In this product guide:
- 1. Neutral everyday trainer: Saucony Ride 17
- 2. Versatile neutral trainer with a cushioned ride: Asics Novablast 4
- 3. Cushioned cruiser with a soft and neutral ride: Asics Nimbus 26
- 4. Carbon-plated racer with a neutral ride: Saucony Endorphin Pro 4
- 5. Neutral speed shoe for 10K runs: Brooks Hyperion 2
- 6. Neutral trail running shoe: Brooks Cascadia 18
- How we selected
Instead of the EVA foam midsole that the Ride 16 had, the Ride 17 now uses Pwrrun+ – a foam similar to what the Triumph 20 and 21 had.
However, the Ride 17 is not a soft running shoe. It tempers its cushioning with firmness, and that approach works well on a neutral shoe. The supportive e-TPU midsole is comfortable enough for everyday runs and even longer runs up to a half-marathon, but there’s no bias.
The Ride 17's insole is made of Pwrrun+ E-TPU foam. It's thick enough to be replaced by a stability Orthotic.
The Ride 17's insole is made of Pwrrun+ E-TPU foam. It's thick enough to be replaced by a stability Orthotic.
In other words, both sides of the midsole feel balanced. You’d be surprised to know that not all shoes that are supposed to be ‘neutral’ behave so. For example, the Brooks Ghost 16 is a reliable daily trainer, but it’s not a true neutral shoe – the groove makes it easier for the midsole to lean towards the outer side.
And how does the Ride 17 perform on the road? The cushioning has more life in it than the Ride 16, that’s for sure.
The Pwrrun+ midsole isn’t particularly bouncy, but the dense foam is responsive and doesn’t feel flat as the Ride 15 and 16 did. A thick insole made of the same foam provides step-in softness.
The mild midsole rocker and firm midsole allow the Ride 17 to go as fast as 4:00 min/km (6:30 min/mile).
The upper fits true-to-size and is nicely proportioned – it’s neither narrow nor loose.
Also recommended: The Asics Cumulus 26 and New Balance 880V14.
- Saucony’s marketing pitch: A truly versatile shoe, from warm up to tempo runs.
- Upper: Engineered mesh, internal gusset.
- Midsole: Expanded Polyurethane (Pwrrun+) foam. 8 mm heel drop.
- Outsole: Carbon rubber in high-wear areas.
- Weight: 282 gms/ 9.9 Oz for a half pair of Men’s US 9/UK 8/EUR 42.5/CM 27.
- Stack heights: 35 mm (heel), 27 mm (forefoot).
- Available widths: D – regular (reviewed), 2E – Wide.
- Previous model: Saucony Ride 16.
- Country of origin: Vietnam.
- Recommended use: Daily training, tempo runs, half-marathons.
- Footstrike orientation: Heel, midfoot/forefoot (full contact).
- Recommended paces: 4:30 min/km (7:30 min/mile) and slower.
- Median lifespan: 500 miles.
- Recommended temperature range: Warmer than -5° C/23° F.
Pros
- Just-right upper fit
- Neutral and supportive ride
- Smooth cushioning
- Versatile ride character
- Optional widths
- Comfortable interiors
Cons
- Upper runs warm in summer
- Low reflectivity
- Heel loop needs to be bigger
Oh look, it’s the Asics Novablast 4 – the versatile do-everything shoe.
It’s not hard to see why most runners love this shoe. The tall midsole is generously padded, making it ideal for most distances – be it a 10K or a marathon. The Flytefoam midsole is soft, but not energy-sapping – the foam has a nice springy feel to it.
What also makes the Novablast unique is its ability to help the foot to ‘roll forward’ – thanks to the very effective midsole rocker. The high toe-spring helps the foot ‘tip’ forward. The snug upper also does a great job of locking the foot down over the midsole.
All that is fine, but how does that make the Novablast 4 a good neutral running shoe?
The midsole is 43 mm thick under the heel and 35 mm tall under the forefoot, and it’s also wide. There’s also a deep transition channel under the heel that keeps the weight centered. And that’s what the Novablast’s cushioning feels like – centered, balanced, and therefore, neutral.
