The Best Running Shoes You Can Buy In 2020

Whether your sights are set on a marathon, the local parkrun, or just getting around the block without leaving your lunch on the pavement, if you’re running, you need specialist running shoes. Unlike those dusty Dunlops buried in the loft, run-specific footwear will ensure the miles are easier, faster and more comfortable, and may even help you sidestep injury.

“You need to ensure the shoe you’re buying is designed with the specific technology for distance running,” says Becs Gentry, Nike+ Run Club Coach and ultra-marathoner.

“This is paramount,” concurs Paul Hobrough, a physiotherapist specialising in running biomechanics with clinics in Harley Street, London and Northumberland. “Just as the foundations of a house need to be of a specific support to prevent damage, the running shoe needs to balance support and cushioning.” 

Fortunately, it’s a great time to be dipping a toe into runners. We’re benefiting from a golden period of innovation, with brands investing heavily in R&D and thinking outside the box in design. New midsole foams are pushing the envelope on cushioning and energy return, carbon footplates propel us forward and woven uppers with anatomically zoned tension cradle our feet like never before.

And there’s style to go with the substance. While retro runners are feeling the love from discerning sneakerheads, new high-performance models are emerging as out-of-the box style classics. But with so many running shoes out there, with such variety in design and performance features, finding the perfect match for your specific needs and preferences can be daunting. Which is why we’ve distilled everything you need to know right here.

Asics

What Kind Of Running Shoes Do You Need?

To get the most from your running, it’s not enough that your shoes are simply run-specific, they need to be right specifically for you as a runner. “It’s critical to find the right shoe for you,” says Jane Vongvorachoti, Olympic marathoner and running coach. “Don’t buy a shoe just because it is ‘in’ or you see some top runners wearing them.”

Your Body Type

There are many factors to consider in finding that perfect sole mate. Start with your size and weight. The bigger and heavier you are, generally the more cushioning you will need in a shoe to absorb the greater impact forces as your feet hit the floor. Look for models with thicker midsoles that trumpet their cushioning properties.

But then, as in many areas of life, size isn’t everything: “Your size and weight are a factor in the cushioning needed from the shoe, however it’s not always a necessity that a heavier runner needs a more cushioned shoe if they run well,” says Gentry. Which leads us into your biomechanics, AKA gait or form, the highly nuanced and complex way that your body performs the seemingly simple act of placing one foot in front of the other.

Your Biomechanics

“We’re all so different biomechanically, so it’s not a case of, ‘Mo Farah wears that shoe so I’m going to get it too’,” says Gentry. As a rule of thumb, the more you run, the more efficient and problem-free your running biomechanics should be; so experienced runners can look for more stripped-down shoes with less cushioning, support and stability features. With your biomechanics as unique to you as your fingerprint, though, things can get more complex.

“It’s important to consider your running gait and how you land to have support in the right part of your feet,” says Vongvorachoti. There’s a long history in the running world of trying to match shoes to runners’ individual biomechanics to boost comfort and performance and, crucially, reduce injury risk. The now discredited wet footprint test has been replaced by more sophisticated treadmill running gait analysis on offer at specialist running stores, and many believe in the value of this. “If you’re interested in knowing the mechanics of how you run then it can be a great experience,” says Gentry.

Nike Run Analysis

Yet in-store gait analysis isn’t foolproof and if you’re really serious you could go deeper: “Running shops that specialise and have experienced staff can be excellent, but finding the right shoe for your biomechanics is sometimes a dark art,” says Hobrough. “A running-specialist physiotherapist will assess the whole body and gaining that extra information before your investment can be very important.”

Pronation Control

A focus of any biomechanical analysis is pronation – the degree to which your knee rolls inwards after your foot hits the ground with each stride. If you over-pronate, which has traditionally been linked to a host of injuries, stability or motion control shoes contain technology to counteract this, building up under the arch with tech like medial posts or internal wedges to limit that inward roll.

