Best Running Shoes in Australia: Road, Trail & Stability

The short answer: there’s no single best running shoe — there’s the best one for your feet and your running. Answer three questions: road or trail? Neutral or stability? Everyday training or racing? Then choose the pair that fits best, not the one with the biggest reputation.

Victoria’s Better Health Channel makes the same point: the right shoe depends on the conditions — running on the beach and running on the road have different requirements.

Road shoes come in two broad types. Neutral shoes let your foot move naturally with no extra support. Stability shoes add support through the midsole — Saucony describes its Hurricane as having “midsole support to assist your foot landing”.

Better Health notes that some people’s arches roll inward too much or not enough as they land. If you’re not sure which you need, have your running assessed at a specialty running store or by a podiatrist.

Most runners need one comfortable daily trainer for the bulk of their kilometres. A lighter speed or race shoe is an optional second pair for faster sessions and race day. Saucony’s Endorphin Pro 4 listings describe a carbon plate, and the Endorphin Speed listings mention a plate too.

From the Better Health Channel’s advice on running shoes:

• Shock absorption across the shoe.
• Torsional strength — the shoe shouldn’t twist easily.
• Comfortable from the first run. Don’t rely on breaking it in.
• About 1–1.5 cm at the toe, a heel that doesn’t slip, and enough width across the ball of your foot.
• Buy from a specialty store if you can, where staff can fit you properly — and try shoes on after a run or at the end of the day, in your running socks.

Buying online? Most shoes here are sold in US sizes — check our shoe size conversion chart. For the fitting checklist in full, see our walking shoes guide.

adidas’ road range here includes the Supernova, Adistar and Response lines; PUMA’s includes the Velocity Nitro and Electrify Nitro. Check each listing for the shoe’s intended use and drop.

We currently list three New Balance running shoes: the Dynasoft Pro Run v2, the 411v3 and the RC42.

Salomon is the biggest trail range we list. The Speedcross listings describe an aggressive lug design for grip; the Alphaglide, Ultra Flow and XA Pro 3D round it out, and several listings name Salomon’s Contagrip outsole. From Saucony, the Peregrine and Xodus Ultra are its trail shoes; Merrell’s Agility Peak 6 lists a Vibram outsole.

A GORE-TEX (GTX) version keeps water out on wet tracks and dewy grass, but a membrane generally breathes less than open mesh. On hot, dry trails a non-waterproof shoe is usually the cooler choice.

Better Health describes barefoot or minimalist shoes as letting your foot land almost as if you were barefoot — they do little more than grip and protect. Merrell’s Vapor Glove and Trail Glove are listed as barefoot shoes. If you’re new to them, ease in with shorter runs.

Saucony sells several models in wide fits — the listings below name the width (Wide, or 4E for extra wide). A wider shoe usually helps more than a longer one if the ball of your foot feels squashed.

Neutral shoes add no extra support; stability shoes add support through the midsole for runners whose feet roll inward as they land. In Saucony’s range, the Ride and Triumph are neutral; the Guide and Hurricane are stability.

You can, but the lugs can wear faster on hard surfaces. If most of your running is on footpaths, a road shoe is the better buy.

Not automatically — aim for about 1–1.5 cm at the toe. Your feet are at their largest after exercise or late in the day, so try shoes on then.

No. Plated shoes like the Endorphin Pro are built for racing; a comfortable daily trainer does most of the work in any training plan.