Here are the 5 best daily trainers on the market in May 2025.
Welcome to the third edition of the SUPWELL POWER RANKINGS. With new releases every week and the dozens of shoes we test monthly, this series is a way to keep a running list of the best shoes on the market updated each month. Here are the 5 best daily trainers in May 2025.
Methodology note: Our criteria for this list is enjoyment, mileage accumulation on the Supwell team, adoption in the hobby jogger community, US market availability and price/value.
The Aero GOAT 3 is on the top of the throne for the second month in a row. The approval rating for this shoe is at an all time high in the hobby jogger community—nearly everyone who has tried it has loved it. Superblast lovers and haters alike have sung the praises of this random shoe's bounce, lightweight and versatility. The magic is in the midsole tuning—the stack is high enough to be protective without being too cumbersome. If you're looking for a do-it-all shoe to rack up mileage (the entire point of a daily trainer) this is the best combination of fun, comfort, speed and reliability.
The Novablast 5 holds strong in the second slot this month. The Bandit collab dropped last month and kept the momentum and buzz high for this training shoe from one of the hyper brands out right now (in our March Madness shoe bracket, 3 of the 4 finalists were Asics shoes). But it's not all hype here; the Novablast 5 is bouncy, fun, lightweight and fast. Its main flaw is the forefoot can feel too thin and soft fit some runners, an issue the Aero GOAT doesn't have. But for $140, this is still the best value shoe out right now.
The Vomero 18 is a shoe that gets better with miles. The bottom layer of ReactX takes some break in to soften up and get its true character, and after a few runs, it pairs beautifully with the top layer of ZoomX. It's 2025, and dual foam is still undefeated. The ride is comfortable and relaxed, perfect for those runs after hard workouts where you feel like you got hit by a bus. For high mileage training, that's a sneaky top 5 quality in a shoe—the ability to absorb mileage when we're feeling trashed. This is the adult gummy of running shoes. Just chill out and let it do its job.
The Neo Zen is a fun shoe. Sometimes it's that simple. There are softer shoes, faster shoes, more comfortable shoes—but none that are quite as pleasant and smile-inducing as the Neo Zen for $150. The protection of this foam is also surprisingly good for such a buttery compound, in turn making this a surprisingly good choice for relaxed long runs. It's definitely a specialized shoe—soft isn't for everyone—which is why it falls one slot this month. This is not the reliable do-it-all, but it's the shoe you'll consistently pull for those days you want some pillowy pep on tired legs.
The 880v15 is a new entrant on our daily trainer power rankings, replacing the Ghost Max 2 in the fifth slot. This is a shoe that's well-built, reliable, smooth and consistent. It's a no-nonsense daily trainer that works well for a variety of paces, footstrikes and distances. While we're all in favor of max stack and bouncy race foams, sometimes it's nice to have a simple shoe to cruise a daily run. This also has the classic New Balance clean aesthetic, which gives it bonus points in the dad drip department.
Answer a few questions to find the best shoe based on your preferences and goals