These shoes are less common and less extreme then they used to be, and some experts now question both the connection between pronation and injury, and the effectiveness of pronation control in running shoes. “I am not an advocate of too much support from the shoe,” says Hobrough. “If you need specialist support, then a bespoke insole is the way to go.”

Still, the consensus is that some over-pronaters can benefit from a shoe with stability features. Just don’t expect any shoe to magically change your running style or immunise you from injuries. “Biomechanics faults aren’t corrected by a shoe,” says Gentry. “That’s something solved by rehab work and focused movements prescribed by a qualified practitioner.”

Comfort

If you feel you’re disappearing down the biomechanics rabbit hole here, you’ll be glad to hear that there may be a far simpler solution. Recent research by highly respected running form boffin Professor Benno Nigg, director of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary, suggests that when choosing running shoes, your body knows best. His studies found the shoes runners chose purely on the basis of feeling most comfortable were also the most efficient in terms of running performance and reducing injury. It’s scientific validation for the hard-run wisdom generations of experienced runners would pass on.

“Comfort is key,” says Gentry. “A runner should be putting their trainers on and feeling like they’re an extension of their body. The shoes should hold and support where you want or need them to, they shouldn’t rub anywhere and they should feel like they are giving you a little bit of energy return with every step, not rigid underfoot.”

Consider whether they support your arch in the right place; ensure they don’t slide off your heel, but do move with your foot rather than pushing it in a different direction, and are roomy enough that you don’t bang your toes at the front. On that note, always buy running shoes half a size up from your everyday shoes. This will save you many a blackened toenail.

Rotation System

As you get more into your running, you should consider adding different types of shoe to your ‘quiver’. In addition to steady-paced plods, your training will begin to include shorter, faster sessions and races. And different shoe types suit these different types of run. “I think it’s a good idea to have at least a couple of pairs of shoes,” says Gentry. “I wear the lighter, more responsive Nike Epic React for speed workouts and more cushioned and supportive Zoom Pegasus for my longer, slower runs.”

Investing in extra shoes may also save you on physio bills. Research by the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory in Luxembourg found that runners who rotated different shoes had 39 per cent lower injury rates than those who wore the same pair for every run. The scientists reckon this is because different shoes distribute the repetitive impact forces of running slightly differently, so lessening the repetitive strain in your tendons and tissues.

What To Look For In A Running Shoe

Running shoes aren’t cheap. Most quality models won’t give you much change from £100 and at the top end you’re looking north of £150. However, the right investment delivers seriously advanced technology and materials that will significantly enhance your running experience. At the budget end (there are a few models at around £50), the minimum basic requirements you can expect and should check for are a midsole with decent cushioning, a breathable upper to help cool your feet, and a durable outsole (the bottom of the shoe) that’s contoured to the shape of your foot and offers decent grip.

Moving up to the mid-price range (around the £80-£110 mark), you should be looking for more finessed technology and features, such as anti-slip laces, anti-odour sockliners more support and stability features if you need them. At the premium end, look for more advanced versions of the tech, with components that are higher spec and, crucially, lighter.

Runners tend to care a lot about weight, and with good reason: A wealth of scientific research, supported recently by a study at the Locomotion Laboratory at the University of Colorado, has shown that you expend more energy with heavier shoes, to the tune of around an extra 1% effort per 100g of shoe. That may not sound like much, until you get to mile 20 of a marathon, or it knocks 30 seconds of your 50-minute 10K time. It’s worth spending heavy to run light.

Running Shoe Jargon Decoder

• Heel counter: A plastic insert which makes the heel cup of a shoe stronger and more supportive.
• Drop: The difference between the height of the heel and the forefoot.
• Last: The outline of the shoe.
• Lateral: The outer side of the shoe.
• Medial: The inner (arch) side of the shoe.
• Midsole: The section between the upper and the outsole. The engine room which contains the cushioning and any stability tech.
• Outsole: The bottom of the shoe.
• Toebox: The bit at the front that houses your forefoot and toes.

