10 Best Speed Training Running Shoes in 2022
Speed is a huge part of running. Whether you’re running easy or fast, your running shoes should match your pace.
For runners who want to set PBs, there’s no better option than dedicated speed trainers.
There are more than 200 speed running shoes to choose from. But no worries, this list has trimmed it down to the ten best models.
Because we believe that there’s no one shoe for all runners, we have selected top picks from five different categories.
Overview of this guide
How we choose the best running shoes for speedwork
Before they make it to the list, each tempo trainer goes through a myriad of tests in our own RunRepeat shoe testing facility. And to stay objective, we buy them with our own money.
To step it up, we also:
- Run in them for at least 30 to 50 miles
- Cut them open
- Examine and measure their parts via different parameters
- Calculate their Corescore based on thousands of expert and user reviews
Best speed training running shoes overall
7 colorways available 7 colorways available A speed trainer and a race day shoe? Take both in the Endorphin Speed 2. After pacing it through, this shoe proved itself a star in speed, responsiveness, and durability. It literally sent us flying through the blocks! Even better, it's unlike any speed-oriented shoes we've tested - it doesn't forgo comfort in favor of lightness and agility!
7 colorways available 7 colorways available Easily, the Brooks Hyperion Tempo is a speed training shoe we'd HIGHLY recommend to those who want to run fast! This shoe is everything we could ask for in a speedster - it's light, supportive, and very responsive. It literally pushed us forward! What's even surprising is that it's a comfortable shoe too. Even better, after logging 60 miles, the shoe still looks pristine!
Speed training shoes with best cushioning
6 colorways available 6 colorways available Even as a nitpicking expert, it was so hard for us to find a flaw from the Rebel v2 from New Balance! The usual case is that all-rounders are good at everything and great at nothing. But this shoe literally REBELS against that! It excelled at everything we paced it through - it's plush for easy recovery days and long runs, but exceptionally bouncy and peppy to pick up the pace in tempo sessions!
8 colorways available 8 colorways available Built around comfort, our feet were right at home in the Asics Novablast 2! It's springy and soft (as in everywhere!) - much like a spa day treat in long, easy miles. And with all that plushness, you might think this is a shoe that wears easily. Good news! It DOESN'T. It's built to eat up miles (300-500 miles), and we can confirm this!
Best low/zero-drop speed training shoes
16 colorways available 16 colorways available Having tested Kinvaras of the past, we are happy to report that the Kinvara 12 continues to delight our feet as a lightweight daily trainer. So much so we even forgot we had shoes on! Like all other do-it-all shoes, it's good at everything and great at nothing (not a bad thing). For $110, it's a solid choice for a shoe that performs on slow runs, long-distance efforts, tempo sessions, and everything in between!
7 colorways available Also greatIf you want one shoe for everything - daily runs and occasional races - the Altra Rivera is what we'd suggest. It's cushioned, stable, and responsive enough to get you through the paces! And to test its claims to versatility, we hit both the road and trail (single-tracks), and it did awesome! The only issues we had with this shoe were the heel slips and the laces coming undone.
Best carbon-plated speed training shoes
8 colorways available 8 colorways available If you want a carbon-plated shoe that's built to go long and fast, the Hoka Carbon X 2 is an excellent pick. With its speed-enhancing features, the shoe shines at moderate to uptempo paces. Ensuring efficient strides, conserving the runner's energy is what the Carbon X 2 does best.
4 colorways available 4 colorways available If you're new to the world of carbon-plated running shoes, you should give the Asics Magic Speed some serious thought. It's plated tempo-day speedster that we see as a training complement to the MetaSpeed Sky. But if you want a full-on racing shoe, this can fit the bill too! Its ride is just so efficient and peppy, you don't have to put much effort into it to go fast.
Best budget speed training shoes
14 colorways available 14 colorways available A shoe that literally launched us forward - the Brooks Launch 8! Easily, it's one of our best picks for speed training shoes that doesn't break the bank. For a budget shoe, it goes above and beyond in areas of lightness, speed, and durability - something most speedsters don't possess! If you already have an easy-day and race-day shoe, this will complete your rotation. And if you want a light daily running shoe, it can fit the bill too!
8 colorways available 8 colorways available An affordable trainer that's got the makings of advanced running shoes? Hello, Brooks Revel 5! It's a smooth and lively jack-of-all-trades that will keep your feet comfy and bouncing. It can push the pace, eat up half-marathon distances, and breeze through your daily runs!
What are the most popular speed training running shoes in 2022?
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38
- Brooks Revel 5
- Nike Zoom Fly 4
- Asics Novablast 2
- Saucony Endorphin Speed 2
- Brooks Launch 8
- Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next%
- Brooks Hyperion Tempo
- Saucony Kinvara 12
- New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2
- Hoka One One Mach 4
- Nike Air Zoom Vomero 16
- Altra Escalante 2.5
- Brooks Aurora-BL
- Altra Rivera
What are the cheapest speed training running shoes in 2022?
- Adidas SL20.2 - from $39
- Reebok Floatride Run Fast 2 - from $40
- Reebok Forever Floatride Energy 2 - from $41
- New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v3 - from $43
- New Balance FuelCell Propel v2 - from $49
- Asics Hyper Speed - from $51
- New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo - from $55
- Salomon Predict 2 - from $62
- Saucony Kinvara 12 - from $70
- Asics Gel DS Trainer 26 - from $73
- Saucony Axon - from $76
- Adidas Adizero Pro - from $76
- Altra Provision 4.0 - from $77
- Skechers GOrun Razor Excess - from $80
- Skechers GOrun Razor+ - from $89