The Asics Nimbus 26 competes with several other shoes in this category, like the Brooks Glycerin 21, New Balance 1080V13, Puma Magnify Nitro 2, Saucony Triumph 22, and others.
For the sake of brevity, we recommend the Nimbus 26 if you’re looking for a cruiser that can do longer runs well, but at easier paces. Not much has changed over the Nimbus 25, so if you can get the previous model at a lower price, we suggest you do that.
We chose the Nimbus 26 because it’s not as soft as the 1080V13, nor it is as bouncy as the Triumph 22. The Nimbus 26’s cushioning hits the sweet spot between softness and firmness – something that a good neutral running shoe should do.
The true-to-size upper fits better than the Brooks Glycerin 21 and Magnify Nitro. The upper runs a bit warm, and the heel loop placement isn’t ideal, but the rest is what you’d expect on a Nimbus.
The Nimbus 26 is also a great pick as a cushioned marathon shoe.
The Nimbus 26 isn’t overly soft. As a matter of fact, it’s relatively firmer than the Nimbus 25.
While the Flytefoam cushioning has a lot of depth, the balanced midsole design minimizes bias – meaning that both sides of the shoe feel equally supported. The midsole also resists compression well, even when loaded by heavy runners. The snug upper does a good job of securing the foot over the midsole as well.
Asics has upgraded the outsole with the improved Hybrid Asicsgrip rubber, so the Nimbus 26 traction is better than before.
- Asics’s marketing pitch: Add comfort to every step.
- Upper: Engineered mesh, inner gusset.
- Midsole: Flytefoam Blast+ foam, heel Gel unit. 8 mm heel drop.
- Outsole: Hybrid Asicsgrip rubber.
- Weight: 305 gms/ 10.7 Oz for a half pair of Men’s US 9/UK 8/EUR 42.5/CM 27.
- Stack heights: 42 mm (heel), 34 mm (forefoot).
- Available widths: D – regular (reviewed), 2E (wide), 4E (extra-wide).
- Previous model: Asics Nimbus 26
- Country of origin: Indonesia.
- Recommended use: Daily trainer for easy runs, half-marathons.
- Footstrike orientation: Heel, midfoot/forefoot (full contact).
- Median lifespan: 400 miles.
- Recommended paces: Slower than 5:00 min/km (8:00 min/mile).
- Recommended temperature range: Warmer than -5° C/23° F.
Pros
- Ride comfort for easy efforts
- Supportive and neutral cushioning
- Smooth transitions
- Optional wide, extra-wide sizes
Cons
- Upper is not breathable
- Low versatility
- Low reflectivity
- Printed heel loop may irritate
- Outsole grip needs further improvement
It’s hard to find a carbon-plated racer with neutral ride manners. By design, most super-shoes have a slim midsole made of PEBA foam or similar materials.
That decreases support under the heel, and we’ve observed shoes like the Asics Metaspeed Sky/Edge Paris, Nike Vaporfly 3, and Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 losing their structural integrity during the loading process.
The Nike Alphafly 3 and New Balance SC Elite 4 perform better in this area, we vote for the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4
That’s because the Endorphin Pro 4 differs from most racers in two important ways. Not only is the midsole wider than most Carbon-plated racers, the transition channel under the heel splits the crash pad into halves.
The wide midsole acts as a supportive base, while the hollow space under the heel keeps the weight balanced. The Endorphin Pro 4’s midsole has better structural integrity than other sleeker racers.
Despite its unconventional design, the Endorphin Pro 4 offers all the typical benefits of a racer with a Carbon plate. The Pwrrun PB midsole has the cushioning that’s needed to power through a marathon, and the Carbon plate adds quickness and efficiency to the transitions. The lightweight upper breathes well, fits true-to-size, and is accommodating.
Readers should know that the Hyperion 2 isn’t a true successor to the Hyperion. It’s rather a replacement for the Hyperion Max, because the new Hyperion Max 2 is a different shoe altogether.
