2024 is here, which means a crisp new year for beating your personal bests, setting new running goals and adding upcoming races to your calendar.
For all of this, any runner worth their weight in Strava crowns will want a decent running shoe.
Maybe you want something light and bouncy and carbon-plated to enhance your speed, or perhaps you’re looking for something more stability-based to support you if you’re clocking hundreds of kilometres and training for a marathon.
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Below, Best Picks has rounded up the 10 best new running shoes for 2024, whatever your goals. You’re welcome.
1. Nike Alphafly Next% 3, $370, Pace Athletic
Top of the list is what has already been called the running shoe of the year: the Nike Alphafly Next% 3.
When it launched on Thursday in Australia, the shoe took all of two minutes to sell out — but rest assured, more stock is imminent, and there will be more opportunities to get your hands on the super-fast shoe.
So what makes the Nike Alphafly Next% 3 so good and why are runners rushing to splash $370 on it?
Well, first of all — it’s a record breaker.
Feted runner Kelvin Kiptum wore the Alphafly 3 to run 2:00:35 in Chicago late last year, and many of the world’s most elite runners regularly turn to both Nike’s range of Alphaflys and Vaporflys when they need to run their personal bests.
Secondly, it’s light, comfortable, fast and super bouncy.
Coming in at just 164g for the women’s shoe and 217g for the men’s, it’s about as lightweight as you can get, but it still packs a punch whether you’re trying to run your best marathon time or 5km.
I’m yet to try this shoe but have in the past used both Nike’s Alphaflys and Vaporflys with great success: all of my best races have been in them.
I can’t wait to try this latest iteration and put it through its paces.
2. ASICS Novablast 4, $230, Pace Athletic
Second on my list is the much more affordable ASICS Novablast 4, which is retailing at $230 at Pace Athletic.
I’ve been wearing this shoe on my everyday training runs for the past month or so, and am loving its ability to offer both support and cushioning — whether I’m running on the road or the trails.
As one of 2023’s best-selling daily trainers, the ASICS Novablast 4 has been refined to the next level —the lightest and most responsive version yet.
The new midsole Flytefoam Blast+ Eco is made of 20 per cent bio content, ensuring softer landings, supporting both performance and sustainability.
While the mesh upper has been replaced with a softer, woven fabric, offering better breathability and a more comfortable fit.
I’ve been loving running in this shoe since I started, and feel a spring in my step every time I put my pair on.
They are perfect for longer distances and everyday training runs, interspersed with a more speed-designed trainer.
3. Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3, $330, Pace Athletic
This has been my go-to speed shoe since it was released in February 2023, and it’s unlikely to be replaced until I can get my hands on the Alphafly 3s.
The Vaporflys are just a great all-round trainer — across both short, middle and long distance.
As the shoe that kick-started the carbon plate running shoe revolution, the Vaporfly 3s are incredibly light at 184 grams.
They’re also springy, comfortable and feel the part to run in.
Whether you’re an Alphafly or Vaporfly person often comes down to personality and running style.
With the Alphafly and Vaporfly 3 models, it’s worth noting that the Alphafly 3 is a slightly wider shoe and its plate is wider on the inside of the foot.
This has been done in a bid to create more stability than you get with the Vaporfly, but neither are particularly stable given the very high stack of soft foam underfoot.
Try both on to see which you prefer before investing.
4. ASICS Superblast, $320, ASICS Australia
As the second ASICS contender on the 2024 list, the Superblasts are a great choice for a supremely comfortable shoe.
ASICS say the shoe is “suited for seasoned runners, offering an ultra comfortable, soft, responsive daily trainer or for the everyday runner looking for a light, max-cushion option that will save your legs in those long miles”.
And I have a pile of friends who swear by them day in day out.
Bouncy, stacked and comfy, the shoes are great for recovery runs and longer runs.
They also help to prevent injury as it’s so cushioned and supportive across all areas of the foot.
5. On Cloudstratus 3, $270, Pace Athletic
On’s range of cloud-inspired running shoes have built up a dedicated following in recent years, thanks to the fact that they add a spring to all sorts of runs — from daily training runs to steady and sustained efforts.
And these On Cloudstratus 3’s are no exception to this.
With their distinctive look and feel, many say the shoes have instant “pull-on comfort”.
They also feature outsole rubber pads to improve grip and durability in wet and dry conditions.
One of the things that sets the Swiss shoes apart from some of the others in this list is their commitment to being responsibly produced.
On do this by using a Swiss-engineered 100 per cent recycled base material and 23 per cent overall recycled content.
6. Adidas Adizero Prime X 2.0, $450, Adidas Australia
Back at the upper end of the price spectrum, the Adidas Adizero Prime X 2.0s, $450, from Adidas Australia, are a top-end option for anyone looking to be their best in 2024.
Adizeros (specifically the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1s) were worn by Tigst Assefa when she shattered the Marathon Women’s World Record in Boston by more than two minutes in a blistering time of 2:11:53, giving Adidas a whole pile of positive PR.
And since then, thousands have rushed to invest in this $450 option.
Built with innovative technology and an all-new energy core between two layers of foam, Adidas say the shoes help to reduce weight and provide spring in the fore- and midfoot, so you can chase your fastest moment yet.
Many who have worn them say they run kilometres faster than they expected to when wearing the shoes.
7. HOKA Mach 5, $260, Pace Athletic
I bought a pair of HOKAs in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown, and was quickly impressed by how easy they felt to run in and how restored my legs felt, even after covering long distances in them.
And the Mach 5s are one of the best options you can invest in right now.
Lightweight and responsive, you’ll only feel soft landings and quick responsiveness when you want to propel yourself forwards and run in them.
What I love about the shoe is they can handle high mileage, without making you feel fatigued.
8. Reebok Nano X4, $220, Reebok
I’ve recently been trialling these new Reebok Nano X4 shoes ($220) on daily training runs — with great success.
Dubbed the “most breathable and lightweight Nano iteration yet”, the trainers aim to help athletes, professional and amateur alike, focus on their workout without discomfort from a heavy-weight shoe or an overheating foot.
The shoes would be as suited to cross-training and other workouts as they are running, but they’re light, comfortable and look stylish at the same time.
9. New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite V3, $350, Pace Athletic
When I asked my run club which shoe they would recommend highest of all for 2024, this name came up time and again.
Released last year, the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite V3s ($350) feature a full-length energy-arc carbon plate, and complete fuelcell cushioning for that signature popand spring that many love from New Balance racing shoes.
These shoes are designed to be fast racing shoes, so they’re a great investment if you’re looking to improve your sprint times, 5km or 10km.
10. ASICS Gel-Kayano 30, $280, ASICS
Last but certainly not least, I can never look past ASICS’ Gel-Kayano 30s ($280).
I have owned at least five variations of the ASICS Gel-Kayanos, and come back to them time and again for a reliable everyday trainer.
Since launching in 1973, Gel-Kayanos have become one of the most popular running shoes around.
The Gel-Kayano 30s are bigger and bouncier looking than previous iterations, with a much chunkier mid-sole.
Many have compared the look to HOKA trainers, which are often large and cloud-like in their appearance.
This change in look to Gel-Kayanos of old contributes to an even more comfortable and supportive shoe when you put it on.
But thankfully the shoes are still lightweight enough (at around 257 grams) to hit a PB — so you won’t feel like you have to drag your trainers around when running a race in them.
