Look at buying a previous year’s model at a discount, if you can.
For example ASICS has an outlet website, and also stores at some outlet malls
I wear GT-2000 and the 2025/26 model costs £140 at Sports Direct, but the 2023/24 model cost me £72 at the outlet.
To be honest, I took the device of a friend who suggested I tried ones with gel soles because my heels were hurting. Found a pair of GT-2000 for a bargain price at Decathlon, tried them, and they were mega. Never looked back. Just ordered my 7th pair.
What is your budget?
I have been using ASICS GT-2000 for years (literally just ordered my 7th pair yesterday) and they last 1000km easy
I buy [last years model from their outlet store](https://outlet.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mens-shoes/c/ao10200000/)
[£72](https://outlet.asics.com/gb/en-gb/gt-2000-11/p/1011B441-404.html) versus [£140](https://www.sportsdirect.com/asics-gt-2000-12-mens-running-shoes-212024)
Find a local running shop, one where they do the thing where you run on a treadmill and they look at how your feel land (called gait analysis)
Most local running shops are staffed by enthusiastic runners who want the best for you, rather than to just make a sale, so have a good conversation with them and listen to their advice
Talk to them about your running goals (primarily 5k or 10k? Half marathon? Full marathon?), are you looking for comfort and support, or outright speed, how many times a week you'll run, and your budget
They can suggest a number of options that you can try on, maybe even try them on their in-store treadmill (how they feel when running may be different from just walking around the store, especially the heel)
Then reward all their advice and time by buying a pair from that running store.
Many running stores will allow you to return / exchange them if you aren't happy
My personal preference is the Asics GT-2000 with the gel sole, they are extremely comfortable and supportive. But everyone likes something different, for different reasons
Most shoes have a new version released every year with slight refined and new colours etc, and last year's model may be at a discount
You absolutely don't need fancy carbon-plate race shoes that cost £300 and don't last very long
My preferred shoe is the Asics GT-2000
The 2025/26 model costs £140 at sports direct
The 2023/24 model was £72 at the outlet
Yes newer models have improvements. But I was upgrading from the 2021/22 model so my new shoe was still an improvement over my old shoe, even if it wasn't as fancy as the very latest one at twice the price.
Don’t buy shoes online without trying them on. They have to fit your feet properly, and be comfy. And that’s not something you can do over the internet.
And even within the same brand, different models of shoe can feel very different on the foot (especially things like toe box width). So it’s imperative that you actually try them on.
Do you have a Decathlon near you?
Even Sports Direct has a large selection of running shoes (look for the dedicated running area of the store)
You can get a pair of Asics for £50.
Look for last year’s model which are sold at a lower price than this year’s model.
I can also buy online because I always buy the same model of shoe (Asics GT-2000)
I went to a store and tried on some other Asics shoes and was surprised how different the fit was. Some were very narrow and didn't fit my feet at all.
It’s too individual to really say. I have collapsed arches and I’m prone to posterior tibial tendinitis so I’d say brooks adrenalines and lately the asics gt 2000s but if you don’t have collapsed arches then that’s a pretty useless recommendation 🤷♀️
I pronate and have had to deal with interior tibial tendinitis - shoe wise, I have used Brooks glycerine gts, Saucony Tempus and ASICS GT-2000s all with good success. I usually supplement with Spenco Total Support high arch insoles.
I run everything 5k through marathon (Marathon #3 is in 2 weeks.)
Maybe Gel-Kayano or GT-2000. They’re a little heavier but pretty supportive. I used the GT-2000 when I came back to running not too long ago.
As for your topic question. It’s really runner dependent, but ASICS do keep hitting for me. Love the SB2s and the Magic Speed 5. I like Adidas, Saucony, and NB too. I don’t trust Nike. I’ve had Nike shoes just fall apart on me.
As a former employee of a specialty running footwear shop I can say that the training done (at least where I worked) definitely puts a lot of emphasis on what pronation is. The problem is that most just ignore the fact that you want to see multiple signals before going for a stability shoe and instead bring out three shoes you mentioned as the standard three whenever there’s the tiniest bit of pronation.
If you get pain in certain areas while on your feet (especially when running) then stability potentially could be an option depending on the pain. If you are wanting to follow their recommendations but want something with a bit more of a lively feeling then the Saucony Tempus is a really good option, it’s lively and more of a stable shoe rather than support (guides the foot rather than forces the foot). The Asics GT-2000 is also a decent option and is almost like a hybrid between the Novablast 5 and Kayano 32 (lower stack, responsive foam, mild stability on medial side of the foot).
Top Road Running Shoes on Reddit
1
ASICS
SUPERBLAST 2
71% positive of 805 users
Marathon workhorse, but loud and clunky at slow paces.
colin_staples
