Ranking the Daily Trainers from Fastest to Slowest
Below we are ranking all the daily trainers on the market right now from fastest to slowest. Whether you want a peppy and lightweight trainer like the Dynafish Xiaonian, a bouncy and versatile shoe like the Nike Vomero Plus, or a traditional running shoe like the Mizuno Wave Rider 30, we can help you pick out your next daily trainer.
There’s no perfect daily trainer, but there are definitely some that feel a lot more eager to pick up the pace than others. We ranked 36 of the biggest daily trainers based on how naturally they handle faster running, from the speediest options like the Megablast to the cruisers that are happiest at easy pace. As always, this is based on our testing and how each shoe performs out on the road.
#1-12: Peppy and Lightweight
The fastest daily trainers on our list feature speed assistive elements, such as race foams like in the ASICS Megablast and Adidas Evo SL, supercritical training compounds like we see in the Dynafish Xiaonian and Skechers Aero Razor and/or aggressive rocker geometries, such as in the Saucony Endorphin Azura and the Topo Specter 3). They are also have very lightweight constructions that make it easy to turn over your legs. Some of the best and lightest daily trainers, such as the Megablast and Xiaonian, are just as light as many of the marathon racers on the market. Some other shoes that sit in this peppy and lightweight category are the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro, Velocity Nitro 4, R.A.D Synth, Hoka Mach 7, ASICS Novablast 6, and the New Balance Rebel v5.
ASICS Megablast
Dynafish Xiaonian
Adidas Evo SL EXO
Topo Specter 3
#13-22: Bouncy and Versatile
The next group of daily trainers do not provide as much speed assistance as those in the top category, but they also don't need to be strictly reserved for slower, recovery paced miles. These shoes have bouncy, elevated training midsoles that provide solid versatility for stacking mileage. They tend to have less-aggressive geometries and higher stack heights that prioritize comfort over pure speed assistance. The Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra is a perfect example of a fun and bouncy daily trainer that is versatile enough for Zone 3 miles, but also good for more relaxed paces. The On Lightspray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper and standard version of the Cloudmonster 3 Hyper have incredibly smooth, but not aggressive, rocker geometries that roll you through your stride and a really nice PEBA midsole over a stabilizing EVA Cloudtech foam. While the Lightspray version is incredibly light, there is something about the foam and rocker that allow for cruising along at daily pace without encouraging your to pick up the pace. The Saucony Triumph 24, which now features Saucony's new IncrediLux foam, is also soft and bouncy. Some other shoes that fit well into this category are some of our favorites for high mileage training, including the Nike Vomero Plus, Puma Magnify Nitro 3, Brooks Glycerin Flex, Salomon Aero Glide 4, Adidas Supernova Rise 3, and the New Balance 1080v15.
On Lightspray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper
Saucony Triumph 24
Nike Vomero Plus
#23-36: Traditional with No Fancy Tech
The slowest daily trainers have firmer, more traditional platforms. Many of these shoes, including legacy models, such as the Brooks Ghost 18 and Glycerin 23, New Balance 880v15 and 860v15, Nike Pegasus 42, Mizuno Wave Rider 30, Saucony Ride 18, and Hoka Clifton 10, change very little year over year so as not to disenfranchise their core audience. They are usually designed with a focus on reliability, stability, and impact absorption rather than speed assistance. Some examples are the Mount to Coast C1, Nike Vomero 18 and Structure 26, New Balance Ellipse, On Cloudmonster 3, and Mizuno Neo Zen 2.
Mizuno Wave Rider 30
Mount to Coast C1
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Mizuno Neo Zen 2
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