottom of the inside of the shoe. It gives a measurement of how much material there is between your foot and the ground.

The higher the stack height, the thicker the sole. We say “usually” because some brands will not include the insole as part of the stack height measurements.

Drop

Drop is the difference in measurement of stack height between the heel and toe. It ranges from zero to 12 mm. The higher the drop, the less strain on the Achilles, soleus, and calves. Zero-drop shoes are associated with a more natural barefoot running feeling.

Weight

The weight of a shoe can give a good insight into the type of running for which the shoe is best suited. Lightweight shoes — ones weighing less than 8 ounces for men and 7.5 ounces for women — are typically designed for faster running and racing.

Heavier shoes — 10 ounces for men and 9 ounces for women — are more suited for everyday training. In most cases, we’ve found weight to be a good insight into the durability of a shoe. Lighter shoes with less foam tend to wear out more quickly than the thicker, heavier ones.

Neutral vs. Supportive

Should a shoe correct over/underpronation or not? Some say yes; others say no. Most of the experts we’ve spoken with say it depends. Those needing a supportive shoe look for a sturdy heel cup, multi-density EVA midsoles, and a mid-foot truss or bridge that stabilizes the shoe.

Bottom line

Comfort is king, and if you’re still unsure, we recommend taking a trip to your local specialty running store to get their advice. With proper footwear and proper training, you, too, can pound out the miles on the pavement in relative comfort.

A Note About “Super Shoes”

We do want to add a couple of caveats when it comes to carbon-plated super shoes — our top pick, the Nike Vaporfly 3, included. If you’re going to wear these in a race, definitely do not wait until race day to lace them up for the first time. They will definitely take some getting used to, so we recommend logging a few miles in them per week for the last month of your training, even if that means taking just them out for a nice jiggle-jog on a rest day. 

Jiggle-jog: yes, full-on training: no. Super shoes should be broken in, no doubt about it. But we don’t recommend wearing race day shoes on your long runs or easy runs throughout the week. Not only will they lose some of their race day pep, they can be hard on your feet. 

And, finally, carbon-plated shoes really do require speed to provide the best benefits. Based on our testing, carbon-plated shoes only really start to make you faster if you’re running faster. Don’t believe us? Studies have proven that the speed and energy return provided by carbon-plated shoes is directly proportional to how fast you’re going.

The quicker the pace, the greater the benefit. Slower runners (this writer included) may find that they perform better in their favorite speed or long-run shoes on race day. 

More Than One Pair

Do you really need more than one pair of running shoes? Think of it this way — do you really need more than one pair of shoes in general? Technically, no. But if you start to pull away the layers, you have work shoes, workout shoes, comfortable shoes, slippers, flip-flops, etc.

Just like all your other shoes, running shoes perform best in certain scenarios. For example, the HOKA Clifton 9 makes a great recovery run shoe but not so much a great speed workout shoe. On the flip side, a carbon fiber shoe makes a great race day shoe but not a great recovery run shoe.

One solution is to own at least three pairs of road running shoes: a durable everyday trainer, a speed or race day shoe, and one super-comfortable recovery run shoe. By rotating between shoes, you’ll be less likely to get overuse injuries from your shoe.

Price & Value

For the most part, quality running shoes will run you anywhere from $100-$300. The most affordable options are generally going to be daily trainers that are comfy but not outfitted with any bells and whistles to enhance speed or drop your mile times. From there, prices go up based on the type of foam used, what outsole the shoe is kitted out with, and whether or not the shoe has some sort of midsole plate made for propulsion. At the top of the line, you’ll find carbon-plated super shoes that utilize advanced materials and supercritical foams to propel you to PRs (if you can keep the right pace). 

Budget

This is where you find shoes for under $150. It seems insane to say this but this is just where we’re at in the running world right now. You can spend under $100, for sure, but those won’t hold up to the rigors of everyday training or even 2-3 runs a week. Budget shoes are still great, though. One of our absolute favorite trainers is the Asics Novablast 4, which is a bargain when compared to some of its competitors. 

In this category, by spending less, you are really only sacrificing advanced technology designed to help you run really fast or for an exceptionally long time, which isn’t necessary for most runners. The sport is, after all, meant to be simple. Budget shoes are simple, affordable, and suitable for almost any run you can dream up. 

Mid-Tier

Mid-tier is where most of the shoes in the category fall these days, somewhere between $150 and $200. Our favorite running shoes right now, the Mount to Coast R1, come in at a perfectly reasonable $160, especially considering their advanced tech. They save cost by eschewing the popular carbon plate that so many shoes offer — which, if you haven’t noticed by now, we’re not really that into as a technology for the people. 

This price tier includes daily trainers, shoes for speedwork and track workouts, and race-day shoes. If you love to rotate your running shoes or pick up a couple of new pairs every few months, sticking to this tier will give you the best bang for your buck. You likely will not find a shoe with a carbon plate for under $200, but you can find super trainers and speed shoes at this price point that do have nylon plates or similar technology that can almost do the same thing. Check out the Asics Superblast 2 or Hoka Mach X 2 if you want a shoe that boasts premium tech at more wallet-friendly prices. 

Premium

These days, premium running shoes are generally found at price points around $200 or more. You may have missed it, but Adidas launched a race-day marathon shoe that will set you back $500. It’s not even available at the moment, but that’s fine because spending $500 on a shoe is diabolical — the only people who should be wearing that shoe are getting paid to wear it, not the other way around. 

That’s an outlier in the category, but it indicates where the running shoe marketing is headed: spend big, and you might get big results. That’s a helluva promise, and for many runners, these expensive carbon-plated super shoes can deliver. However, for most people, these shoes are simply not worth it. They’re not made to last (the Adidas shoe even came with a printed card that claimed the shoe was only at its peak for one marathon), and they can cause injuries if you’re not used to running with them. 

Some expensive shoes, however, are certainly worth it. Norda 001s are a prime example: we have worn a single pair of Nordas for 1,000 miles without any signs of slowing down. They cost nearly $300 but will last longer than two cheaper pairs might. 

Frequently Asked Questions