Top 5 Running Shoe Trends in 2025
Here are the top 5 trends in the running shoe world right now in 2025. We will discuss the movement to softer foams, lighter shoes, nostalgic silhouettes and crazy technology and give some examples of each—including how the Adidas Prime X 3 Strung, Saucony Endorphin Speed 5, and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 are changing the running shoe landscape.
Below we will break down the top 5 trends taking over the running shoe space from our perspective at Supwell. From ultra-light race day builds to marshmallow midsoles and brands leaning all the way into sicko territory—these are the big shifts we’re seeing in the running shoe world.
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1. Race to the Bottom: Ultra-Light Race Day Shoes
The next frontier in marathon race shoe technology is upon us: brands are striving to create the lightest shoes possible without sacrificing bounce and protection. Most emblematic of this shift is the upcoming ASICS Metaspeed Ray, which graces the scales at just 129 grams. The new generation of ultra-light shoes is making once cutting edge shoes like the Alphafly 3 feel heavy and overbuilt in comparison.
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
2. Nostalgia-Inspired Silhouettes
In 2025, brands are tapping into the nostalgia hobby joggers have for the shoes that got them into running during the pandemic (and in some cases, nostalgia for earlier periods in running history). The ASICS Dynablast 5 is practically a Novablast 3 retro, Saucony’s “Mutant” Endorphin Speed 5 is a throwback to the most beloved colorway of the Speed 1, and the Nike Vaporfly 4 “Steve Pre Montreal” colorway pays homage to the iconic aesthetic of track spikes in the 1970s.
Asics Dynablast 5
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Saucony Endorphin Speed 5
Nike Vaporfly Next% 4
3. The Death of the Recovery Running Shoe
No,“recovery” shoes aren’t actually dead, but there is a growing sentiment that soft shoes like the More V5 are going extinct. In a world where energy return is coveted, runners are swapping their ultra pillowy More V5s and Nimbus 27s for bouncy, energetic max cushion models like the Skyward X and MagMax. Some have even gravitated to nimble daily trainers such as the EVO SL for easy miles, praising the leg-saving combination of lightweight construction and responsive foam.
Asics Gel-Nimbus 27
4. Marshmallow-Soft Race Day Midsoles
Ironically, while high stack training shoe midsoles are getting more robust, we’ve seen a recent influx of marshmallow-like foams in race day shoes such as the Adidas Adios Pro 4 and Saucony Endorphin Elite 2. This trend can be attributed to the ever-growing implementation of supercritical TPEE, an ultra-soft, comfortable and compliant compound that also provides a high level of responsiveness and energy return. PEBA’s days as the go-to race foam might be numbered if the market continues to move in this direction.
Adidas Adios Pro 4
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2
5. Brands Catering to Running Shoe Sickos
Gone are the days where running shoe purchases are purely about performance and value. In 2025, brands are stacking their lineups with more options than ever—and consumers are buying them. There's a new wave of running shoe enthusiasts—the shoe sickos—who buy shoes more for the experience than the utility. Shoes like the Superblast and Endorphin Speed set the stage in the early 2020s, now sickos across the world are buying shoes like the Prime X Strung 3, Pegasus Premium and Endorphin Elite 2 for the fun and enjoyment.
Adidas Prime X 3 Strung
Nike Pegasus Premium
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