Top 5 Most Misunderstood Running Shoes of 2025
Here are our top 5 most misunderstood running shoes of 2025. Find out why the Hoka Mach X3, Saucony Endorphin Trainer, Tracksmith Eliot Racer, Brooks Hyperion 3, and ASICS Sonicblast weren't given the attention they deserved.
Some shoes didn’t miss because they were bad, they missed because they were misunderstood, mispositioned, or released into the wrong hype cycle. From daily trainers hiding behind race-day names to workhorses overshadowed by flashier foams, each of these delivered real performance once expectations were reset. When we stopped chasing buzz and started judging ride quality, comfort, and long-run value, these pairs quietly delivered some of the most dependable miles of the year.
1. Saucony Endorphin Trainer
The Endorphin Trainer was a victim of Saucony’s own marketing and poor positioning. By placing what was ultimately a max cushion cruiser in the Endorphin family of shoes, a line synonymous with speed and pinnacle performance, expectations were high and inevitably misaligned. Add to that a spec sheet with seemingly contradictory elements—a bottom layer of standard EVA, a top layer of super soft race foam, AND a carbon plate. Runners weren’t sure what exactly the Endorphin Trainer was optimized for. Runners who did buy the shoe, however, were treated to one of the best long run trainers of the year.
Saucony Endorphin Trainer
2. Hoka Mach X 3
The Mach X 3 is a highly dependable, stable, and consistent speed training shoe, but it failed to garner much hype upon release. In a world of bouncy ATPU foams, aggressive geometries, and an obsession with the next flashy thing, many passed up on the Mach X 3 because it used the same tried-and-true midsole configuration that runners loved in the Mach X2. We believe there’s always room for a no-nonsense, do-it-all plated trainer like this on the market, but HOKA will have to bring something fresh and new to the table in the next generation if they want to impress the masses.
Hoka Mach X 3
3. ASICS Sonicblast
The Sonicblast got lost in the wave of hyped-up ASICS shoes this summer, releasing in the same window as the likes of the Megablast, Metaspeed Ray, Edge Tokyo and Sky Tokyo. In addition, the Sonicblast suffered from the same confusing positioning that plagued the Endorphin Trainer: the name conjures images of supersonic speed, but the ride tells a different story. It’s extremely comfortable, protective, and easy to run in, but it doesn’t deliver the snap or aggression we look for in a true speed trainer. If you let go of the expectation of speed, however, you’ll find a fantastic high mileage workhorse in the Sonicblast.
ASICS Sonicblast
4. Tracksmith Eliot Racer
With a hefty price tag, aesthetics some found pretentious, and less speed assistance than runners expect from a race shoe, Tracksmith’s Eliot Racer never quite found its footing in 2025. Despite being overlooked for lacking the snap and aggression of other carbon plated shoes, the Eliot Racer delivers some of the best comfort and protection on the market for stacking mileage, thanks to its innovative removable PEBA insole. As a refined, comfort-oriented super trainer disguised as a pinnacle racing shoe, its easy to see why the Eliot Racer flew under the radar.
Tracksmith Eliot Racer
.png)
5. Brooks Hyperion 3
The Hyperion 3 is one of the best daily trainers of 2025, but hardly anyone considers it because it’s a Brooks shoe. Delivering one of the most versatile and bouncy midsoles in the daily trainer category, the Hyperion 3 would’ve gotten much more time in the spotlight if Nike, ASICS, or Adidas released it. Rivaling the value propositions of the Evo SL and Novablast 5, and offering much of the same bounce, speed assistance, and reliability as super trainers like the Megablast, the Hyperion 3 quietly delivered one of the best daily trainer rides of the year.
Brooks Hyperion 3
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.
Find your next running shoe
Answer a few questions to find the best shoe based on your preferences and goals
