Top 5 Running Shoe Brands in May 2025
Here, we’re diving into the top five running shoe brands for May 2025. After reviewing each brand’s current lineup, evaluating the performance of their shoes, and considering the buzz around their upcoming 2025 releases, we’ve determined that ASICS, Puma, Adidas, Nike, and newcomer Mizuno offer the best options for your daily miles, speed sessions, and upcoming races.
Welcome to the newest Power Rankings roundup, where we’re ranking the top running shoe brands. We took a look at each brands’ lineup, the performance of their top shoes and excitement for recent and upcoming releases. This month, ASICS comes out on top. Their shoes held 3 out of the final 4 slots in our March Madness bracket, a testament to their strong position in the market right now. Hobby joggers love ASICS so much that the Metaspeed Sky Paris beat out the Alphafly in that competition. Until the past few months, the Superblast 2 could barely stay in stock, and the Novablast 5 x Bandit version was the hottest running collab of the year so far. It’s not just hype—nearly all of ASICS’ training and racing shoes are best-in-class when it comes to performance as well. Puma and Adidas are in a close second and third with strong recent releases—the Fast-R 3 and Adios Pro 4—and loved favorites—MagMax, EVO SL—while the old-guard Nike and newcomer Mizuno round out the top 5. See below for the full breakdown.
1. ASICS
ASICS has been on fire over the past two years. Since the release of the OG Superblast, they’ve dropped hit after hit, and they’re now number 1 in the hearts and on the feet of hobby jogger nation. The Novablast 5 is the trendiest $140 daily trainer out, the Superblast 2 is the hype king, and the Metaspeed Sky Paris is so popular that it beat the Alphafly 3 in our March Madness challenge. The road to the chip runs through Asics.
Asics Novablast 5
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris
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2. Puma
While Puma’s lineup isn’t as stacked as ASICS', their top shoes are some of the best on the market. The MagMax is unrivaled for high-mileage bounce and comfort. The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is the most versatile racer out and comes in at $230. And the recently released Fast-R 3 set a new standard for race day speed. Puma is innovating, providing quality options for mileage and offering excellent value compared to peers. All they need now is a Velocity Nitro update that can compete with the Novablast.
Puma MagMax Nitro
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Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
3. Adidas
Did you know that ADIDAS stands for All Day I Dream About Steadiness? (Not actually; it’s a portmanteau of founder Adi Dassler’s name). But Adidas is the definition of steady, consistent and reliable. They have so many great shoes: the Evo SL, a $150 speed trainer that’s taken the streets by storm; the Adios Pro 4, one of the most beloved racing shoes out; and the SL2, a $130 daily trainer that’s versatile and durable, just to name a few. Year after year, Adidas keeps delivering solid options.
Adidas Evo SL
Adidas Adios Pro 4
4. Nike
Nike is the New York Yankees of running shoe brands—the one people love to hate. Given the brand’s stratospheric stature in pop culture, expectations for every release are sky high. When the Swoosh comes up short, the criticism rains down hard. Gladly this year, Nike has had very few misses. The Alphafly 3 is still a top marathon shoe, the Streakfly 2 delivers a fresh and new speed experience and the Vomero 18 offers a comfortable, solid option for daily mileage. The Vaporfly 4 isn’t special, but its inoffensive nature makes it a solid pick for a range of runners.
Nike Streakfly 2
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Nike Vomero 18
Nike Vaporfly Next% 4
5. Mizuno
While Mizuno has been delivering reliable shoes for years, they’ve recently gained notoriety as the brand willing to take risks and break boundaries. Putting out wild, disruptive shoes like the Wave Rebellion Pro 3, a bouncy marathon racer with an absurd mid foot stack height, and the Neo Zen, a lightweight and fun daily trainer that makes its competitors seem boring, Mizuno is a now a difficult brand to ignore. If longstanding industry giants like New Balance and Saucony don’t work to up the fun factor of their shoes, we anticipate Mizuno taking even more market share.
Mizuno Neo Zen
Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Beta
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