People sure love lists. There’s a list for everything: to-do, waiting, shopping, laundry, naughty, and nice, to name a few. My favorite lists are of the top running shoes. However, “top” is subjective. Running shoe reviews are flawed; experiences running in shoes vary wildly depending on body type, biomechanics, foot strike, and more. There are no top running shoes just like there are no best political candidates or no best investment strategies—ok, maybe those are bad examples. Instead of saying “top running shoes of 2023” these are my favorites of 2023. Admittedly, I sure am partial to max cushion shoes.
ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25
Weight: 10.3 oz/292 g (US M9), 8.0 oz/227 g (US W7.5)
Stack Height: 41.5 mm/33.5 mm (8 mm drop)
Price: $160 (on sale for $120)
I knew back in February this would be among my top running shoes of 2023. It’s on my shortlist of the most fun shoes I’ve laced up in 18 years of pounding the pavement. It’s soft, plush, and so damn comfortable. ASICS says the shoe makes you feel like landing on clouds; others will describe the shoe as pillowy soft. I’m not a fan of the cloud and pillow imagery used to market shoes. The shoe reminds me more of a blanket — a security blanket. It’s a shoe runners can depend on each time for a supremely comfortable run with ample protection from pavement and fatigue.
Many soft, max cushion shoes can feel like trying to run through quicksand. But, the Nimbus 25 feels like lying on the sand at the beach with a cool summer’s breeze. Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. After all, this is running we’re talking about. But it’s that type of comfort that makes the shoe perfect for the day after a speed workout, long run, or leg day. Yet, it’d be a mistake to classify the Nimbus 25 as just a recovery day shoe. It’s a great daily trainer that actually isn’t too difficult to pick up the pace in. Regardless how sore or tired, the shoe keeps you fueled well after you’re running on empty.
Saucony Kinvara Pro
Weight: 9.5 oz/269 g (US M9) 8.5 oz/240 g (US W8)
Stack Height: 42/34 mm (8 mm drop)
Price: $180
Attention all Saucony Kinvara haters: Forget everything you knew about the traditional Kinvara: The Kinvara Pro is completely different. Attention all Kinvara lovers: Forget everything you knew about the traditional Kinvara: The Kinvara Pro is completely different. Well, there was definitely a better way to state that, but I like to be dramatic. While the shoe’s name may be confusing, one thing is clear: both Kinvara stans and detractors should enjoy the Kinvara Pro.
The Pro has not one, not two, but three (!) different foams with a 3/4-length carbon plate sandwiched in between. Specifically, there’s a PWRRUN+ sock liner, PWRRUN PB super foam, and a heaping helping of PWRRUN foam on the bottom. All of that adds up to a gigantic stack at an 8 mm drop. The addition of PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN+ foams offset the firmness of PWRRUN foam while adding a bounce to my step. It helps that the shoe’s equipped with the SPEEDROLL technology, found in the excellent Endorphin Series. With the Kinvara Pro, Saucony bolsters their already stellar running shoe lineup.
Topo Athletic Atmos
Weight: 9.7 oz/275 g (US M9) 7.9 oz/224 g (US W7)
Stack Height: 38/33 mm (5 mm drop)
Price: $160
The Atmos was my introduction to Topo, and the shoe gave my feet the warmest of greetings and my runs the funnest of rides. Despite being a max cushion trainer (38 mm/33 mm), the shoe is surprisingly light on the feet and provides a good amount of pop on the run thanks to the new ZipFoam™ midsole formula. The responsive foam, coupled with the shoe’s rocker geometry, make it rather easy to accelerate in. I can really feel the rocker in this shoe, and it does its intended purpose better than other more well-known shoes with more pronounced rockers.
Add in the sub-10 oz weight (US M9), a comfortable enough mesh upper, and a roomy anatomical toe box, and the Atmos is one of the most underrated shoes of the year, max cushion or otherwise. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Topo succeeded in making its mark on my feet and in my mind as a shoe brand to watch. I’m truly pumped to try my next Topo shoe.