The Brooks Hyperion 2 is softer than the Hyperion, and very close to the previous generation Hyperion Max. And that makes it an excellent shoe for 5K, 10K, and even a half-marathon.
We had a high opinion of first-gen the Brooks Hyperion Tempo – the form factor that the Hyperion 2 is based on. It was lightweight, versatile, and very neutral – thanks to its unique nitrogen-infused midsole foam. While the Hyperion 2 is softer than the Hyperion Tempo, its overall character is similar.
Non-EVA compounds like the Brooks DNA Flash fares well under heavy loads.
The ‘DNA Flash’ foam is a responsive cushioning foam that’s good for several things. It delivers an efficient ride that feels comfortable at higher paces. At the same time, the stack provides adequate levels of impact protection during long runs.
Besides the speed-friendly character, the Hyperion’s firm midsole is affirmatively neutral in its cushioning delivery. The sidewall design is balanced on both sides, and the firmness has inherent levels of stability.
The upper is surprisingly comfortable for a speed shoe. The forefoot is relatively accommodating with the soft mesh making the insides comfortable.
The Brooks Cascadia has always been an underrated trail running shoe, but the Cascadia 18 has a few tricks that make it stand out in a crowd.
Inside the midsole is a plate with an articulated section under the forefoot and a ‘wing’ like extensions under the rearfoot. This part is visible through the small window (Trail adapt) on the midsole.
The plate is good for three things. First, it’s great for making the transitions efficient. Second, the plate is also a rock-shield and a protective barrier. The grippy Trailtack rubber outsole is split into different segments for better handling on the trail.
Lastly, by controlling the compression, the ‘wing’ section under the rearfoot adds a sense of balance and neutrality to the ride. Not many trail running shoes have this quality, so that’s a good reason to include the Cascadia 18 in this guide.
As a stand-alone trail shoe, the Cascadia 18 excels through its versatility. While it’s not as soft as the Cascadia 16 from a few years ago, there’s enough comfort for up to 10K. And thanks to the plate, faster miles come easier as well. The performance is matched with the outgoing Cascadia 17, as both versions share an identical midsole and outsole.
The upper has a standard level of reinforcement, with protective overlays applied selectively. Like the last time, the Cascadia also sells a waterproof (Gore-Tex) upper for a $30 premium.
How we selected: What to look for
When a brand says that a particular running shoe is ‘neutral,’ it simply means that the midsole does not have a medial wedge or a similar support feature. By this broad definition, the opposite of neutral happens to be ‘stability’ – in which case you’ll need to refer to the relevant buyer’s guide.
But just like how all stability shoes are not the same, neutral running shoes are also sold in different flavors.
Generally speaking, neutral shoes are differentiated by their price bands and use cases. For every Saucony Ride 17, there is a higher-priced Saucony Triumph 22. Similarly, the Brooks Ghost 16 is positioned as the lower-priced version of the more expensive and plusher Glycerin 21.
Historically, a higher retail price has usually translated into a higher level of cushioning and upper plushness. While this generalization still holds, exceptions will apply.
For example, a mid-priced neutral shoe can have an equal or greater level of cushioning than a higher-priced model. Recent advancements in foam technology have proved to be a great equalizer.
Though the Fuelcell Rebel V4 is a soft and neutral shoe, it blends ride comfort with speed manners.
For example, the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel V4 out-cushions more expensive shoes. For this guide, we went with the Brooks Hyperion 2 instead.
The level of support is another factor. Some neutral shoes are more supportive than others – even within the same price range. It is hard to tell unless you run in them.
For any running shoe to be truly neutral, the midsole should have a balanced ride. In other words, the other side should not be overly soft versus the inner midsole.
Running shoes with overly soft cushioning are excluded. For example, while the Nike Invincible 3 is an excellent shoe, the super bouncy ride affects its neutralness. A 150 lb runner may find the ride neutral; a 200 lb person will not. Instead, we recommend the rather excellent Asics Superblast for long-distance tempo runs. If you want to take it slow and easy, we recommend the Asics Nimbus 26.
Also, this guide excludes affordable trainers below $100 retail; Solereview has a separate list just for those.