What Makes For A Good-Looking Running Shoe?

Thankfully these days you can get a return on your investment beyond your running miles.

The line between running performance and fashion has been seriously blurred by the likes of Adidas and Nike’s agenda-setting modernist aesthetics. With their woven uppers and sleek silhouettes, iconic designs like the Ultraboost and Flyknit Racer transfer seamlessly (quite literally) from chasing PBs at weekend races to strolling from your creative workspace to the local cold-brew coffee joint.

This, of course, is nothing new. Running footwear has a long history of sidestepping into classic style. Think Nike Cortez or Onitsuka Tigers – we call it retro, but this is the legacy of what was cutting-edge performance-chasing design.

What is new is the versatility of runners in the style sphere today. No longer are they confined to being worn with jeans or Sunday sweatpants: The suit/trainer combo is very much on, but some sartorial savvy must be applied.

“The formality of the suit in comparison to the trainer is key,” says stylist Eric Down. “If the suit is business-like then stick to slimmer styles, in darker shades. Avoid socks – better to show a swathe of ankle with a slightly cropped trouser than have oodles of fabric puddling on the top of the shoe. For more casual styles like a Nike Flyknit then suits in cotton, linen or seersucker for summer will make a perfect pairing.”

A surprising trend is high fashion’s recent embrace of running footwear’s uglier side. “The ugly running trainer is very much a thing amongst haute fashion types,” says Down. “Blame uber-trendy Vetements designer Demna Gvasalia, who’s Triple S trainers for French house Balenciaga were a chunky, souped-up take on the ‘dad trainer’ and a mega hit worn with heavy doses of irony. But perhaps this is a trend best left to the high fashion types.”

Oliver Cheshire Reveals The New Rules Of Summer Style

This is a weird thing to say but, if you ever get the chance, I strongly recommend watching a supermodel get dressed in the morning. Oliver Cheshire has a small but attentive audience on set as he picks out looks for today’s photoshoot. He’s styling it himself, as busy behind the camera as he is in front of it.

The theme: enduring warm-weather classics, most of them from the middle of the 20th century. “It does put you in a good mood, summer dressing,” Cheshire says, leafing through a rail of colourful open-collar shirts, linen suits and resort wear. “It’s a relaxed style of dressing. Very easy.”

Easy? That’s not a popular opinion when it comes to men’s summer clothes; there are too many banana skins. Are the shorts too short? Is my skin too pale? Is the shirt too loud? Do I look like a prat in a hat? Cheshire’s mission today is to show that summer style is no sweat – you can be colourful, bare your skin, do unspeakable things to a suit and still look cool under the glaring sun.

It helps, of course, being Oliver Cheshire. One of the world’s most recognisable male models (and quite possibly the nicest guy in menswear), Cheshire’s decade-long career includes regular walks for Dolce & Gabbana and campaigns for Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss. Closer to home, he’s a regular face of Marks & Spencer’s menswear range, and has just launched his own label.

More on that later because he’s getting dressed again, and it’s worth paying attention. Watching Cheshire pick out clothes, you realise a couple of things. 1) Yes he does look Photoshopped without a top on. 2) The reason he can wear so many different looks isn’t just the abs or the one-percenter bone structure. The man’s a scientist of style.

At work, he rearranges clothes on the rack in front of him, studies them, picks out new combinations. The process is part-experimentation, part-instinct. Cheshire creates outfits like a chef concocts recipes, mixing ingredients that you don’t think would work together but of course they do.

OUTFIT CREDITS | (LEFT) Jacket: Golden Bear @ Mr Porter, T-shirt: Marks & Spencer, Jeans: Marks & Spencer, Loafers: G.H. Bass & Co (RIGHT) Rugby Shirt: Mr P @ Mr Porter, Trousers: Marks & Spencer

“I’m very into it,” he admits. “I’m always looking at the menswear shows and when you take an interest in anything, you understand it.”

