Choosing the right running shoe is crucial for comfort, performance, and injury prevention. As the seasons change, it’s an excellent time to evaluate your current footwear and consider an upgrade. Our team of experienced runners has put the latest models to the test to help you find the perfect pair for your autumn miles.
This guide provides a detailed overview of the top running shoes available this fall. We cover the rigorous testing process our team undertook and explain why investing in quality footwear is one of the best decisions you can make for your running journey. You will find clear, structured information to help you select a shoe that aligns with your specific needs.
Why Invest in a Quality Running Shoe This Fall?
A good pair of running shoes is more than just a piece of gear; it's a vital tool that directly impacts your experience on the road or trail. As temperatures cool and conditions change, having the right shoe becomes even more important. Quality footwear provides essential support, cushioning, and stability, which helps reduce the risk of common running-related injuries.
Furthermore, a well-designed shoe enhances your performance. Modern shoe technology is engineered to improve energy return, promote a natural stride, and provide a comfortable ride, allowing you to run longer and more efficiently. Investing in yourself and your running means equipping your feet with the support they need to carry you through every mile. Your feet will thank you for it.
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com's editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts, including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure that the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature highly rated products.
Asics | Astral | Brooks | CEP | Craft | Diadora | Hoka | Kane | KURU | La Sportiva | Merrell | New Balance | Nike | Reebok | Roll Recovery | Salomon | Saucony | Scarpa | Skechers | Speedland | The North Face | Under Armour | Velous
Brooks Ghost Max 3
The Brooks Ghost Max 3 takes the beloved Ghost series to new heights with enhanced cushioning and a smoother ride. Featuring DNA LOFT v3 technology, this shoe offers a plush yet responsive feel, making it ideal for long-distance runs and daily training. The engineered mesh upper provides a secure yet breathable fit, while the segmented crash pad ensures smooth transitions. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, the Ghost Max 3 is a reliable companion for every mile.
It’s not built for speed — it’s built to spoil you.
First Impressions:
The shoes are very comfortable. They provide good cushion and support. They are airy and let my feet breathe. However, they rub on the back of my ankles. I have tried multiple pairs of socks and even breaking in the shoe, but there was no remedy
The toe box is roomy with enough space for natural toe splay, and the upper feels soft without being sloppy. The mid-foot and heel have a secure lockdown, although not overly snug — more comfort-oriented than performance-tuned. True to size worked well for me.
Things We Liked:
The step-in feel is soft, with a very noticeable amount of underfoot padding. It feels like standing on a thick, cushioned platform — lots of protection from the pavement. There’s minimal ground feel, and it leans more toward absorbing impact than providing energy return. This is the kind of shoe that makes you want to wear it beyond the run — to walk around, stand for long hours, or recover post-run. The interior has a plush liner, and nothing feels rigid or intrusive. Great for tired feet or easy days.
My favorite thing about the shoes is the comfort, from the fist time I put them on they were comfortable no breaking in period.
Areas for Improvement:
Heavier than expected and while heavily cushioned, it's not too energetic. The foam compresses on impact but doesn’t rebound much, so it felt a bit dull or “flat” on toe-off.
Adding a touch more responsiveness would make the shoe versatile beyond easy efforts, helping it perform better in uptempo training.
Final Thoughts
The Brooks Ghost Max is all about comfort, offering a soft, cushioned ride that’s perfect for easy runs, recovery days, or long hours on your feet. The step-in feel is plush, the transitions are smooth, and the upper wraps the foot in cozy security. It’s a shoe that doesn’t rush you — it invites you to slow down and enjoy the miles.
What it lacks in snap or speed, it makes up for in pure, no-frills comfort. This isn’t the shoe for pushing the pace, but when the legs are tired or the goal is simply to cruise, the Ghost Max delivers. It’s not flashy, but it does its job well — and likely built to last.
Specs:
- Drop: 6 mm
- Weight: 11.2 oz
- Price: $160
- Category: Cushion
- Type: Road Running & Walking
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for:
Buy:
Women's | Men's
Brooks Hyperion Elite 5
The Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 is a race-day shoe engineered for speed and efficiency. Featuring a carbon-fiber plate and DNA FLASH midsole, this shoe delivers explosive energy return and a lightweight feel, helping you push your limits on race day. The breathable upper ensures a snug yet comfortable fit, while the grippy outsole provides reliable traction on various surfaces. Whether you're chasing a personal best or competing at the highest level, the Hyperion Elite 5 is built to help you cross the finish line faster.
