The Best Running Shoes At Every Price Point In 2026

What’s the best bang for your buck when buying running shoes? It all sounds so complicated. Can you still buy something good for under $200? How much should a carbon plated shoe actually cost? And how much could you expect to budget for just one year of running?

I get it. It’s intimidating. Shoes keep getting better and more diversified, which means more expensive, and knowing where to put your money just gets harder and harder.

But in the last year, I tested more than 100 pairs of running shoes and ran more than 5,000 kilometers to answer that very question — and also to, you know, try to improve as a runner. So today I’m breaking down the best shoes that you can buy at each specific price point. We’re starting at daily trainers and we’ll go all the way up to luxury super shoes. And at the very end, I’ll share with you the one trick that helps people save hundreds of dollars on running shoes every year.

So whether you’re running on a budget or are looking to splurge on the best running shoes in the world, strap in. Here we go.

$150 And Under: Adidas Evo SL

Let’s dive into our first price category. $150 and under. These days, that is cheap for a running shoe, and I would caution you to shop inside of that price point. But listen, if you want to save money and you want to find something good, there is a shoe out there that is well worth the money — and that’s the Adidas Evo SL.

This shoe might have been the most popular of 2025. Not only because it looks good, but I think because it was affordable. It’s a daily trainer that can also be used as a workout shoe because it’s relatively lightweight and it’s got a very high quality foam as its midsole — the Lightstrike Pro foam that Adidas uses in much of their running shoe lineup, including their super shoes. There’s no carbon plate, no carbon fiber. Just a nice, comfortable, great daily trainer, and a really good little workout shoe too.

Now, what really surprised me about the Evo SL was their durability. I didn’t expect them to last as long as they did. I ran in mine for just about 650 km, and they kept their pop until then. So for $150, that’s a good bang for your buck. (For more options in this range, check out our best daily running shoes guide.)

$150 To $175: Nike Vomero 18

I call this category the workhorses, because most brands will position their best, most durable daily trainer inside of those prices. If you’re willing to spend that much money on a shoe, you can expect something that’s comfortable and durable. Like, it should last you 500 miles or more. If it doesn’t, you’re getting ripped off.

This is usually the domain of the ASICS Nimbus, the Brooks Glycerin, and my winner of this category right now: the Nike Vomero 18.

The reason I picked the 18 over its close competitors was that the Vomero 18 is a little bit cheaper. And I know that later this year the 19 will come out and this shoe may become a thing of the past real soon, but for now it might be the best mile-per-dollar deal out there. Period. My pair has just about 600 miles on them and they’re still going.

Now, the Vomero and its counterparts are not your racing shoe. They’re not your fastest workout shoe. They’re the key daily trainer that you build your quiver around. Your easy running shoe. Probably the shoe that you’ll use the most. If you’re torn between the Vomero and Nike’s other workhorse, our Nike Vomero vs Pegasus comparison breaks down exactly which one is right for you.

$175 To $200: Nike Vomero Plus & ASICS Magic Speed 5

Let’s move on to our next price range, $175 to $200. I call this category super trainer territory. If you’re paying that much money, you can expect something more than an easy running shoe. Maybe in terms of cushioning, maybe in terms of speed, maybe both. There are two ways to go inside of this category.

Nike Vomero Plus

If you’re looking for something — probably a workout shoe or a long running shoe — that has a bit more or better foam than your daily trainer, you might want to reach for the Nike Vomero Plus.

Now, I’m not intentionally propping up the Vomero line. You can be sure that I will not include the Vomero Premium on this list because I think it’s a weird shoe. However, I think Nike really nailed it with the Vomero 18 and the Vomero Plus. The Plus has a bit more foam to it. It’s a little bit more durable and overall is more fun of a ride. It works incredibly well for easy runs and long runs, and it’s also got a few hidden gears because of the supercritical ZoomX foam inside of its midsole. So it’s a pretty versatile shoe.

ASICS Magic Speed 5

In this category, if you’re less after cushion and more after speed, the shoe that you need is the ASICS Magic Speed 5. I maintain that that is the fastest shoe that you can buy in the world for less than $200. Point blank.

The Magic Speed 5 could almost be confused for a racing shoe because it is that fast. It’s a plated shoe with two layers of foam at its midsole, including a layer of FF Leap foam, which is the fastest foam that ASICS has ever created. I love wearing it for workouts. It’s an ego boost every time I wear it. If you’re after speed for your workout shoe, that is the one to buy for under $200.

$200 To $225: ASICS Superblast 3 & Megablast

Moving on to our next price range: $200 to $225. Now, if a brand demands that much money for one shoe, it better be something special, right? What about an everything shoe?

Recently on the channel, we published a video that compared the ASICS Superblast 3 with the ASICS Megablast. The reason we compared the two is because I think those two shoes are two of the best — if not the two best — everything shoes out there.

Now, what’s an everything shoe? An everything shoe can handle an easy run, a long run, a workout, and even a race if you’d like. It’s the type of shoe that you might want to buy if you want one shoe to take care of every single type of run that you do. And if you’re into that, it kind of becomes an investment because you’re just paying for one shoe — you’re not paying for a few.

I wouldn’t recommend buying just one shoe. It’s better to alternate between a few shoes in a rotation, especially if you plan to do easy runs and races. But we’re all on a different budget. And for some people, buying one shoe to do everything is a viable option.

So between $200 and $225, these are the two best shoes you can buy: the ASICS Superblast 3 and the ASICS Megablast. I give the edge to the Superblast 3 because it’s a little bit cheaper, and also I think it’s harder to beat down — it’s going to last you a little bit longer.

