What shoes do half marathon runners wear? Are there better shoes for a marathon or even a road ultra? Let’s talk about the best long distance running shoes for your foot. From a whole lot of testing by myself and others we’ve got your recommendations.
After 33,000 miles of running I have some opinions and luckily for you I’ve also been able to run in a wide variety of running shoe models, brands and styles. Providing me with extra knowledge to help you find the shoe that’s going to feel great with plenty of cushion, structure and lifespan to make it through training and race day.
Beyond my own experiences, I’m lucky to have worked with thousands of long-distance runners who have shared their opinions with me as well.
More than anything else you need a shoe that FEELS GOOD TO YOU.
Seriously, there’s an actual study that proves this!
In this article we are going to look at what makes a good long distance running shoe from pounding the pavement for a half marathon to a trail race, and then my specific shoe recommendations.
Why It’s Important to Have Good Long Distance Running Shoes
The right running shoe matters so much because over the many, many miles you put in, it’s really easy to have issues like ankle pain while running or knee pain while running.
Not simply from weak hips and glutes, but from shoes that aren’t right for you! In fact, wearing the wrong type of running shoes is the top cause of foot pain when running.
A few of the common things we’re trying to find in a good distance shoe.
- has enough room in the toe box for your feet to spread and potentially swell over the miles
- allows you to change the lacing to provide more room or lock in your heel
- keeps your arch from falling inward which places pressure on knees and ankles
Best Long Distance Running Shoes of 2025
- Best Long Distance Shoes Overall for Daily Training: New Balance 1080 v14
- Best Long Distance Cushioned Trainer: Asics Novablast 5
- Best Long Distance Running Shoe for Moderate Cushion: Brooks Ghost 17
- Best Stability Long Distance Shoe: Asics Gel-Kayano 32
- Best Neutral Long Distance Running Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 16
- Best Long-Distance Trail Running Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat
- Best Long Distance Running Shoes for Speed: Nike Alphafly 3
7 Best Long Distance Running Shoes
I’ll be sharing one from each of the major running shoe brands. Each brand has a slightly different fit and feel, so if you’ve tried a shoe from them previously now you’ll know which model will go the distance.
Click on any shoe name below to see complete details.
Best Long Distance Shoes Overall for Daily Training: New Balance 1080 v14
New Balance’s Fresh Foam is every bit as lovely as it sounds. These shoes feel fabulous when you slip them on and yet maintain good responsiveness. Unlike the super plush HOKA Bondi that you can sink in to, you’ll remain quick off the ground in these shoes.
These shoes do not have a padded collar which some runners may dislike, but I didn’t notice any issues with that. I did the normal heel lock lacing as will all my shoes and they felt great.
I’d say these shoes run not wide or narrow, but directly in the middle. However, New Balance is known for offering wide sizes in most models!
- Weight: 10.5oz Men’s, 8.3 oz Women’s
- Stack Height: 38mm
- Heel Drop: 6mm
- Available in 8 Colors
- Available in Wide and Extra Wide
- Available on NewBalance.com for $165
- Read our full review of the New Balance 1080 v14 here >>
Best Long Distance Cushioned Trainer: Asics Novablast 5
The Asics Novablast 5 is a max cushioned daily trainer that doesn’t cause you to sink in and still results in energy return. It will easily be the shoe you reach for on long run days.
Looking at the shoe I expected it to be heavier and a little firm. But it’s actually a great lighter weight cushioned trainer. It’s not quite as plush as the NB FreshFoam, but I think for many runners that’s a plus as it will provide a little more support for running with higher arches.
For me this is one of the best Asics I’ve run in for awhile. A great breathable upper in a shoe that once again doesn’t run narrow, but I wouldn’t call built for wide feet.
We hate to gush about a shoe, but so far it’s really checking a lot of boxes for the middle of the pack runners.
- Heel toe drop: 8mm
- Weight: 7.9 oz women’s, 9.1 oz men’s
- Stack Height: 41.5mm
- Not available in wide
- Available in eight colors
- Available at Asics.com and Zappos $160 (my favorite for easy returns)
- Read our full review of the Asics Novablast 5 here >>
Best Long Distance Running Shoe for Moderate Cushion: Brooks Ghost
THe Brooks Ghost is a classic that often appears on our best of lists and for good reason.
The Brooks Ghost’s impressive cushioning, lightweight feel, and support make it a great choice for high-mileage running thanks to the DNA Loft v3 foam cushioning it uses.
These feel like a shoe with a lot more structure and while cushioned, they don’t have the plush feel of some shoes. We really liked the change to the Ghost 16’s, they just feel so much better from previous models.
This is useful to many runners who end up with lower back pain while running in a too cushioned shoe.
The change our team is most excited about is in the heel to toe drop.The Ghost 17 is a neutral running shoe now with a 10mm heel to toe drop.
It’s not a huge difference, but if the 12 mm felt too high, you’ll really appreciate this. Plus, the lower drop will make a difference in potentially reducing knee pain or IT Band issues that often pop up with newer runners.
- Heel toe drop: 10mm
- Weight: 9.0 oz women’s, 10.1 oz men’s
- Stack: 36 mm
- Available in six colors
- Available in Wide, Narrow and Extra Wide in select colorways
- Available from Brooksrunning.com for $150
- Read our full review of the Brooks Ghost 17 here >>
Best Stability Long Distance Shoe: Asics Gel-Kayano
We recently did a full review of the Asics GEL Kayano and here it is again as a long-standing winner. It’s a favorite marathon training shoe and one that will help to provide you with the extra support your foot needs.