These are the lightest shoes, makes you want to run in them when holding
First Impressions:
Size 12 (my size) runs big. They're not comfortable. The outsoles/plate are too rigid for my liking. They're about as responsive as a shoe can be with what feels like a 1/8" steel plate running through the bottoms of them.
The weight, it is light in hands and on feet.
Things We Liked:
The colors are vivid and the weight/
The colorway is cool.
Areas for Improvement:
The Hyperion Elite 5 runs a full size too large. Thankfully they're wearable given the $275 sticker price, but the room in the toes is noticeable. The SpeedVault+ plate is too rigid -- Brooks even advertises optimizing bending stiffness. The shoe will barely bend when pushed between hands.
The stability on sides seems to be too light. Seems like it isn't sturdy enough as there is only mush and limited support
Final Thoughts
The Hyperion Elite 5 is a race shoe designed with a carbon plate. It seems best for runners with narrow or regular sized feet. The collar seems too low profile. If there wasn’t an extra eyelet, it would be way more worried about ankle stability. The first time running in them, it felt overcorrecting as they were so unstable feeling. It took time to get used to it. The color scheme is great, very attractive shoe with vibrant colors.
There isn't a ton of room in the toe box, and it is all mesh. It looks and feels like a racing shoe. The feeling of picking them up as they are so light weight really makes you want to go running. The stability and support from the cushion seems to make it more difficult from a feel perspective.
Fit-wise, the Hyperion Elite 5 runs true to size. Although the sides feel unstable to a degree, the interior of the heel counter includes padding that adds comfort. The shoe does give cushion upon impact with the ground.
Specs:
- Drop: 8 mm
- Weight: 6.9 oz
- Price: $275
- Category: Cushion
- Type: Road Running
- Fit: Runs 1/2 size big
- Ideal for: Speed, Race
Buy:
Unisex
Brooks Hyperion Max 3
The Brooks Hyperion Max 3 is designed for runners who want to train fast and race faster. With its nitrogen-infused DNA FLASH midsole, this shoe offers a responsive and lightweight ride, perfect for tempo runs and interval training. The breathable upper provides a secure fit, while the durable outsole ensures traction and stability. Whether you're preparing for race day or pushing your limits in training, the Hyperion Max 3 is your go-to performance shoe.
I've moved the Hyperion Max to the front of my shoe rack. They are now my go-to shoes for speedwork!
First Impressions:
Right at unboxing, this is a sexy running shoe. For a trainer, it copied a lot of elements in design style from super shoes. One of the first things that I always look for in a trainer is actual rubber on the outsole. In a trainer, I’m not interested in saving every gram of weight with an all-foam outsole; I’d rather get more mileage out of them. These have a nice layer of rubber on the forefoot and heel that should keep me from burning through the outsoles too quickly.
They have a glove-like fit with an integrated tongue, which makes them snug with a good lockdown without needing to overtighten the laces. They do have an extra set of eyelets to heel lock the laces, but the laces are too short to do so. However, they felt secure without any heel cup slippage, and I could feel the breeze through the mesh uppers.
My first run was a progressive pace increase: sub-10 mile, sub-9, sub-8, sub-7. There was nothing remarkable about them at the easier jogging paces. They felt a little awkward and too bouncy. However, as the paces got more aggressive; they really started to shine. By my fastest mile, I wasn't working; I was flowing.
Things We Liked:
I like the ultra responsive cushioning and nylon SpeedVault, the spring was very controlled and perfectly cancelled each other out reducing power loss while pushing off. My knees and hips were happy with the extra cushion. My mile times were improved too!
While there are so many things to love, the supportive feel and the springiness of the ride are next level. Additionally, one of my pet peeves is struggling to put a shoe on and getting it laced properly for a snug sensation through the midfoot; the Hyperion Max 3 are perhaps the best I have ever experienced in that.
Areas for Improvement:
For the price as a speed trainer, I wouldn't change a thing. However, I know some people will be disappointed that these are only offered in a standard width when Brooks is typically known for offering multiple wider sizing options. Also, as a speed trainer, I know that some will argue that they're too heavy (9.9 oz for the men's). In practice, the weight wasn't noticeable. Personally, I prefer my trainers to be heavier so that I feel like I get an extra gear when switching to my racing shoes.
