5 Most Hyped Running Shoes in February 2026

Welcome to the February edition of the Supwell Hype Index. Every so often we rank the five shoes generating the most buzz in the community and this lineup is stacked. The Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra leads the charge, followed by the ASICS Superblast 3 and Saucony Endorphin Azura bringing serious performance energy. The Nike Vomero Premium Realtree adds a lifestyle twist to the mix, while the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite 4 keeps things fast and race ready to round out the top five.

1. Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra - The Chinese shoe taking the running shoe enthusiast community by storm

The Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra is making waves in the running shoe enthusiast community, with many hyping it up as a Vomero Premium killer. We can’t say they’re wrong either; as a max cushion shoe with a level of innovation ordinarily reserved for race day shoes, the Red Hare 9 Ultra is one of the bounciest, most fun shoes we’ve ever tested.

Max Cushion

Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra

Max cushioned shoe designed for bounce and comfort

Price

$150

Plated?

Yes

Foam

Not disclosed

Weight (oz)

8.5

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

2. ASICS Superblast 3 - The newest iteration of ASICS' iconic max stack super trainer

The ASICS Superblast 3 doesn’t release until March 1, but early reviews praising its softer, more energetic FF Leap midsole are already pouring in. Will this be the shoe that makes us retire the SuperBrick joke for good?

Max Cushion

ASICS Superblast 3

Max cushioned training shoe designed for long runs

Price

$210

Plated?

No

Foam

ATPU, EVA OBC Blend

Weight (oz)

8.4

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Mild Stability

see details

3. Saucony Endorphin Azura - Saucony's new $150 non-plated race foam daily trainer

The Saucony Endorphin Azura is one of the most hyped daily trainers on the market right now, luring in shoe sickos with its aggressive rocker, beaded PEBA foam, and competitive price point. While we aren’t sure that they hype will last, the Azura is currently enjoying its moment in the spotlight as an EVO SL-esque versatile daily trainer.

Daily Trainer

Saucony Endorphin Azura

Super trainer designed for versatility and bounce

Price

$150

Plated?

No

Foam

PEBA

Weight (oz)

8.6

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Mild Stability

see details

4. Nike Vomero Premium Realtree - Hunting for Mileage colorway renews the Vomero Premium hype

Hype for the Nike Vomero Premium has waned since the shoe became readily available, but this Realtree camo Hunting for Mileage colorway generated renewed interest in Nike’s super max stack cruiser.

Max Cushion

Nike Vomero Premium

Super max stack shoe designed for comfort and bounce

Price

$230

Plated?

No

Foam

Undisclosed

Weight (oz)

12.3

Drop (mm)

10

Support

Neutral

see details

5. Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 - Puma's new reliable, bouncy and stable race shoe

Of all the carbon-plated racers released so far in 2025, the Deviate NITRO Elite 4 has garnered the most hype from shoe sickos. Other marathon racers, including the Cielo X-1 3.0 and Endorphin Pro 5 haven’t generated nearly as much buzz in the enthusiast community.

Race Day

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

Race shoe designed for speed and versatility

Price

$250

Plated?

Yes

Foam

ATPU

Weight (oz)

6.0

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

Supwell Shoe Matcher

Whether you're looking for a reliable easy run shoe, pampering comfort on recovery days, a long-run cruiser, or a race day weapon, check out our Shoe Matcher tool to get matched. We've done the extensive testing, so you don't have to.