Best Cushioning Running Shoes
The shoes for sale rated highest for cushioning by real, experienced, and knowledgeable reviewers.
All shoes
148 shoes · page 7 of 7 · includes daily trainers, supershoes, racing shoes, trail shoes and track spikes
Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
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#145 Altra
Escalante Racer 260 Bottom-tier Cushioning · 3 reviews · Confidence 28/100
Speed / workouts · Neutral
One reviewer has 2,000 miles on a pair and says it is still in great condition.
Overall 60 Comfort 90Overall60Comfort90Durability77Value60Cushioning60Appearance58Confidence28Buy it now
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Pros
One reviewer has 2,000 miles on a pair and says it is still in great condition.
One reviewer wants a fast, comfortable shoe without a carbon plate and finds it here.
Cons
Cushioning draws 2.7 out of 5 in the three reviews so far, the lowest mark of any dimension.
The original Escalante Racer scores 96 on twenty-two reviews against its 83.
Appearance draws 3.0 out of 5 in the three reviews so far.
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#146 ASICS
Dynablast 560 Bottom-tier Cushioning · 1 review · Confidence 27/100
Daily trainer · Neutral
It lists at $120, below the $150 median for daily trainers on sale.
Overall 60 Comfort 57$70 $120 Buy now ↗ As of Sep 14, 8:34 AM UTCOverall60Value72Durability64Appearance63Cushioning60Comfort57Confidence27Pros
It lists at $120, below the $150 median for daily trainers on sale.
Cons
The one reviewer so far, a midfoot striker, finds the foam short on cushioning.
No Dynablast scores above 62 here, across six versions since 2020.
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#147 adidas
adizero Adios 956 Bottom-tier Cushioning · 3 reviews · Confidence 40/100
Racing · Neutral
It lists at $140, well below the $250 median for racing shoes on sale.
Overall 56 Comfort 65Overall56Appearance81Value77Durability77Comfort65Cushioning56Confidence40Pros
It lists at $140, well below the $250 median for racing shoes on sale.
Comfort and value both average 4.7 out of 5 across the three reviewers so far.
Cons
The Adios 8 before it scores 87 on sixteen reviews, against 67 for this version.
One of three reviewers rates its looks 1 out of 5.
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#148 New Balance
Ellipse53 Bottom-tier Cushioning · 2 reviews · Confidence 41/100
Daily trainer · Neutral
One of two reviewers calls it extremely comfortable and says it supports them well in competition.
Overall 53 Comfort 59Overall53Appearance76Durability69Value65Comfort59Cushioning53Confidence41Buy it now
Other retailers
Dick's $110 24% offRunning Warehouse $145MSRP $145
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Pros
One of two reviewers calls it extremely comfortable and says it supports them well in competition.
Durability and looks both average 4.5 out of 5 from the two reviewers so far.
Cons
Both reviewers so far rate value 3 out of 5, the lowest of their marks.
How this ranking works
Ratings come from our statistical models of runner reviews: the score is our best estimate of how a shoe is rated, and the bar behind it in an expanded row is the range we consider plausible given how many reviews it has. Shoes with few reviews rank more cautiously rather than shooting to the top on a handful of glowing write-ups. Prices are the live prices at the retailers we track, and everything ranked here is a shoe you can buy today.