He started young. He learned to sew as a teenager, customising his clothes so that they were all one-of-a-kind. “I’d cut the tab out of the back of my Levi’s, then cut a hole at the front and sew it in. My mates were always taking the piss.”

Today, he’s a walking Wikipedia of menswear, which is probably why his style is so eclectic. At FashionBeans, we once described him as the “bastard who looks good in anything”. We stand by it. He’s pristine in a tux, but wore snakeskin cowboy boots to the Brits and made them look good. He does camp short shorts and hard-to-wear prints, and mixes sportswear and tailored pieces better than anyone we know.

OUTFIT CREDITS | Shirt: Ché Studios, Shorts: Ché Studios, Sneakers: Marks & Spencer

He’s also a magpie. More than once during the shoot he fires up Pinterest for inspiration and admits that a song he hears on the radio can decide what he wears that day. “Music and films really do influence the way I dress. I can listen to rock n roll music in the morning and want to put a leather jacket on. If I put a rap song on, I’ll be walking out of the house in a pair of trainers and a hoodie. It’s weird.”

On set today, we’re listening to Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. There’s a hazy late ’50s vibe and, in front of the camera, Cheshire is dressed for it. The rails are full of mid-century summer gear – his favourites are a knitted button-through polo and a striped open-collar knit – classics that look as good in the sun today as they did half a century ago.

“It was one of the most stylish eras of American history,” Cheshire says. “And it went everywhere because that was really the first time fashion was so visible, so heavily documented.” This was the birth of youth culture, of television and the emergence of the world’s first global style icons, people like James Dean and Elvis Presley.

“When they first appeared, they dressed in a way that anyone could copy. It was the first time men could really enjoy casual dress and use it to rebel. And it’s not scary. Even if you’re not hugely into menswear, it’s easy to throw on a pair of jeans a white T-shirt and a bomber jacket. And these looks can be redone in so many ways.”

Case in point: Cheshire’s new label, Ché. It’s a small but brilliant collection of resort wear, a bullseye example of how to dress well when the sun’s out. It’s retro but modern, tailored but comfortable, colourful but elegant, simple but also very smart. The swim shorts are made from an eco-friendly nylon made out of reused fishing nets while the shirts – which are often part of a matching co-ord set – are cut from soft, breathable viscose.

Inspiration came from a few places but one of them was mid-century America. “I really love ’50s and ’60s NBA,” he says. “All the colours, the shapes, that retro feel – but with modern cuts so they’re more wearable. I also wanted to use really rich colours – deep dark oranges, pinks – and show men how to use them.”

OUTFIT CREDITS | Blazer: Marks & Spencer, Shirt: Marks & Spencer

The kid who used to cut up his Levi’s has always wanted to produce his own menswear label, but turning 30 in 2018 gave Cheshire the impetus to finally get Ché off the ground. He helped source the materials, created extensive mood boards and marshalled a team not just to produce the clothes but create a website, build a marketing campaign and a pop-up shop. “I wanted to understand the whole process,” he says.

Cheshire is maturing. He’s planning his wedding to singer Pixie Lott, who might be the only person who gets a say in how he dresses. “Oh yeah, she hates me in vests,” he says. “She’ll see me wearing one and be like, ‘Get that bloody thing off. You’re not wearing that out, are you?’ She’ll tell me if I go a bit much with a look. She’ll say, ‘You look a bit …wacky.’”

Cheshire is obviously a confident dresser but says he can feel his style evolving as he gets older. “When you’re young you experiment with style. You dip your toe in, not really knowing what suits you. I do find myself wanting to make a nice impression and just feel like an adult.”

He pauses. “But I still love to experiment and I’m never going to be the kind of person to just wear a suit for the rest of my life. That’s what clothes are about, aren’t they? It should be a pleasurable thing, getting dressed.”