The Asics Gel Kayano 32 is known for its supportive, multi-density midsole and firmer foam through the arch. They’re one of the best motion-control shoes with firmer medial (inner) and softer lateral (outer) midsole sidewalls.
The updated 4D Guidance System helps keep your foot from rolling inward, which can reduce strain on the plantar fascia, while the FlyteFoam Blast+ Eco midsole softens impact with every step. That means less pressure on your heel and more comfort during walking workouts.
The ASICS GEL Kayano was first released in 1993 and due to its popularity is now on the 32nd edition!
The shoe has been designed to be a stability shoe for overpronators, but it’s highly popular for high-mileage neutral runners as well.
- Weight: 10.7 oz Men’s, 9.1 oz Women’s
- Stack Height: 40 mm
- Heel Drop: 8 mm
- Available in nine colors
- Available in wide and narrow
- Available at Asics.com for $165.00
- Read our full review of the Asics Gel-Kayano 32 here >>
Best Neutral Long Distance Running Shoes: Saucony Kinvara
The Kinvara is another shoe that I have run in since it was first released. In fact, it’s been my go to half marathon shoe for over a decade. Based on all of my testing, it’s a great running shoe for up to about 17 miles.
This is not a plush shoe or a stability shoe. It really is a super light, slight cushion, responsive trainer. Some of you may prefer to use this shoe on tempo runs or days where you’re aiming to hit goal pace miles, and stay with the more cushioned shoes on easy days.
They have gone back to the original Kinvara stack height of 29mm and we’re so here for it!!! They feel fantastic with this change. It’s still plenty of cushion, it’s just not squishy or bouncy like an Endorphin Pro. It’s sleek and streamlined and does the work.
Due the lower heel drop, this has been a shoe I found really helped with my IT Band issues and have heard this from many others since I first discovered it.
- Weight: 7.0 oz men’s, 6.3 oz women’s
- Heel drop: 4 mm
- Stack Height: 29mm
- Available in 9 colors
- Available in wide
- Available now on Saucony.com ($130)
- Read our full review of the Saucony Kinvara 16 here >>
Best Long-Distance Trail Running Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat
The HOKA Speedgoat is a serious favorite among HOKA fans. You can count me in to this group.
Having tested a ton of trail running shoes in the last year, the Speedgoat stands out for a few reasons. The cushion is fabulous when spending a lot of time on your feet. Even with the cushion and stack height, it remains a light shoe which doesn’t waste energy as the miles increase.
I love the toe cap to protect my feet from rocks. While it does have good lugs on the Vibram rubber outsole, I wouldn’t say it has the most traction of all the trail shoes. However, unless you are doing a wet rocky run you should be good.
- Heel drop: 4 mm
- Weight: 8.5 oz women’s, 10.3 oz men’s
- Available in 11 colors
- Available in Wide in some colors
- $140
- See all HOKA Speedgoat models (also includes a waterproof option)
- See my other top picks for Trail Running Shoes >>
Best Long Distance Running Shoes for Speed: Nike Alphafly 3
If you’re looking for a carbon plate running shoe, then the Alphafly is the king of the hill.
The Alphafly is a much more comfortable long run shoe than the Vaporfly and it’s easy to see why it’s the choice shoe for marathon runners. There’s a beautiful bounciness to the shoe, while still feeling stable. If you’ve not yet tried any of the Alphafly models, it’s a significant difference from your daily trainer.
As noted, there is a bounciness to the ZoomX, an insanely thin Atomknit mesh upper, a feeling of support in the arch and the pop of that full carbon plate.
Somehow they managed to carve out just a bit more of the shoe to drop 15% weight and yet maintain the level of cushion that’s necessary for the speed. With a shoe at this level, even minor adjustments are big and those two things alone are huge.
The combination of the longer wider carbon fiber plate and ZoomX foam and the Zoom Air units make the Nike Alphafly 3 one of the most technologically advanced running shoes on the market.
- Weight: 7.8 oz men’s, 5.8 oz women’s
- Heel drop: 8mm
- 2 colors currently
- Not available in wide
- Read my complete Alphafly 3 review here>>
- Find it here on Nike.com for $285, so you can enjoy their 30 day trial policy!
When to Replace Marathon Training Shoes?
If you’ve found a pair of shoes that you love during training, then get a new pair about a month before the race.
This gives you a chance to wear them on a few shorter runs and one long run.
Assume that most shoes have a lifespan of about 500 miles. So if you’ve already put 350 miles on them they are starting to breakdown and you’re losing some of that energy return they love to tout in the cushion.
While one pair could get you through all of training, it might be run down enough that you don’t want to wear it for race day.
If you’ve found a pair that you love during training, then grab a new pair about a month before the race.
And of course, it’s important to know when to replace your running shoes!
Other questions to ask yourself when considering the best running shoes to buy are:
- Do you have pronation issues that you can’t correct with strengthening exercises?
- Do you want a pair specifically for race day that is lighter? (consider them your race shoes)
- Have wide feet? (feet swell the farther we run and in heat, so know your foot)
A major factor is understanding how running shoes should fit.
Go through those key pieces before selecting any shoe from the list of ideas that follow.
What to read next?
- Best running socks (lightweight to compression)
- Couch to Marathon Training Plan
- Beginner marathon training tips
Other ways to connect with Amanda
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