Best Running Shoes of 2025: Our Official Winners & Big Surprises

Welcome back to the Marathon Handbook Podcast! This week we reveal the Best Running Shoes of 2025 — from super shoes to daily trainers, stability picks, super trainers, the most innovative models, and our official 2025 Shoe of the Year. Michael, Katelyn, and Alex break down testing insights, pro-level performance results, cultural impact, and what regular runners actually feel underfoot. We also discuss Nike’s big revival, ASICS’ dominance, Puma’s engineering breakthrough, and Adidas’ race-winning super shoe. Plus: listener question mailbag, training talk, and race-week stories from Philly. This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to ⁠https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, plus a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order! 📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at podcast@marathonhandbook.com. 🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook 📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook 📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter 👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments. 🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify. 📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives. Timestamped Chapters: 00:00 Intro – Best Shoes of 2025 Episode 00:48 If You Were a Shoe Brand… 03:20 What Brand Is Michael? 06:50 Listener Question: Sub-4 CIM Strategy 15:40 Race Psychology & Pacing Advice 20:00 Final CIM Predictions 22:20 Sponsor: Wahoo KICKR Run 24:40 Listener Shoutouts from Philly 31:00 Categories Overview 32:35 Best New Shoe of 2025 36:10 Winner: ASICS MegaBlast 42:55 Best Daily Trainer 45:10 Winner: Nike Vomero 18 48:40 Best Stability Shoe 52:10 Winner: HOKA Arahi 9 54:15 Best Super Trainer 01:00:30 Winner: ASICS Sonic Blast 01:12:25 Best Super Shoe (Super Shoe of the Year) 01:18:00 Winner: Adidas Pro Evo 2 01:22:20 Hosts’ Personal Race Shoe Picks 01:28:05 Most Innovative Shoe 01:32:05 Best Shoe Lineup of the Year 01:40:00 2025 Shoe of the Year – Official Winner 01:42:30 Katelyn & Michael’s Personal Picks 01:43:55 Brand of the Year 01:46:00 Trail & Gravel Notes 01:49:00 Rapid-Fire with Alex 01:52:00 What’s Coming at TRE 2025 01:53:30 Closing ------------ #RunningShoes #BestRunningShoes #SuperShoes #DailyTrainers #SuperTrainers #AdidasProEvo2 #AsicsMegaBlast #NikeVomero18 #HokaMachX3 #PumaFastR3 #MetaspeedSky #Alphafly3 #Vaporfly4 #EndorphinElite2 #TrailRunningShoes #MarathonTraining #RunningGear #ShoeReview #RunningPodcast