The Best Running Shoe Brands, Right Now

With so many new running shoes dropping each year, it can be overwhelming to figure out which brands are really delivering the goods—and not just for one type of run, but across the board.

I test and rank shoes across every major running category, from daily trainers and racing flats to ultra-distance trail shoes and everything in between (you can learn more about my review process here). This roundup pulls together all my current #1 picks to answer a simple but surprisingly insightful question:

Which brands are actually making the best running shoes right now?

One brand stands out above the rest, with three different models ranked #1 in their respective categories.

The Best Running Shoes, Right Now

From daily training miles to trail ultras and race-day PRs, these are the best running shoes of the year (so far) that I personally rely on and recommend after thousands of miles of real-world testing. This is the ultimate running shoe rotation.

Alastair RunningAlastair Dixon

I love periodically updating this post, and seeing all the data from my shoe reviews laid out in a way that uncovers anomalies and insights that would otherwise be impossible to notice without one tester, reviewing shoes across the board. Let's get to it!

The best shoes in every category — and the brands behind them

Each of the following shoes is currently sitting at the top of its category on this site, based on real-world testing, performance, value, and comfort.