Best Cushioning Running Shoes
The shoes for sale rated highest for cushioning by real, experienced, and knowledgeable runners.
All Running Shoes
156 shoes · page 1 of 7 · includes daily trainers, supershoes, racing shoes, trail shoes and track spikes
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
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#1 HOKA
Bondi 899 99 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 53 reviews Confidence 100
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.9 oz · 4mm drop
Deep cushioning on a 43mm heel stack, and reviewers describe a smooth ride.
Overall 99 Comfort 99Overall99Comfort99Cushioning99Durability97Value77Appearance75Confidence100Buy it now
Dick's Sporting Goods
$95 $165 42% off
Best price · lowest in 90 days
Buy at Dick's Sporting Goods ↗Other retailers
Dick's $95 42% offMSRP $165
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Pros
Deep cushioning on a 43mm heel stack, and reviewers describe a smooth ride.
Seven reviewers with knee, hip, Achilles or foot problems say they were able to run comfortably in it.
One reviewer ran a 50k and a 50 miler in a pair, and another gets 500 miles before retiring them to walking.
Cons
Value is its lowest-rated dimension at 4.1 out of 5, and reviewers who like the shoe still call the $165 price high.
At 11.1 oz it sits in the heavy weight band, and three reviewers find it heavy or clunky, one of them also hot.
One reviewer with a narrow toe box began getting blisters as the mileage rose.
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#2 HOKA
Bondi 999 99 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 98
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.9 oz · 43mm stack · 5mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 99 Comfort 98Overall99Cushioning99Comfort98Durability90Value77Appearance69Confidence98Buy it now
Other retailers
Dick's $170 3% offRunning Warehouse $175MSRP $175
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#3 ASICS
Superblast 299 99 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 14 reviews Confidence 98
Speed shoe · Neutral · 8.8 oz · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any speed shoe for sale.
Overall 99 Comfort 98$150 $200 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:32 AM UTCOverall99Cushioning99Comfort98Durability97Appearance93Value90Confidence98Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any speed shoe for sale.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any speed shoe for sale.
Cons
It costs much more than the typical speed shoe for sale.
It is heavier than the typical speed shoe for sale.
It is heavier than the Superblast before it.
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#4 HOKA
Clifton 998 98 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 130 reviews Confidence 100
Daily trainer · Neutral · 8.0 oz · 38mm stack · 5mm drop
Some reviewers find it light on foot for how much soft cushioning it has.
Overall 98 Comfort 99$170 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:30 AM UTCOverall98Comfort99Cushioning98Durability87Appearance86Value83Confidence100Pros
Some reviewers find it light on foot for how much soft cushioning it has.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
It is much lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Cons
Reviewers disagree about its durability: some report it wearing out sooner than they expected, and others report hundreds of miles without problems.
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#5 HOKA
Clifton 1098 98 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 11 reviews Confidence 98
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.2 oz · 42mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 98 Comfort 96$93 $155 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:32 AM UTCOverall98Cushioning98Comfort96Value79Durability69Appearance64Confidence98Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is much heavier than the Clifton 9 before it.
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#6 HOKA
Clifton 1198 98 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 98
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.0 oz · 42mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 98 Comfort 93$149 $155 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:33 AM UTCOverall98Cushioning98Comfort93Value77Durability77Appearance70Confidence98Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $155Dick's $155MSRP $155
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
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#7 ASICS
Superblast 398 98 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 95
Speed shoe · Neutral · 8.0 oz · 45mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any speed shoe.
Overall 98 Comfort 94Overall98Cushioning98Comfort94Durability91Appearance86Value79Confidence95Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any speed shoe.
It is lighter than the Superblast 2 before it.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any speed shoe.
Cons
It costs much more than the typical speed shoe for sale.
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#8 Nike
Vaporfly 497 97 Exceptional Exceptional Ranked by Cushioning 3 reviews Confidence 96
Racing shoe · Neutral · 6.1 oz · 35mm stack · 6mm drop
It is much lighter than the typical racing shoe for sale.
Overall 97 Comfort 86$111 $260 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:33 AM UTCOverall97Appearance98Cushioning97Comfort86Value69Durability53Confidence96Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $165 37% offNike $165 37% offDick's $204 22% offMSRP $260
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
It is much lighter than the typical racing shoe for sale.
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any racing shoe.
It is lighter than the Vaporfly 3 before it.
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#9 Nike
Vomero 1896 96 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 21 reviews Confidence 97
Daily trainer · Neutral · 10.4 oz · 46mm stack · 10mm drop
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 96 Comfort 97Overall96Comfort97Cushioning96Appearance83Durability70Value67Confidence97Buy it now
Other retailers
Nike $117 25% offDick's $125 19% offMSRP $155
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
Some reviewers find the outsole rubber wears out faster than the rest of the shoe.
It is much heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It is heavier than the Vomero 17 before it.
