The Most Under-Rated Running Shoes From Every Brand - Part 1
Here are the most underrated on running shoes from every brand in early 2025. We'll take a look at the ASICS GlideRide Max, the Brooks Hyperion 2, the On Cloudmonster Hyper, the New Balance Balos, and the Hoka Skyflow and tell you why we think they aren't getting the attention they deserve.
Everyone knows about the Asics Superblast, Brooks Glycerin and Hoka Clifton, but what about the hidden gems in each brand’s lineup? This is a new series we’re doing to highlight the most slept-on shoes out there. Here are the most underrated shoes from Asics, Brooks, On, New Balance and Hoka.
The Most Underrated ASICS: Glideride Max
While the Gel-Nimbus, Novablast and Superblast get all the attention in the max cushioned Asics lineup, the Glideride max deserves some shine too. With a towering dual-foam stack of FF Blast Max and FF Blast+, it’s a soft, comfortable and protective ride for recovery runs and fun daily miles. At 300 grams, it also rides a lot lighter than its stack suggests. This is our pick if you want soft comfort and fun in a super max stack package.
Asics GlideRide Max
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The Most Underrated Brooks: Hyperion 2
The Hyperion 2 is slept-on for a reason. It’s low to the ground, firm and $140—not the type of shoe that gets hyped up in our Max Cushion Gang society. However, even us stack lovers at Supwell appreciate a connected, no-frills ride at times for speed work and fast daily miles. The Hyperion 2 is a top choice in that category, coming in as light as some race shoes while having above average comfort. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense speed trainer, this is it.
Brooks Hyperion 2
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The Most Underrated On: Cloudmonster Hyper
It’s hard to say a shoe this expensive is underrated, but the Cloudmonster Hyper is the rare $200+ training shoe that isn’t hyped to the moon. Maybe it’s because On still hasn’t won the hearts and minds of hobby jogger nation, but the Hyper is a versatile daily trainer that deserves much more credit. It’s comfortable, stable and protective while offering some pop up front from the PEBA. It won’t pay your mortgage or put your kids through college, but it will leave your legs feeling fresh for high-mileage training.
On Cloudmonster Hyper
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The Most Underrated New Balance: Balos
When the Balos was announced, it sounded too good to be true. Bouncy race foam infused into the buttery soft midsole from the 1080v13? Sign us up. Early hopes were dashed when the new midsole turned out to be soft but not much faster than the 1080—and $35 more. While it’s not a Superblast competitor (that would be the SC Trainer v3), it’s one of the most comfortable shoes on the market and a great choice for relaxed miles. And with the lack of hype, you can now find it on sale for under $150.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1
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The Most Underrated Hoka: Skyflow
A mononymic Chicago rapper once said, “everything I’m not made me everything I am.” The Hoka Skyflow is quietly great because of everything it’s not. It’s not super max stack, but it’s cushioned. It’s not plated, but it can go fast. It’s not soft, but it’s comfortable. It’s the kind of do-it-all, no-frills shoe that flies under the radar for a lot of people. Even for the biggest shoe sickos out there, sometimes it’s nice to have a shoe that’s not fancy but gets the job done no matter the task.
Hoka Skyflow
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