The wide base and high-stack cushion felt big causing the shoe to be unstable when the road got bumpy and also when running on medium sized gravel path.
Final Thoughts
The Hyperion line has always been associated with speed. In fact, the original Hyperion was labeled as the Hyperion Tempo. The Max 3 is no exception; this is a fast shoe that’s offered in a max-cushioned experience.
Noticeable right off the bat, anyone who ran in the previous model will see that this is a much taller shoe. Brooks has increased the stack from the Hyperion Max 2 by 10 millimeters. These now rock a midsole stack of 46mm in the heel and 40mm in the forefoot for a 6mm drop. They’ve used that massive stack to incorporate a dual-layer foam system with the firmer DNA Flash v2 on the bottom layer, which is their nitrogen-infused foam tech that functions for impact absorption, and they are using DNA Gold on the upper layer. DNA Gold is 100% PEBA and is the same foam that’s used in the Hyperion Elite 5 - their racing shoe. For anyone who may not be up to date on the latest foam technologies, PEBA is the lightest foam available with the highest energy return. Sandwiched between the dual layers of foam is the Speedvault plate. It should be noted that this model uses a nylon plate as opposed to the carbon fiber Speedvault+ plate that is used in the Elite 5. In practice, the foam, plate, and rocker system combine to give the Hyperion Max 3 a spring-loaded feeling on tempo runs and faster paces.
The upper construction uses a race-fit design similar to what one might see on a super shoe. The knitted tongue is integrated and stretches for a slip-in fit that could be worn sockless, and the heel collars are padded for comfort and to keep the foot secure. Brooks is using a lightweight mesh in the forefoot and side panels for breathability. Ultimately, these offered a comfortable, glove-like feeling that didn’t overheat in summer training runs. They do fit true-to-size, and the sizing does align with most popular shoe models offered by Brooks. It is worth considering that only standard widths are available.
Where does this shoe fit in your lineup? The Hyperion Max 3 is designed to be a speed trainer, not a race day shoe (more on that in a second). The Ghost or Glycerin - and their equivalent Max models - would serve for long runs and recovery days. The Hyperion Max 3 is perfectly prescribed for more aggressive workouts. Then, the Hyperion Elite 5 is pulled off the shelf for race day. Now, this is an important note to keep in mind. According to the World Athletics Council, the maximum allowable stack for road racing is 40mm. In other words, the 46mm heel stack would disqualify the Max 3 from competition, which is another reason to keep these reserved for training days.
Specs:
- Drop: 6mm
- Weight: 9.9 oz
- Price: $200
- Category: Neutral
- Type: Road Running
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Recovery, Long Distance, Race
Buy:
Women's | Men's
Brooks Hyperion 3
The Brooks Hyperion 3 is a versatile running shoe that combines speed, comfort, and durability. Featuring a lightweight DNA FLASH midsole for responsive cushioning, this shoe is ideal for both training and racing. The engineered mesh upper enhances breathability, while the rubber outsole provides reliable grip on various surfaces. Whether you're logging miles or chasing a new PR, the Hyperion 3 delivers a fast and smooth ride.
Responsive enough to race, cushy enough to relax.
First Impressions:
The Brooks Hyperion 3 comes across as light, lively, and unexpectedly cushioned, offering a smooth mix of softness and spring for everything from easy runs to tempo efforts. The breathable upper feels secure yet roomy in the toe box, adding comfort without sacrificing speed.
The fit on this shoe was amazing. It is true to size and gives plenty of space for your foot to spread out. Comfort and breathability is off the charts great.
Things We Liked:
The breathable, secure upper keeps feet happy and locked in place, even on longer runs.
Lightweight so it feels like you are almost wearing nothing.
Areas for Improvement:
The fit runs a bit narrow, which may not work for wider feet.
Final Thoughts
The Brooks Hyperion 3 is a lightweight daily trainer that somehow manages to feel both soft and springy at the same time—a rare combo that works for everything from easy miles to moderate tempo runs. With an 8mm drop, it gives a nice push-off while still feeling cushioned underfoot. The DNA Flash V2 midsole adds a lively bounce, so runs feel effortless without being bouncy to the point of instability.