A Guide To Men's shoe Color Combination

Black Shoes

In almost every circumstance, black shoes are the smartest version in any category.

“A pair of black Oxfords is probably the most dressed-up shoe you can have in your wardrobe,” says Luke McDonald, stylist at men’s online styling service Thread. “And that limits what other clothes you can wear them with.” You can think of them a little like a black blazer; they look great dressed up, but try them with jeans and you begin to look like a street magician.

To start from the top down, black should be your go-to for black tailoring, whether you need something for black tie or just a formal work shoe. “They also team well with grey or charcoal tailoring, particularly in more formal offices,” says McDonald. Despite what some folks think, wearing black with blue won’t bruise your sartorial ego, although stick to darker shades of navy rather than something more celebratory, like royal blue.

Casual trousers are trickier. If you’re going to wear black shoes with chinos in the brown spectrum, then stick to less formal styles. “A derby looks better than an Oxford as it’s a bit chunkier and more relaxed,” says McDonald. The same goes with jeans. “Oxfords would only ever work with very slim black jeans, and even then you’re going to look like a forgotten member of the Libertines.” If you insist on black shoes with your dark denim, then it’s best to go for something like Chelsea boots or Dr. Martens.

If you’re the kind of guy who likes his chinos colourful, then the sudden shift to black shoes can feel a bit severe. You can lessen the impact by cuffing the hems and even losing the socks, and making your shoe style as dressed-down as possible — loafers are preferable to anything with laces.

Finally, you should probably avoid shorts and black shoes once you’re out of school uniform.

Brown Shoes

Brown is the most forgiving shade of smart shoes. The breadth of browns available means that there’s a tone for almost any situation, bar the very smartest offices; even a pair of bespoke chocolate John Lobbs will have you blackballed in some investment banks. But with anything other than a black suit or tuxedo, brown shoes add personality and feel a touch less stuffy.

“The lighter the shade, the more relaxed the look,” says McDonald, “particularly if you add detail, too.” A pair of brown brogues are less formal than the same shade Oxfords, for example.

Away from tailoring, brown should be your go-to for chinos of any colour, although be careful not to match too closely; like with double denim, you want at least two shades of difference between your trousers and your shoes, lest you look like you’re wearing the bottom half of a onesie.

Darker browns look great with indigo denim but can work just as well with more washed out shades. Just make sure that you step down into a less formal style — suede Chelsea boots are perfect, as are chunky brown worker boots.

Black jeans and brown shoes is a minefield of differing opinion and one not worth marching into if you’ve any personal doubts. But if you’re confident, then it’s a look that can work, so long as you stick to shoes in a shade that’s nearer black than tan. Although again, boots are easier to pull off, here, particularly Chelseas, which give you the air of someone who’s just left One Direction to find a direction of their own.

Oxblood Shoes

Though technically a colour, oxblood can act almost as a neutral. They tend to work in almost exactly the same way as brown, although because they’re a touch bolder. They tend to lend whatever you’re wearing an ounce or two more of personality. “Making a statement with smart shoes shouldn’t mean going too far out of your comfort zone,” says Vieira. “Instead of opting for an extravagant style, it could be as simple as integrating new colourways in silhouettes you already wear on a daily basis.”

That said, it’s still easier to pull off oxblood if you dress them down a touch; Derbies are a more versatile choice than Oxfords because, while they won’t work with your smartest suits, you can wear them with everything from navy tailoring to jeans and chinos. That said, if you live in suits, a pair of burnished, oxblood Oxfords, with a Berluti-style patina, can be a distinctive way to make them feel more varied. They’re particularly good for making your workwear wedding-ready.

Casual styles offer much more leeway. The oxblood penny loafer is a classic and can be your summer go-to with anything from light-wash denim to tan, navy and even colourful chinos. Ditch the socks and cuff the hems for a Dickie-Greenleaf-on-the-Riviera feel.

