Expensive running shoe reviews

108 shoes reviewed

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Expensive

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Adidas 4DFWD 3

88

Great

Any colour

$200 $110

Save 45%

See on Amazon
Under Armour Velociti Elite 2

80

Good

Any colour

$250 $172

Save 31%

See on Amazon
Altra Olympus 275

82

Good

Any colour

$180

See on Amazon
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

86

Good

$500

See on Fleet Feet
Altra Vanish Carbon

83

Good

$240

See on Altra Running
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v2

81

Good

$200

See on New Balance
Hoka Mafate Three2

77

Decent

$185 $158

Save 15%

See on Amazon
PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3

84

Good

$295

See on Shoebacca
On Cloudmonster Hyper

89

Great

$238

See on Amazon
La Sportiva Prodigio Max
New

83

Good

$185

See on Zappos
APL Streamline

89

Great

$300 $238

Save 21%

See on Amazon
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 2

85

Good

$200 $190

Save 5%

See on Amazon
Hoka Rocket X 2

86

Good

$250

See on Amazon
HOKA Mafate X

87

Great

$249

See on Amazon
Hoka Mafate Speed 4

88

Great

$185

See on Dick's Sporting Goods
Saucony Endorphin Pro 2

91

Superb

$200

See on Amazon
New Balance FuelCell RC Elite v2

89

Great

$230

See on Fleet Feet
HOKA Tecton X 3

85

Good

$300

See on Amazon
On Cloudboom Echo 3

88

Great

$290 $260

Save 10%

See on Dick's Sporting Goods
KEEN Seek

79

Good

$185 $170

Save 8%

See on Amazon
Salomon S/Lab Genesis

91

Superb

$200

See on REI
Hoka Bondi X

90

Superb

$215

See on Fleet Feet
ASICS Metaspeed Edge

90

Superb

$250

See on Amazon
ASICS Metaspeed Ray

80

Good

$300

See on Fleet Feet
Nike Alphafly 2

84

Good

$319

See on Amazon
Hoka Cielo X1

88

Great

$275 $170

Save 38%

See on eBay
Adidas Hyperboost Edge
New

90

Superb

$200

See on Dick's Sporting Goods
On Cloudboom Max
New

87

Great

$294

See on Amazon
HOKA Cielo X1 3.0
New

89

Great

$275

See on Zappos
Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2

83

Good

$275 $188

Save 32%

See on Backcountry

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Size
- 5.5 (1)
- 6 (1)
- 6.5 (1)
- 7 (1)
- 7.5 (1)
- 8 (1)
- 8.5 (1)
- 9 (1)
- 9.5 (1)
- 10 (1)
Terrain
- Road (82)
- Trail (26)
Pace
- Daily running / easy (25)
- Tempo / speed (27)
- Competition / race (56)
Brand
Use
- Long distance (28)
- Jogging (25)
- All-day wear (11)
- Walking (12)
- Treadmill (56)
- Off-trail (6)
- Hiking (11)
- Triathlon (45)
- Mud (6)
- Spartan race (OCR) (2)
Pronation
- Neutral pronation (108)
- Supination (108)
- Underpronation (108)
Audience score
- > 90 (26)
- 80-90 (74)
- 70-80 (8)
73 - 94

73 94
Width / Fit
- Narrow (56)
- Medium (47)
- Wide (3)
86 mm - 101 mm

86 mm 101 mm
Toebox width
- Narrow (28)
- Medium (50)
- Wide (10)
56 mm - 81 mm

56 mm 81 mm
Heel to toe drop
- < 1 mm (3)
- 1 mm - 5 mm (10)
- 5 mm - 8 mm (29)
- 8 mm - 12 mm (59)
- > 12 mm (7)
-2 mm - 16 mm

-2 mm 16 mm
Release date
- 2025 (46)
- 2024 (22)
- 2023 (15)
- 2022 or older (11)
- New (8)
- Hide low stock (87)
- Hide previous models (80)
Race distance
- Marathon (37)
- Half marathon (40)
- 5K and 10K (34)
- Ultra (14)
Strike Pattern
- Forefoot/Midfoot strike (81)
- Heel strike (60)
Energy return
- High (47)
- Moderate (22)
- Low (8)
44% - 81%

