From the highest bird’s eye I can think of, there are three types of running shoes that cover most of anyone’s needs. Generally speaking to their extremes…
- The lighter road running shoe gives you speed and response
- The sturdier trail running shoe gives you support and structure
- The flexible hybrid shoe gives you a mix of the two and leans toward
Away from the lists of their features and closer to the real world, each shoe type sits somewhere on a spectrum that really best adheres to your style, your feet, and your goals. Some trail running shoes work best on city streets while some road runners will find solace in trail running shoes (especially when navigating broken sidewalks). Personally, I’ve always relied on the heavier and sturdier shoes both because I’m heavier and less-sturdy than I’d like to be and because I split my time between running on roads and paths and lifting weights at the gym. Those sessions mean I’m pushing down hard with my weight — and the weight of whatever I’m lifting — down on the sole of my shoes, wearing them down faster than normal.
Like I’ve already shared, I’ve had a great experience with the ASICS Gel-Venture 6, which dances on the line between the trail and the road in terms of the support it provides against the lightness it allows. And after ASICS sent me a pair of its new GEL-Nimbus 21 shoes, I found more of the same. They corrected my form, cushioned my impact, and felt very comfortable. Designed with a litany of features — from nanofibers that cushion and bounce back rapidly to a lightweight and responsive midsole — the shoes remain light enough to help me bounce down the road and achieve my cardio goals.
You know best what shoes feel right, both when you first slip it on and when you run around with it a bit, but it’s smart to approach your search with a slight filter on what you’re looking for. Here are some of the best selling and top-rated pairs of shoes in each category so you know how to align your search — you can get any of these through Zappos (which carries thousands of running shoes for men, women, boys, and girls so shipping and possible returns are easy.
FOR ROAD RUNNING
FOR TRAIL RUNNING
FOR BOTH TRAIL AND ROAD RUNNING
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