Tan Shoes

Tan is brown’s most casual tone. “It’s best on more relaxed styles like brogue derbies or boots,” says McDonald. “Tan suede shoes can also look good, but you need to wear them with fairly informal outfits.” In smarter styles, tan is a good way to personalise an outfit — the kind of look-at-me tailoring that pervades Pitti Uomo is often accessorised by a tan loafer or brogue. It’s a particularly good anchor for brighter shades of blue or to take the stuffiness out of patterns like pinstripes.

Tan works well with jeans of all shades and chinos of any colour, especially in summer when they serve to lighten your look up a bit. You can even get away with wearing tan shoes with shorts, particularly if you go with something laceless like a penny loafer or something with texture, like suede.

Blue Shoes

Blue can be an uncomfortable colour for smart shoes — though it’s a staple neutral everywhere else in your wardrobe, shiny blue leather tends to look a little try-hard. Once you step into more casual styles, however, blue is a perfect way to add some personality to looks. Textured leathers like nubuck work well in navy, says Vieira, and can even be worn as a pop of unexpected colour in black casual outfits.

Like nubuck, suede is an Elvis-approved way to pull off blue shoes; the raised nap adds a depth that you don’t get with leather, which makes blue shoes seem considered rather than flashy. So long as you don’t try to dress them up too far, blue suede brogues work well with any colour of suit (so long as it’s not black) and the same for chinos, particularly with an ankle-flashing roll.

More casual still, navy is perfect for desert and chukka boots, especially since it’s dark enough not to show rainspots if you do get caught in a shower. “Both styles look great with jeans,” says McDonald. “They’re rugged, but still smart enough for a nice restaurant or bar.” But again, try not to match your shoes and trouser shades too closely. If in doubt, use a brighter sock in a complementary shade, like red, to break things up a little bit.

White Trainers

When Common Projects launched its Achilles Low almost 15 years ago, the Italian-American shoe brand helped cement a new category in menswear: the sneaker that acted like a smart shoe. Though all-white tennis shoes weren’t new — Adidas was already pumping out Stan Smiths, although not quite in the numbers they do post-Common Projects — they weren’t something that you could wear as easily with a suit as you could with denim shorts.

But now, so long as you get a completely clean pair, free from logos and crafted in premium leather, white minimalist trainers can be worn with just about anything (in the right context, of course; they’re probably not the best thing to pair with tailoring for partnership interviews at your law firm).

They’ll work with any suit, even black — although you’re best swapping the shirt and tie for something like a roll neck or long-sleeved polo — and look great with any pair of jeans, from premium Japanese selvedge to shredded stonewash. Same for chinos, for shorts, for parachute pants; whatever trousers you’ve got, white trainers will work.

In fact, the only tricky thing about white trainers is keeping them that way. “Box-fresh versions work with a suit,” says McDonald. “Battered, stained sneakers don’t. To keep them pristine, prep them with Crep Protect spray, and then keep some babywipes in your bag or desk drawer for touch-ups during the day.”

Colourful Trainers

Where white trainers led, its brighter plumaged brethren followed. Time was that bold-hued sneakers were only for exercise. Now, they’ve crept from the streets into offices, an eye-catching way to show your affinity for the latest hype brand and Nike drop. “But all those colours make them much less versatile,” says McDonald. “In fact, they only really work with neutrals, unless you’re able to pull off some very advanced colour-matching.” Even then, you’re liable to leave onlookers with a migraine.

Because colourful trainers are so casual, you’re wisest sticking to jeans (anything from white to washed to black is fine), joggers (think grey, black or navy) or chinos (tan and navy are safest). ”You should let your shoes do the talking,” says McDonald. “If they’re the brightest thing in your outfit, then they’ll draw the eye. If you have too many other bright colours, people won’t know where to look.”