Rating 6 Popular Daily Trainers
Below we are rating the 6 most popular daily trainer running shoes on the market. See how we rated the ASICS Novablast 6, Topo Specter 3, Puma Deviate Pure Nitro, Adidas Evo SL EXO, Hoka Clifton Pro, and Nike Pegasus 42 on their long run capabilities, bounce, speed, stability, comfort, fun factor, and more.
The daily trainer category might be the most competitive it’s ever been, and these six have been some of the biggest names this year. From classic trainers like the Nike Pegasus 42 and ASICS Novablast 6 to newer standouts like the Topo Specter 3 and Puma Deviate Pure NITRO, every shoe brings something different to the table.
ASICS Novablast 6—82
The ASICS Novablast 6 is a workhorse daily trainer for the masses with enough pop in the forefoot for uptempo daily miles. Its predecessor, the Novablast 5, was the most popular shoe on Strava in 2025 for a reason—it's comfortable, it fits well, there is nothing weird about the step-in feeling or the ride, it's stable, and the foam and geometry are reliable. With the Novablast 6, ASICS took the FFTurbo2 foam that makes up the midsole of the Megablast, and put a puck of it in the forefoot of the Novablast. The addition of this race-caliber foam has given the Novablast 6 some extra gears when picking up the pace. It's not the most fun or exciting of these daily trainers, and we wouldn't pick it for a long run over some of the other shoes on this list, but it is a very solid daily trainer and we highly recommend it for beginners or people who want a 1-3 running shoe rotation.
ASICS Novablast 6
Puma Deviate Pure Nitro—86
The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is a lightweight, nimble, and stable shoe that offers more protection than its stack would suggest. This is a new shoe in Puma's line-up and it is up against some stiff competition with shoes like the Adidas Evo SL and all of its variants on the market. The Deviate Pure Nitro features an un-plated bed of PEBA foam that is responsive and protective. The geometry is less aggressive than the Evo SL's geometry, which makes it less fast and not quite as much fun, but it is a solid, reliable, no-nonsense daily trainer that will be great for stacking miles. It will definitely make our list of the top daily trainers of the year.
Puma Deviate Pure Nitro
Hoka Clifton Pro—80
A supportive, smooth daily trainer designed for comfort and impact absorption over long miles, the Hoka Clifton Pro is a new line that builds on the legacy of the standard Clifton 11. The Clifton Pro is similar on paper to the Clifton 11 with the same drop, similar stack height, and a slightly higher weight; however, the Clifton Pro features a supercritical EVA, while the standard Clifton 11 still uses compression-molded EVA. The other big difference is the geometry. The Clifton Pro has a more aggressive geometry, and combined with the really nice foam, it delivers a very smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable ride. Compared to its competitors on this list, it is a bit heavy, and not as fun, bouncy, or fast, but it is stable and a very reliable and safe pick.
Hoka Clifton Pro
Adidas Evo SL EXO—84
The Adidas Evo SL EXO is Adidas’ game-changing iconic uptempo shoe that features a race-tuned rocker and bouncy Lightstrike Pro. It excels at uptempo miles, long runs with pace, and workouts. It is less enjoyable for relaxes or recovery runs and some people find it unstable and not particularly comfortable.
Adidas Evo SL EXO
Topo Specter 3—90
The Topo Specter 3 has quickly become a candidate for training shoe of the year. It offers a bouncy, versatile ATPU midsole, and an amazing rocker that just makes you want to pick up the pace and to run a little longer. The Specter 3 is one of those rare shoes that no one was expecting to be great, and it has shocked the running shoe world. It is fun and bouncy, provides great speed assistance and protection for the long run, and it's accommodating upper and wider toebox make it stable and a great choice for people with wider feet. The hype is real with this one and we can't wait to get more miles on it.
Topo Specter 3
Nike Pegasus 42—73
The Nike Pegasus 42 is the longest standing franchise on our list. It is a simple, no-frills daily trainer with a direct, stable ride and a time-tested silhouette. Unfortunately, it is much heavier than it should be, especially these days with daily trainers being higher stack, using better foams, and coming in at much lower weights. It is not as fun or fast as the other shoes on this list, and we wouldn't want to take it on a long run.
Nike Pegasus 42
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