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#10 Brooks
Glycerin 2395 95 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 95
Daily trainer · Neutral · 10.1 oz · 38mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 95 Comfort 97$166 $175 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:33 AM UTCOverall95Comfort97Durability95Cushioning95Appearance80Value78Confidence95Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $175Dick's $175MSRP $175
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#11 Saucony
Triumph 2294 94 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 21 reviews Confidence 97
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.5 oz · 37mm stack · 10mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 94 Comfort 93$105 $160 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:31 AM UTCOverall94Cushioning94Comfort93Durability91Value83Appearance80Confidence97Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
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#12 Brooks
Glycerin 2294 94 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 96
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.6 oz · 38mm stack · 10mm drop
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 94 Comfort 97$90 $165 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:33 AM UTCOverall94Comfort97Durability95Cushioning94Value79Appearance74Confidence96Pros
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#13 Brooks
Ghost Max 294 94 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 15 reviews Confidence 95
Daily trainer · Neutral · 10.3 oz · 39mm stack · 6mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 94 Comfort 96Overall94Durability96Comfort96Cushioning94Value92Appearance86Confidence95Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Some reviewers find the shoe very comfortable to run in.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is much heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It is heavier than the Ghost Max before it.
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#14 ASICS
GEL-Nimbus 2794 94 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 2 reviews Confidence 94
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.9 oz · 44mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 94 Comfort 90$110 $165 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:34 AM UTCOverall94Cushioning94Comfort90Durability87Appearance74Value70Confidence94Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#15 ASICS
GEL-Nimbus 2893 93 Excellent Excellent Ranked by Cushioning 5 reviews Confidence 95
Daily trainer · Neutral · 9.2 oz · 44mm stack · 8mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 93 Comfort 90$161 $170 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:32 AM UTCOverall93Cushioning93Comfort90Durability85Appearance73Value68Confidence95Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $170Dick's $170MSRP $170
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
It is lighter than the GEL-Nimbus 27 before it.
Cons
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#16 ASICS
Novablast 592 92 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 18 reviews Confidence 96
Daily trainer · Neutral · 8.5 oz · 42mm stack · 8mm drop
Reviewers often describe a bouncy, responsive ride that handles easy runs, long runs, and tempo work.
Overall 92 Comfort 91$130 $150 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:31 AM UTCOverall92Value94Cushioning92Comfort91Appearance74Durability71Confidence96Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $130 13% offDick's $130 13% offMSRP $150
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Reviewers often describe a bouncy, responsive ride that handles easy runs, long runs, and tempo work.
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Our ratings put its value among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
Some reviewers report the foam losing its bounce and cushioning after a few hundred miles.
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#17 HOKA
Gaviota 592 92 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 15 reviews Confidence 94
Daily trainer · Stability · 10.0 oz · 36mm stack · 6mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 92 Comfort 82Overall92Cushioning92Comfort82Durability81Value81Appearance79Confidence94Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#18 Saucony
Triumph 2492 92 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 2 reviews Confidence 93
Daily trainer · Neutral · 8.2 oz · 43mm stack · 10mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 92 Comfort 87$165 $170 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:34 AM UTCOverall92Cushioning92Durability91Comfort87Value83Appearance79Confidence93Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $170Dick's $170MSRP $170
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
It is much lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#19 Saucony
Endorphin Shift 391 91 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 21 reviews Confidence 95
Daily trainer · Stability · 8.8 oz · 39mm stack · 4mm drop
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Overall 91 Comfort 87$100 $150 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:31 AM UTCOverall91Cushioning91Value87Comfort87Durability84Appearance70Confidence95Pros
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Cons
Some reviewers report the shoe starting to come apart after several hundred miles of use.
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#20 Saucony
Triumph 2391 91 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 2 reviews Confidence 93
Daily trainer · Neutral · 8.8 oz · 42mm stack · 10mm drop
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 91 Comfort 91$76 $170 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:34 AM UTCOverall91Durability91Cushioning91Comfort91Value81Appearance74Confidence93Buy it now
Other retailers
Running Warehouse $100 41% offDick's $170MSRP $170
We share affiliate links. Learn more.
Pros
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It costs much more than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#21 On
Cloudsurfer91 91 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 10 reviews Confidence 89
Daily trainer · Neutral · 7.9 oz · 32mm stack · 10mm drop
It is much lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Overall 91 Comfort 92$159 $160 Buy now ↗ As of Oct 22, 8:32 AM UTCOverall91Comfort92Cushioning91Appearance91Value74Durability70Confidence89Pros
It is much lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Our ratings put its comfort among the best of any daily trainer.
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#22 Brooks
Ghost Max 391 91 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 2 reviews Confidence 86
Daily trainer · Neutral · 10.3 oz · 39mm stack · 6mm drop
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Overall 91 Comfort 89Overall91Durability95Cushioning91Comfort89Value85Appearance75Confidence86Pros
Our ratings put its durability among the best of any daily trainer.
Our ratings put its cushioning among the best of any daily trainer.
Cons
It is much heavier than the typical daily trainer for sale.
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#23 HOKA
Mach X 390 90 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 4 reviews Confidence 85
Speed shoe · Neutral · 9.4 oz · 44mm stack · 5mm drop
Overall 90 Comfort 87Overall90Cushioning90Comfort87Appearance78Durability75Value75Confidence85Cons
It is much heavier than the typical speed shoe for sale.
It is much heavier than the Mach X 2 before it.
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#24 PUMA
Magnify Nitro 390 90 Very good Very good Ranked by Cushioning 3 reviews Confidence 68
Daily trainer · Neutral · 8.4 oz · 40mm stack · 10mm drop
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
Overall 90 Comfort 82Overall90Cushioning90Value85Durability84Comfort82Appearance78Confidence68Pros
It is lighter than the typical daily trainer for sale.
It is much lighter than the Magnify Nitro 2 before it.
Cons
It costs much more than the Magnify Nitro 2 before it.
How this ranking works
Ratings come from our statistical models of runner reviews: each rating is our best estimate of how runners rate a shoe, 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.