A budget shoe that’s loaded with high-end benefits, our feet felt premium comfort in the ASICS Gel Contend 7! 

It’s marshmallowy soft and it’s impact-dampening, our feet did NOT feel beat-up even after a series of long pounding on the pavement! 

Even better, it doesn’t make its presence known because it’s so light. It felt like we had barely anything on our feet! 

The Contend may skimp on price, but it sure doesn’t when it comes to lockdown! It’s snug, and it wraps like a glove. It just contributed to the overall confidence-inspiring ride this shoe gave us. 

And if you’re a runner who wants one shoe for everything - running, jogs, aerobics, and walking - this shoe won’t fail you! It’s got all the support you need to get through your activities! 

Another reason why this shoe sits atop our list is that it’s plenty durable! Yes, you may think that cheap running shoes don’t really pack a lot of strength to last you miles. But this shoe will prove you wrong! 

50 miles in, we still don’t see any wear on the outsole. And we expect it to last 300-500 miles before we retire them in our closet. 

At $65, it couldn’t get better than this!

For anything short to mid-distance, we wouldn’t consider any other shoe but the ASICS Gel Venture 8! It’s everything that screams trail-ready! 

It won’t hurt the bank and it won’t hurt the feet! This shoe just had us swooning over its VERY comfortable cushion. And it’s got a lot too to keep the foot protected and free from impact pain. 

Not only does this shoe dampen impact but it also mutes the harsh elements on the trail. Even better, it smashes them! This shoe doesn’t hold back on energy return too. In fact, it’s got loads of it, it didn’t feel like a heavy trail beater at all. If anything, it made us run fast with a lot of fun! 

And to really test this shoe’s caliber, we took it out on a variety of terrain. And boy, did it surprise us! From gravel pedestrian trails to the more technical trails, this shoe just latched into everything! 

We’ve tested a lot of trail shoes, but the Venture 8 is nothing like a budget shoe. For us, it’s in the same league as the more expensive trailblazers! 

And wow, this shoe just takes the spotlight in the durability arena! After punishing it on the most unfriendly trail surfaces, it withstood everything fantastically! It’s a high-strength shoe we expect to last 400-450 miles. 

Like you, we think trail shoes are burly, but NOT the ASICS Gel Venture 8! It’s got all the goods jam packed in a lightweight package! We never felt like it was weighing us down

Nike is a killer in the style department, and the Nike Revolution 5 is the looker that didn’t dig deep into our pockets! It doesn’t have a lot of gimmicks, but it’s what makes it attractive and a certified eye candy! 

And for a $65 shoe, it’s got a lot of tricks up its sleeve! But what really won us over its unrivalled lockdown, especially in the heel area. It just cupped our heel nicely in place, so we can run with confidence on the road! 

It’s not cloud-like soft, but it’s also not as rigid as a brick. It’s a middle-ground, generating a stable and comfortable ride. 

And because of this, it’s easily our pick for both our daily runs and walks around town. 

The upper also flexes generously. This allows for easy entry and for us with wide feet, it’s an accommodating fit, adding to the shoe’s overall comfort! 

While it didn’t really serve a nice, fun ride, we didn’t want to punish it too much for something that it’s not designed to do. For such a meager price, the Nike Revolution 5 is truly a bang for the buck!

We were just as excited as our feet to lace up the ASICS Gel Excite 8! And guess what? All the excitement we had was justified on the run! 

The ASICS Gel Excite 8 is another budget-friendly running shoe in our arsenal. It’s been around for quite some time, and because of this, we had high hopes for it; hence, the excitement! 

It’s a neutral shoe that packs a lot of stability. Yep, that’s right! We’ve had our issues with bad knees, but this rascal gave us all the support we longed for to be pain-free in our daily runs. 

And of course it wouldn’t make its way to our top pick for best cushioned budget shoe if it didn’t steal our hearts with its midsole. It didn’t only WOW us in the stability arena, but it also impressed us with its ride. 

It’s not marshmallow-like soft, rather it’s a balanced ride. You get all the support you need while getting all the comfort and protection to last several miles on the road! 

And like a true ASICS, the Gel Excite 8 is built like a tank! After a series of harsh wear testing, this shoe blew our minds because it remained bouncy (no packing out at all) and there’s little to no wear on the outsole!

ASICS updates their long-running, budget stability shoe and finally moves away from the plastic post design. This shoe is an ideal daily trainer for runners looking to get into the sport that pronate or have flat feet and want a product that’s comfortable, consistent, and lighter on the wallet than competing shoes.

After we took the Nike React Escape Run for a spin, we've gathered that it's a shoe that can handle anything! It's comfortable and light for the high-mileage stretches, and it's got a trampoline-like bounce for tempo sessions. Even better, it's a shoe that won't hurt your pockets and it's built to last!

With plenty of flex, a vented, breathable mesh upper, and a price tag at $60, the Nike Downshifter is a serious bargain for a daily trainer.