A Sneak Peek at the Hottest Running Shoes Coming Out in 2025

We just got back from The Running Event Trade show, where we saw hundreds of shoes that will drop next year. Here are the racing, road, and trail models setting the tone for 2025.

Share

Save

(Photo: Brian Metzler)

Good news runners: Running shoes will once again level up in the new year. While runners have always geeked out about their favorite kicks—either for the color, the look, the technology, or the new PR they set running in them—never before have training and racing models felt like such hot commodities. After getting a sneak peek of the hottest running shoes of 2025, it’s clear to me that training and racing models are continuing to get lighter, faster, funkier, and just down-right better.

I just spent three days meeting with running shoe brands at The Running Event in Austin, Texas, to check out the latest and greatest models that will hit stores throughout 2025. The shoes you have been training and racing in this year might have had plenty of new-shoe swagger when you got them last spring, but they’ll be old news once this whole new crop of kicks hit stores beginning in January.

While I’m not supposed to talk about the new racing shoes that Asics, Brooks, and New Balance will be launching, nor the new training shoes from Satisfy and Nike that will be hitting shelves midway through the year, I can tell you about some of the ones that weren’t being presented under the cloak of secrecy.

Here’s a rundown of some of the hottest running shoes of 2025 that were on display at the industry-only trade show at the Austin Convention Center this week. There are dozens more to come—stay tuned. In the meantime, if you’re looking for new shoes right now, we’ve got you covered. Check out our favorite super shoes, training shoes, and trail running shoes.

Similar Reads

Our Favorite Sport Climbing Shoes (Updated 2025)

The Best Men’s Hiking Boots and Shoes of 2025

How To Choose a Running Shoe | Outside's Top Pick for 2025

RELATED: Are Track Stars or Football Players Faster? Plus 9 Super Bowl Facts Runners Need to Know

(Some of ) The Hottest Running Shoes of 2025

Speedland RX:FPY, $299

$299, Speedland

Heel-toe offset: 7mm; 40mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 8.0 oz.
Expected launch: April

Speedland is a small brand started by shoe industry veterans Kevin Fallon and Dave Dombrow, who left the corporate footwear world to set up a crafty new trail running shoe company in Portland, Oregon. They’re uniquely designed shoes have earned a cult following in the trail running community. Now they’re launching a performance training shoe for the roads. The RX:FPY is a fairly light shoe (8-ounce spec weight) featuring a responsive uncompressed super-critical foam midsole, a removable carbon-fiber plate, and, in quintessential Speedland style, a BOA Li2 dual-directional dial closure system in lieu of laces.

Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, $275

$275, Saucony

Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 39.5mm (heel), 31.5mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 7.0 oz.
Expected launch: March

Saucony’s new TPEE IncrediRun midsole material in its top-tier carbon-plated racing shoes is lighter and more responsive than its previous PWRRUN HG foam. A new seamless upper, engineered mesh tongue, and a 3D molded heel round out a snug, smooth, secure race-day fit. While we’ll have to run in it to see just how fast it turns out to be, if nothing else it’s whimsical design is quite the conversation starter.

La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, $195

$195, La Sportiva

Heel-toe offset: 6mm; 34mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 8.9 oz.
Expected launch: March

The Prodigio Pro is La Sportiva’s answer to the faster shoe models hitting the trails. It’s fueled by the energetic XFlow Speed, a supercritical nitrogen-infused TPU foam that maximizes energy return while providing fantastic cushioning. A super sticky outsole with deep lugs allows for the quality traction La Sportiva is known for, while a unique strobel-less construction improves responsiveness and cushioning. The brand’s new Power Wire mesh is paired with an internal wrapping system to provide an incredibly lightweight upper that holds the foot securely on tricky descents.

Read the full first run review: Mountain Heritage Meets Modernity: La Sportiva Prodigio Pro First Run Review

Asics GEL-Nimbus 27, $165

$165, Asics

Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 43.5mm (heel), 35.5mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.8 oz.
Expected launch: January

The Gel-Nimbus keeps getting taller and taller. The latest version now has a blend of soft and responsive FF Blast + Eco foam that’s been elevated by 2mm from heel to toe and a Pure GEL insert in the heel. The upper has been changed from a stretch knit to a secure and breathable jacquard for a better locked-down fit sensation.

X-Bionic TerraSkin XOO C, $300

$300, X-Bionic

Heel-toe offset: 5mm; 36mm (heel), 29mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.9 oz.
Expected launch: April

No, this isn’t footwear from the next installment of the Marvel Universe. It’s a trail shoe you can wear in just a few months. The TerraSkin XOO C was engineered to work in concert with the anatomically mapped design of X-Bionic compression socks to create a trail running experience with exceptional precision, control, and grip. It has a highly responsive midsole, a carbon-fiber plate, and a rugged outsole that’s built into a lower foot cradle that supports a runner’s feet on off-camber terrain. (The price includes a pair of TerraSkin compression socks.)

Topo Vista, $170

Heel-toe offset: 5mm; 38mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.9 oz.
Expected launch: June

This is the highest stacked and the first maximally cushioned trail runner in the Topo line, but it retains a lot of the key features for which Topo is known, including a rocker shape and a roomy forefoot. It’s built on Topo’s new ZipFoam midsole material and has a tightly woven mesh upper for optimal durability, breathability, and fit, and a Vibram Megagrip outsole for reliable traction.

