The newest running pairs, including New Balance 1080v15, ASICS Magic Speed 5, Nike Structure Plus, Brooks Glycerin Max 2, and more. Updated throughout the month.
New Balance 1080 v15
- 40/34 mm (6 mm drop)
- US M9.5: 9.2 oz (261g)| US W7: 7.3 oz (208g)
- $170 | Available Jan. 15
Notice anything different about the name? Say goodbye to Fresh Foam X! (And the egregiously long Fresh Foam X 1080v moniker.) New Balance finally replaces outdated EVA-based Fresh Foam X with a supercritical Infinion—which sounds less like a midsole and more like an underwhelming Christopher Nolan film.
In addition to improved energy return, New Balance claims Inception Infinion adds durability (hence the play on infinity) and is designed to “make more runs feel like your first run.”
That’s a very poor choice of words. I sure hope they don’t mean my first ever run. That would definitely not be something I’d like to revisit. Ever. My PTSD would be off the charts. Hell, it’d probably take me off the roads and make me quit the sport for good.
But Interstellar Infinion isn’t the only update. The 1080v15 has an updated look that features a contoured, perforated mesh upper. Good news for all you childless runners: the most “dad shoe” now looks a bit less dad-like.
Nike Structure Plus
- 42 mm/32 mm (10 mm drop)
- US W9: 10.4 oz (295g) | US W8: 8.7 oz (246g)
- $170 | Available to order January 8
Wait a minute. What is this basketball shoe doing on the list? What’s that? Ok, I’m being told this is, allegedly, a running shoe. Ohhh, it’s a stability shoe. Checks out.
Hey, it sure beats the look of traditional stability pairs. That’s why I’ll never be caught dead—or alive—in stability shoes. Sure, I pronate, and could likely benefit from some added support. But I’d much rather suffer an injury than a bruised ego from being seen in those dorky things.
Wait, this shoe’s got a dual-density midsole with ZoomX on top and ReactX foam on the bottom? Fine, this is the one pair I’ll make an exception for. Fortunately, I’ve already got a pair ready to test out. I just need to let my injury from running strictly in neutral shoes heal before I can run again.
ASICS Glideride Max 2
- 46 mm/40 mm (6 mm drop)
- US M9: 9.2 oz (261g) | US W8: 8.0 oz (227g)
- $170 | Available Now
One of the more underrated shoes of 2025 carries over the 3/4 length EVA plate, and adds FF BLAST PLUS to complement the FF BLAST MAX from the first edition. There’s also a new engineered woven upper.
Looking for the most milquetoast, uninspiring colorways in history? Look no further! Each of the three colorways leaves a lot to be desired, and a lot to the imagination—begging runners to imagine literally any other design. The look is straight out of the 80’s, but certainly not straight outta Compton. A clear downgrade in the looks department, and running is nothing if not a fashion contest.
You can tell ASICS knows they made a mistake with this one’s aesthetics. How? They desperately highlight the heel pull tab, declaring it “makes the shoe easier and more comfortable to put on and take off.” Oh, brother. Nice try, ASICS. Too bad this was recently debunked by a task force of Ivy League researchers.
Having a pull tab in 2026 is not special. Shit, it wasn’t special in 1996. Pull tabs are the WOAT.
ASICS Magic Speed 5
- 37.5 mm/30.5 mm (7 mm drop)
- US M9: 6.7 oz (191g) | US W8: 5.5 oz (157g)
- $180 | Available now
You can never have too many plated shoes — unless you’re ASICS, who has a whopping six (6!) (VI!) plated shoes in their crowded lineup. That actually might be too many. I’d say it’s a good problem, but they risk confusing clueless runners who will struggle to differentiate between them.
But reducing the weight by an impressive 1.7 ounces (50 grams) and adding ASICS’ most energetic FF LEAP super foam to complement FF BLAST PLUS should elevate this speedy carbon-plated pair to new heights, despite a reduction of 6 mm in the heel and 5 mm in the forefoot. The lower 37.5/30.5 mm stack, new 7 mm drop, and reconfigured carbon plate, make this a completely different shoe than the 4th edition.
Saucony Ride 19
- 36/28 mm (8 mm drop)
- US M9: 8.9oz (255g) | US W8: 7.7oz (220g)
- $145 | Available Now
Saucony boasts the one-version-shy-of-the-20th-edition of the most unoriginally named shoe gets a reformulated PWRRUN+ foam. The new midsole allegedly delivers “plush cushioning with increased energy return.”
Jesus, how many modified versions of a foam can there be? I feel like Saucony says this shit every year. Get your formula right, damnit! How hard can it be? You’re not cooking meth! You’re certainly no Heisenberg. But kudos to them for admitting naïve customers are wasting money on flawed, inferior editions of the foam each year.
Amateur tip: stop buying every update to a shoe. It doesn’t change that much from one year to the next.
Brooks Glycerin Max 2
- 46/40 mm (6 mm drop)
- US M9: 11.3 oz (320g) | US W8: 10.2oz (289g)
- $200 | Available now
The second edition of Brooks’ tallest — and most expensive — trainer keeps the same 46/40 mm stack height of stellar DNA Tuned (nitrogen-infused) foam and 6 mm drop.
What’s changed in the max cushion pair? A new, more comfortable, and better fitting engineered triple jacquard air mesh upper that comes at a high cost: an additional 0.8 ounces, for a significantly heavier weight of 11.3 oz (men) and 10.2 oz (women).
The Glycerin Max’s weight increase follows suit with the Ghost Max series. Brooks, say it with me: “Less weight is more.” It may not be beach season, but a shoe over 11 ounces (men’s size 9) in 2026 is “out of shape”, and as tough to swallow as a mouthful of ocean water.
Topo Athletic Atmos 2
- 40/35 mm (5 mm drop)
- US M9: 9.9 oz (281g) | US W8: 8 oz (227g)
- $165 | Available Now
This max cushion trainer is one of the only shoes Topo makes in size 15. Apparently, they believe gargantuan-footed folks can’t run fast. That’s right: they think we’re all big, dumb oafs who trudge forward at a glacial pace. Sure, there are many slow and ugly size 15 runners this accurately describes, but don’t lump me in with those losers! Have you even seen my PRs?!
Anyway, the excellent rocker geometry and responsive Zipfoam midsole (EVA blend with thermal plastic) makes the Atmos 2 an underrated, very versatile pair that can go toe to toe with just about any daily trainer out there, including the comparable Brooks Ghost Max 3. See my full review here.
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