44% 81%
Type
- For heavy runners (10)
- Comfortable (12)
- Lightweight (62)
- Maximalist (81)
- For big guys (8)
- Low drop (10)
- Zero drop (3)
- Cushioned (77)
- Super shoe (27)
- Super trainer (17)
Heel stack
- 25 mm - 30 mm (3)
- 30 mm - 35 mm (24)
- 35 mm - 40 mm (57)
- > 40 mm (24)
25 mm - 51 mm

25 mm 51 mm
Shock absorption
- High (61)
- Moderate (16)
114 SA - 185 SA

114 SA 185 SA
Width
- Wide (108)
- X-Wide (108)
- Normal
- Narrow (108)
Price
Features
- Carbon plate (67)
- Rocker (84)
- Orthotic friendly (92)
- Removable insole (92)
- Rock plate (2)
- Sockless wear (9)
- Sustainable (8)
- Slip-On (1)
- Expensive (49)
Arch support
- Neutral (108)
Midsole softness
- Soft (18)
- Balanced (29)
- Firm (1)
21 AC - 43 AC

21 AC 43 AC
Breathability
- Breathable (36)
- Moderate (51)
- Warm (11)
Condition
- Plantar fasciitis (3)
- Knee pain (6)
- Achilles tendonitis (2)
- Shin splints (3)
- Bunions (1)
- Hallux rigidus (6)
- Haglund's deformity (69)
Outsole durability
- Good (55)
- Decent (20)
- Bad (10)
0 mm - 17 mm

0 mm 17 mm
Toebox durability
- Good (27)
- Decent (29)
- Bad (32)
Forefoot stack
- 15 mm - 20 mm (2)
- 20 mm - 25 mm (10)
- 25 mm - 30 mm (43)
- > 30 mm (53)
16 mm - 42 mm

16 mm 42 mm
Stiffness
- Flexible (3)
- Moderate (20)
- Stiff (53)
6N - 39N

6N 39N
Waterproofing
- Water repellent (1)
Weight
- < 5.3 oz (15)
- 7.1 oz - 8.8 oz (47)
- 8.8 oz - 10.6 oz (26)
- 10.6 oz - 12.3 oz (18)
- > 12.3 oz (2)
4.6 oz - 15 oz

4.6 oz 15 oz
Arch Type
- High arch (108)
Season
- Summer (36)
- All seasons (98)
Heel padding durability
- Good (59)
- Decent (21)
- Bad (9)
Trail terrain
- Light (17)
- Moderate (18)
- Technical (2)
Colour
Collection
Heel counter stiffness
- Flexible (69)
- Moderate (23)
- Stiff (14)
Traction
- High (59)
- Moderate (9)
0.33 - 0.96

0.33 0.96
Torsional rigidity
- Flexible (5)
- Moderate (6)
- Stiff (96)
Deals
- On sale (60)
- Deals (46)
- Outlet (27)
- Under $100 (14)
- Under $50 (2)
Discount
- > 70% (3)
- 50% - 70% (15)
- 30% - 50% (46)
- < 30% (95)
Technology
- Vibram (14)
- Ortholite (1)
Lug depth
- < 3 mm (4)
- 3 mm - 4 mm (16)
- > 4 mm (6)
2.5 mm - 5.5 mm

2.5 mm 5.5 mm
Difference in midsole softness in cold
- Small (76)
- Normal (18)
- Big (2)
0% - 46%

0% 46%
Material
- Mesh (89)
- Knit (23)
- Vegan (8)
- Reflective (34)
Toebox height
- Low (16)
- Medium (43)
- High (15)
21 mm - 34 mm

21 mm 34 mm

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We bought all of these shoes with our own money and treated them as any other shoe: by doing the proper test runs and lab tests. These reviews of expensive running shoes stand proudly against the saying that the more expensive shoes are always better. They definitely come with a set of pros and cons, and we transparently showcase them all.