CEP Omnispeed, $225

Heel-toe offset: 5mm; 38mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.9 oz.
Expected launch: February

If you’ve heard of the German brand CEP, you know they’re known for compression socks and apparel. Well, now they’re using their background in medical technology to enter the shoe game. The Omnispeed features Bowtech, which is a patented kinetic technology that works in harmony with a runner’s foot biomechanics to increase energy return. The Arkema fiber-reinforced Pebax midsole maximizes the foot’s windlass mechanism, storing energy with every step and unleashing it during push-off for powerful acceleration.

On Cloudultra Pro, $260

Heel-toe offset: 6mm; 38mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 8.5 oz.
Expected launch: May

A new model that’s been in the works for more than two years, this near-max cushioned shoe has a softer version of On’s Helion HF foam directly under the foot and a slightly firmer version below the nylon-fiberglass forked plate. It has an engineered mesh upper to help secure the foot on off-camber terrain and low profile outsole lugs for versatility on a wide range of terrain.

RELATED: The Best Running Gear From REI’s Big Winter Sale

Hoka Cielo X 1 2.0

$275, Hoka

Heel-toe offset: 10mm; 48mm (heel), 41mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 8.1 oz.
Expected launch: February

Hoka broke the mold for the original Cielo X 1, which debuted early this year as a high-stack training and racing shoe. But in 2025 this unisex-sized model will have a lofty 48mm/41mm stack height profile with a more aggressive, articulated carbon-fiber plate sandwiched between two layers of Peba-based supercritical foam, a new engineered jacquard upper, a sparkly paint job and a much lighter spec weight. (It is still a World Athletics-approved racing shoe because the heel stack height of a men’s size 8.5 is 40mm.)

Nike Vomero 18, $150

$150, Men’s

$150, Women’s

Heel-toe offset: 10mm; 46mm (heel), 36mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 9.2 oz.
Expected launch: February

Nike is simplifying its training shoe categories in 2025, and the Vomero line—which will include the cushy Vomero 18, the opulent Vomero Premium, and the light and speedy Vomero Plus—will be the brand’s max-cushioned collection of shoes. The Vomero 18, which has 6mm more stack height than the previous version, has a combination of responsive Zoom X foam on the top that is engulfed by the more stable ReactX foam for an opulently cushy ride that Nike says produced 21 percent more energy return. In my opinion, the Vomero Plus is going to be one of the best running shoes of 2025 when it launches in August.

Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx, $180

$180, Men’s $180, Women’s

Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 49mm (heel), 41mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 9.5 oz.
Expected launch: February

Built on Merrell’s new Float Pro Plus midsole compound, the MTL Adapt Matryx is designed to be both extremely cushy and very durable for long runs and ultra-distance races. It’s equipped with a Vibram Megagrip outsole for grip on both dry and wet surfaces and a hydrophobic and breathable ripstop Matryx upper.

Salomon UltraGlide, $250

Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 44mm (heel), 36mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.2 oz.
Expected launch: May

Salomon has traditionally made its high-end S-Lab shoes as light and lean as possible for its front-of-the-pack elite runners. But the new UltraGlide is a trail running shoe with copious amounts of cushioning and comfort for runners who are likely closer to the middle of the pack.

Altra Experience Flow 2, $140

Heel-toe offset: 4mm; 32mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 8.4 oz.
Expected launch: February

Although Altra made its mark by making shoes with a level (or zero-drop) platform, it launched shoes with low heel-toe offsets two years ago and it seems to have opened up an entirely new audience to its wide toe-box shoes. The Experience Flow 2, which features a 4mm offset, has been revamped with a brand new EGO P35 midsole, which Altra says serves up more energy return in a more durable package. No matter if you love zero-drop shoes or you’ve never tried them, this is an everyday trainer that could be in your wheelhouse next year.

Under Armour Infinite Mega,

$250, Under Armour

Heel-toe offset: 8mm; 43mm (heel), 35mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 10.5 oz.
Expected launch: January

Developed from a collab between Under Armour and Speedland, the Infinite Mega was created as an extremely cushy long-run shoe with a near-custom fit system. It features a two-part midsole with Under Armour’s responsive beaded Peba Hover Plus cradle and a thick layer of supercritical foam in a removable drop-in footbed. The most unique feature is the upper, which includes two Li2 BOA two-day dials that snug down the forefoot and create an individualized fit around the heel, ankle, and lower Achilles.

Skechers AeroBurst, $140

Heel-toe offset: 6mm; 42mm (heel), 36mm (forefoot)
Spec weight: 11.1 oz.
Expected launch: May

The Hyperburst Ice supercritical foam midsole of this max-cushioned everyday trainer is enhanced by a supercritical sockliner for a soft and bouncy ride and enhanced with an evolved ArchFit geometry and stabilized by a carbon-infused H-plate for torsion rigidity. A GoodYear rubber outsole and a breathable, engineered mesh upper with a soft tongue that’s gusseted on the medial side round out this new shoe.

RELATED: A Curious Dilemma About “Green” Running Shoes