Every Major Running Shoe of Spring 2026: Buy, Hold or Sell? | The Ultimate Guide

What are the best running shoes of 2026? And is the classic daily trainer officially dead? In this episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Katelyn Tocci break down the biggest running shoe drops of Spring 2026 and beyond. From super shoes and carbon racers to everyday trainers and emerging trends, we cover it all — with honest, unfiltered takes. 00:00 Intro – Spring 2026 Running Shoe Preview 01:30 ASICS Superblast 3 Deep Dive 07:30 Superblast 3 vs Mega Blast – What’s the Difference? 11:40 Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3 (Aerodynamic Super Shoe?) 20:30 On LightSpray Update & Cloudmonster 3 Hyper 26:00 2026 Running Shoe Trends 27:00 Creative Daily Trainers (Brooks, Nike, Saucony, ASICS) 33:30 Is the Classic Daily Trainer Dead? 38:40 Are Super Shoes Advancing Too Fast? 50:30 Super Shoe Watch – Nike Update 53:30 On Racing Shoe Updates 55:00 Adidas Pro Evo & Mystery 97g Shoe 57:00 ASICS MetaSpeed Developments 58:30 Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 4 01:00:00 Saucony, Brooks, New Balance & HOKA Super Shoes 01:07:00 Buy, Hold, or Sell – Rapid Fire Shoe Takes 01:27:00 Wrap-Up & Where Shoes Are Headed in 2026 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: Saysky makes incredible running gear that our team love. Use code MARATHON15 for 15% off your purchase at https://saysky.com Lagoon pillows help us sleep better, so we run better. Want to try? You can save 15% with code MARATHON. Go to https://LagoonSleep.com/marathonhandbook and take the 2-minute sleep quiz to find your match. Topics Covered: • ASICS Superblast 3 – Is it the “God Shoe” of 2026? • Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3 – Do aerodynamic shoes actually make you faster? • On’s new LightSpray tech – Is this the future of racing shoes? • The super shoe arms race: Adidas vs. Nike vs. ASICS vs. Puma • Why elite marathoners may be racing in shoes you can’t buy yet • The evolution (and possible death) of the traditional daily trainer • Buy, Hold, or Sell: Our rapid-fire takes on 2026’s biggest shoe releases We also discuss: • Nike Alphafly 4 rumors • Adidas Adios Pro Evo developments • Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 4 leaks • ASICS MetaSpeed updates • Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 • Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 • New Balance super shoe speculation • HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 • The most overrated and underrated shoes of the year If you’re training for a marathon, half marathon, or looking to upgrade your shoe rotation in 2026, this episode will help you decide what’s worth your money — and what’s hype. 📩 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 📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter 📬 Subscribe to the Marathon Handbook newsletter for daily training insights 👇 Tell us in the comments: What shoe are you racing in this year? Are super shoes getting too extreme? Which brand is winning 2026 so far? Subscribe for weekly running news, shoe reviews, marathon coverage, and training advice.