The very short Cliff’s Notes: more durable, more comfortable — Superblast 3. The Megablast is a version of the Superblast 3 with a foam that’s a little bit more lively and that’s just a bit more fun to run in because it’s a little bit faster. If you want our full head-to-head breakdown, you can find it here.

Bonus: On Cloudboom Strike

Small caveat inside of this category. There aren’t just these big bulky everything shoes that figure inside of that price point. If you’re willing to pay something like $225 for a shoe, you might still find super shoes of years past that are still selling. One example is the On Cloudboom Strike, which was brought down in price a little bit when On started releasing newer updated super shoes. These shoes are still on the market and are a good way to get a super shoe for less than your average super shoe cost.

Now, a super shoe like the Cloudboom Strike will not feel very good on easy runs and long runs like the Superblast 3. Those shoes are more made for races. So it depends what you want here.

$225 To $250: ASICS Metaspeed Sky & Edge

Next up: the best shoe that you can buy for $225 to $250. I call this category super shoe land, because the vast majority of brands have priced their very best super shoe at 250 bucks. It’s like they met in a room one day and agreed on this — to create competition in the market. It’s a great thing.

If you’re willing to spend $250, you are looking for a super shoe. Now, there are many, many options at that price point. The Brooks Hyperion Elite 5, the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite 5 — I could go on.

The best, fastest super shoe priced at $250 is the ASICS Metaspeed Sky and/or Edge.

Now, the Metaspeed Sky and Edge are nearly carbon copies of each other. They have tiny differences. We actually broke it down in another video — the differences are very, very small. So I rank them the same. There’s not one that’s better than the other. I love them both.

I think they stand a little bit taller than the other shoes at that price point. They’re faster. They’re very durable. And I just think that they’re world class. Many of them have found their ways onto World Marathon Major podiums in 2025, and they remain ASICS’s best and most popular super shoe in 2026.

$250 To $300: Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3

Okay, moving on to rarified air. Our next price range, $250 to $300. Now, when a brand prices a super shoe inside of that range, it’s basically them saying, “Hey, we know what’s on the market, and we’ve made something that’s a lot better than anything you’ve ever seen.”

There are a few shoes that might warrant a price like that. People love the Nike Alphafly 3, the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, even the Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 is priced very high. None of those shoes, to me, are the best bang for your buck if you’re looking to spend $300 on a racing shoe. For our full ranking of carbon-plate options at this tier, see our best carbon plate running shoes guide.

In fact, to me, this is the shoe that is most worth that amount of money: the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3. It costs $300 clean. You are paying a premium. To me, it’s worth it. I think it’s the most coveted super shoe in the world right now.

I use it as my racing shoe. I have access to all the racing shoes — this one is my choice. I’ve PR’d in the 10,000 and in the half marathon in the last year wearing this shoe.

Some people find it a bit too aggressive. It’s very friendly to forefoot strikers. Not necessarily for everyone. Some don’t find it supportive enough for marathoning. I think it’s just fine for 5Ks to halves, and I’ve also seen a lot of pro athletes wear it and set huge personal bests in the marathon. So, big fan of the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, and if you ask me, it’s worth the extra money if you can and want to afford it.

Bonus Round: The Untouchables

I’m not leaving you without sharing my money-saving trick, because no matter who you are, I think this could save you hundreds of dollars a year. But before then, let’s do a bonus round: the most expensive running shoes in the world. I have four here. These are any shoes worth more than $300.

• Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 — $500, if you can find it. They sell for more than that on StockX.
• Balenciaga Runner — $700 to $895. I have not tried this shoe. I’ve been told that it is more for fashion than performance, despite what the name might suggest.
• Nike Mag Back to the Future Edition — being resold on websites for $10,000+.
• Nike Moon Shoe — the most expensive running shoe I could find, selling for $437,500. It was an auction record. Only 12 pairs were ever made.

So unless you’re a collector or a billionaire, maybe avoid those.

My Tip For Saving Money On Running Shoes

Okay, time for my money-saving trick. This isn’t anything weird. I’m not going to ask you to do something crazy. This is just savvy shopping.

As you know, brands come out with new versions of pretty much the same shoes every year (you can track upcoming launches on our running shoe release calendar), which means that at some point, you’ll go to a running store and last year’s versions — and even versions of a shoe from 2 years ago — will still be on the shelves. Those shoes get marked down.

Don’t get sucked into thinking that these shoes are not good. Buy them. If they were good last year, they’re good this year.

I will say some shoes go through huge evolutions every now and then. The Brooks Glycerin 22 was a lot different from the Brooks Glycerin 21. Those things do happen, but by and large, the shoes don’t change much. Sometimes you save $60, $80 just by buying last year’s version. It’s huge. I recommend that everyone does that.

My biggest find was a pair of the OG Nike Alphaflies at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Florida for $150. And that was maybe 2 years after Eliud Kipchoge had worn those types of shoes to break the 2-hour marathon. They were selling for like $300, and I got them for half price. I’m not really sure why. But sometimes you will find gems out there if you look.

So never be afraid to buy last year’s shoes. You’ll save a whole lot of money.

Don’t Cheap Out

But — and this is very important — shopping for running shoes is not one big bargain hunt. If you see a pair of shoes that’s very cheap, that you’ve never heard of, and that’s labeled as anything but a running shoe (like a training shoe), don’t fall for it. You will pay for the difference in physio bills, I promise you.

There’s a reason that you should spend a little bit more for your running shoes, and that’s for them to last longer than crappy shoes and to support your feet properly. So be mindful when you go to a store. A deal is not always a good thing. Cheaper is not always better. (For our full vetted picks, the best running shoes reviewed and ranked by our experts is the best place to start.)

Happy running, and until next time.