Brooks Ghost Max
Weight: 10.0 oz/283.5 g (US M9) 9.0 oz/255.1 g (US W8)
Stack height: 39 mm/33 mm (6 mm drop)
Price: $150
After years of playing it safe, Brooks continues to innovate their shoe lineup as of late. The latest example appears in the form of a ghost—but this ain’t your father’s Brooks Ghost. While the Ghost MAX may vary wildly from the regular Ghost, elements of what make the original shoe suitable for so many—comfort, durability, and dependability—are found here, in a better, more versatile shoe that will have you rooting for, not “boo-ing,” Brooks to continue to modernize their offerings.
With a tall stack of DNA LOFT v2 cushioning (39/33 mm), it lives up (literally) to its MAX name. Comprised of EVA foam, rubber, and air, Brooks’ DNA LOFT v2 foam is nothing new or revolutionary, but pairing with Brooks’ GlideRoll Rocker decreases pressure underfoot for protective comfort and promotes smooth heel-toe transitions. Sure, the Brooks Ghost MAX isn’t going to wow runners with its looks, ride, or anything in particular, but it’s a very solid daily trainer that can go the distance without falling short of your expectations.
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13
Weight: 9.2 oz/262 grams (US M9) | 7.3 oz/206 grams (US W8)
Stack Height: 38 mm/32 mm (6 mm drop)
Price: $165
You’ll think I’m insane (and you’re not necessarily wrong), but I tried versions 10-12 of the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 and returned each of them. What’s the definition of insanity, again? Despite now looking severely outdated (as happens with shoes), v10 of the shoe caught my eye, and held it even after I returned the shoe. I wanted to love it, but the heel just didn’t work with my foot strike. I was about to give up on the shoe, but then v13 arrived. And with it came a new version of Fresh Foam X cushioning, a prominent heel bevel, and forefoot rocker, providing an absolutely dreamy ride for fans of softer shoes.
Additionally, the shoe’s lighter, comfier, and responsiver—wait, that’s not a word—more responsive than v12. It’s been my go-to pair after recovering from my fall marathon. But, it’s not solely an easy day shoe; it’s a top-tier daily trainer suitable for a variety of paces. New Balance has said for years, if they only made one running shoe, it’d be the 1080 because of its versatility. I never understood that claim until v13. If I had to choose only one New Balance shoe, it’d be the 1080 v13.
Honorable Mention: Brooks Aurora-BL
Weight: 8.5 oz/241 g (US M9), 7.6 oz/215 g (US W8)
Stack Height: 37 mm/31 mm (6 mm drop)
Price: $200, but easy to find on sale for $130-$150
The shoe that looks like it belongs on the feet of astronauts, was originally released in 2021, but Brooks re-released it in 2023, which is why it’s an honorable mention. When the shoe went on sale, I jumped on board the “spaceship” to try a pair of these moonboots. I’m sure glad I went along for the ride—it’s one of the smoothest ones I’ve ever experienced in a shoe.
The “BL” stands for Brooks’ Blue Line Lab, which “charts the course for the future of running shoes,” a feat the Aurora BL nails in aesthetics and performance. The shoe excels from top to bottom, from its novel, sleeve-like tongue, to the decoupled midsole featuring the excellent DNA LOFT v3 foam, and large heel bevel. Credit the shaped heel and toe of Brooks’ Glide Roll technology for the smooth toe-off. Like most technologies, I don’t understand how they work, but I gladly use them to my benefit. The Aurora-BL is a versatile shoe that conquers long and short runs and slow days and speed work.
While the Brooks Aurora-BL may not “defy gravity” as the company playfully boasts, it will most certainly defy your expectations of what a Brooks shoe can be. It’s surely no small step for Brooks, and it’s one giant leap for humankind…who run.