The upper is a standout this time around—breathable, secure, and surprisingly roomy in the toe box compared to earlier iterations. It locks the foot in place without feeling tight, making it easier to tackle quick direction changes or slightly faster paces. That said, the fit is still a touch narrow for some, so wider-footed runners might want to try before buying. Overall, the Hyperion 3 is a reliable, responsive shoe that balances comfort, speed, and stability—perfect for those who want a single go-to trainer for daily runs and longer efforts alike.
Specs:
- Drop: 8 mm
- Weight: 8.5 oz
- Price: $140
- Category: Neutral
- Type: Road Running
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Speed, Race
Buy:
Women's | Men's
Brooks Cascadia 19
The Brooks Cascadia 19 is a trail-running shoe built to handle the toughest terrains with ease. Featuring a TrailTack rubber outsole for superior grip and a Ballistic Rock Shield for added protection, this shoe is perfect for technical trails. The DNA LOFT v2 midsole provides plush cushioning, while the breathable upper ensures a secure and comfortable fit. Whether you're navigating rocky paths or muddy trails, the Cascadia 19 is your ultimate trail companion.
The Cascadia 19 feels like a road shoe that's disguised as a trail shoe!
First Impressions:
For a trail runner, it's surprisingly light, flexible and the upper has a refined feel you don't often find in this category.
Heel and tongue padding was very soft. Very comfortable cushioning.
Things We Liked:
It's a super versatile shoe -- it strikes the ideal balance between feeling nimble and stable, which just might be the most important attribute out on the trail.
Vibram outsole very durable. Traction lugs seems to provide good grip under foot.
Areas for Improvement:
The tongue feels a tad too thick and bulky. It certainly protects the top of the foot from the laces, but it could be thinned out a bit.
Shoe Lace materials. Material was a little rough to the touch when tightening down laces. Slight slippage on left foot. Do not know if I did not have laces tight enough or if it was a sizing issue.
Final Thoughts
After 19 iterations, the fine folks at Brooks have absolutely nailed their flagship trail runner. The Cascadia 19 has been redesigned from the ground up over the previous version -- it's lighter (nearly an ounce), the drop has been reduced by 2 mm and it integrates their updated Trail Adapt System, which includes a more flexible rock plate and their super popular DNA LOFTv3 midsole cushioning that's found in many of their road offerings.
Everywhere you look, there's something notable. The full-coverage outsole is super grippy and inspires confidence on both flowy singletrack and serious technical descents in both wet and dry conditions (and two thumbs up for incorporating 25% recycled material). Pair this with the responsive-yet-smooth midsole, and the shoe feels uncharacteristically light, agile and quick for a rough-and-tumble trail running shoe. The upper also adds to the elevated level of refinement -- the material is soft and conforming yet durable and supportive, and the heel cup and ankle collar have padding for days (and no slippage, either). Somehow they've been able to create a shoe with enough protection for all but the most extreme trail conditions that's versatile enough for both casual training runs and ultra-distance epics.
Specs:
- Drop: 6 mm
- Weight: 10.7 oz
- Price: $150
- Category: Neutral
- Type: Running Trail
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Trail
Buy:
Women's | Men's
Our Comprehensive Testing Process
To bring you this guide, our expert team, comprised of seasoned runners and footwear specialists, conducted extensive testing on a wide array of shoes. We are committed to providing reliable and unbiased recommendations based on real-world performance.
Each pair of shoes was subjected to a minimum of 20 miles of running across varied terrains, from city pavements to park trails. Our testers meticulously evaluated each shoe based on a set of key criteria to ensure a thorough and balanced assessment.
Key Evaluation Criteria:
- Comfort: We assessed the initial feel and long-run comfort, noting any pressure points or areas of discomfort.
- Fit: Testers evaluated how the shoe conformed to the foot, including the security of the heel, the width of the toebox, and the overall lockdown.
- Weight: We considered the physical weight of the shoe and how it felt during a run—whether it felt light and nimble or heavy and cumbersome.
- Breathability: The upper materials were tested for airflow to determine how well they managed heat and moisture during a run.
- Flexibility: We analyzed the shoe's flexibility in the forefoot and its overall ability to move naturally with the runner's stride.
- Overall Ride: This is a comprehensive assessment of the shoe's performance. It includes the quality of the cushioning, the smoothness of the heel-to-toe transition, and the general feeling of the shoe in motion.