2025 Daily Trainer Tier List Introduction
What are the best daily trainers you can buy? Well, at Meta Endurance, we are lucky to have had the opportunity to try a lot of them with the help of Top4Running. Whether you like them lively and bouncy or firm and dependable, there is something out there for you. Alex has put a lot of running through a lot of midsoles this year and has taken some time to rank his favourites. You may agree, you may not. Maybe we missed your favourite entirely. Make sure to let us know in the comments below! Also, remember to use the links in the article to pick up your next Christmas treat from Top4Running.
2025 Daily Trainer Tier List: God Tier
In the God Tier of the 2025 daily trainer tier list, we find the best of the best. Those shoes that blow all the others out of the water. Trainers that make you feel like you could run forever at a pace you’ve never imagined holding before. Let’s see what made the cut this year. First out of the blocks is the ASICS Megablast. A shoe which may be the best ASICS has ever produced. Unplated, bouncy, propulsive and versatile. It is a shoe which left Alex lost for words (which is no mean feat)! While it may be expensive, you certainly get what you pay for with the Megablast.
Next, which may be a controversial pick, is the HOKA Clifton 10. This is a shoe which is certainly a very enjoyable ride but it did come with a penalty. The midsole foam flattens out and loses some of that God Tier magic at around the 100 mile mark. While it lasts, it’s a very fun shoe. It may be a short love affair though. New Balance’s old faithful 1080 also makes the cut at the top of the 2025 daily trainer tier list. The v14 offers a firmer push off for mid to forefoot runners which turns more energy into pace and helps the running efficiency.
Finally, on the God Tier, we have the Nike Vomero Plus. This has been a stand out for many runners this year. A huge slab of ZoomX foam and a really good upper. What’s not to like? Soft and bouncy enough for easy days but also capable of tempo work and long runs. It replaced the Invincible with Nike’s move to the three silos and made it a better shoe for the majority of runners.
A Tier
These are those shoes which just didn’t quite have that X-factor to put them at the top of the tree. Here lurk some big brands and a surprise or two. ASICS has two entries into the A tier on the 2025 daily trainer tier list. The Novablast 5, which is tried and tested by runners all over the world, makes the grade. Meanwhile, the Cumulus 27 arrives here too. While this may not be everyone’s idea of a top grade daily trainer, it certainly has a roll to play. A stable, sensible shoe which can really make any run a good experience, it deserves its place in the A tier.
adidas also makes an appearance but not with a shoe many people may be expecting. One of Alex’s hidden gems, the adidas Adistar 3 gives runners a reliable daily ride for a very low price. In current times, price point can be everything. The last shoe to make the cut in the A tier is the Mizuno Neo Vista 2. An improvement in the upper and the maximalist cushioning make it a solid recovery and easy run shoe. This limitation keeps it as an A tier banger rather than putting it in the God Tier.
2025 Daily Trainer Tier List: B Tier
Those which are solid running shoes but won’t blow your mind. There’s nothing wrong with the shoes in the section of the 2025 daily trainer tier list, but there’s nothing outrageous about them. In a world with so many choices, why settle for mediocrity?
ASICS make a third appearance on the list with the Nimbus 27. One of the most iconic daily trainers in the ASICS line, the 27 was a little lacklustre. While it is still a very competent daily shoe, it is missing some of the magic available at similar price points in other shoes.
Brooks have 2 entries in the B tier this year. First, we have the Ghost 17 a lower slung daily shoe which also offers versatility as a gym shoe. While it won’t top anyone’s shoe of the year list, it will give you stable, dependable running for all your miles. The second Brooks on the list is probably more controversial being only a B tier shoe. The Glycerin Max uses DNA tuned to ensure that the heel is a super soft landing zone while the forefoot small cells give you a firmer toe off feeling. With its super max stack height, the weight and agility is an issue.
Our final shoes in the B tier are the On Cloudsurfer 2 and the Saucony Ride 18. Both shoes which offer good ride and value. Thankfully, the Cloudsurfer 2 manages to remove the squeak of the previous Cloudsurfer which ruined many a run for those who had it.
C Tier
We move to those shoes which, while they won’t ruin a run, certainly won’t make it a memorable jaunt. Fila’s Floatmaxx 2 Pro was a favourite of the Meta Endurance test team but just didn’t quite make the cut for Alex. Different shoe types suit different runners. Ivan and Andy both have a much higher cadence than Alex, perhaps that’s the difference?
HOKA’s Bondi 9 might make a great shoe for those people who are on their feet all day at work. However, it isn’t always a delight for runners. Soft and forgiving but perhaps not the most inspiring ride on the road. The New Balance More v5 comes in a similar feeling. Plenty of cushion but not much on offer in terms of liveliness or fun.
We also find a real budget gem in the C tier of the 2025 daily trainer tier list. It is always KIPRUN’s aim to offer the best shoe for the least money. With the Cushion 500 they being €70 it certainly offers value. The ride is stable, dependable and a little on the firmer side. This would certainly be worth considering if you are starting out on your running journey.
An older foam from adidas makes its way into the C tier too. While Ultraboost may have been a king of the road when it was first devised, its time has come and gone. The Ultraboost 5 is runnable but a relic of older times.
2025 Daily Trainer Tier List: D Tier
In the D tier of the 2025 daily trainer tier list, we find some old favourites and a rather novelty shoe. Speedland and Underarmour got together and created the Infinite Mega. While it had the look of a Speedland shoe, it seemed to lack some of the performance. The weight and clunkiness put it down at the bottom of our year’s wish list. The BOA dials make for an excellent fit though.
One of Nike’s all time most popular shoes also finds itself languishing at the bottom of the barrel this year. The Pegasus line seems to have been beaten in every category by the Vomero line this year. Will 2026 see the Pegasus come flying back? HOKA’s Skyflow was a one and done shoe, probably. Stiff and rather unyielding, the unplated pal to the Skyward X was a miss for our testers who ran in it. Meanwhile, Diadora, who have had an excellent couple of years, had a bit of a miss with the Nucleo 2. Leaving Alex cold on his runs, it only lands in the D tier.
E Tier
We reach the bottom of the barrel for the 2025 daily trainer tier list. Down in the depths, we find two shoes which really made running a chore for Alex. The Topo Vista felt like a brick underfoot and went against the grain of the Topo shoes which have been in for review and become firm favourites of the team. Then, pushing the newest frontier of running, gravel, Salomon gave us the DRX Defy GRVL. An off road stability shoe which left Alex feeling very flat indeed!
There we have it, a year of daily trainers ranked. Did your favourite make the cut or did you find it languishing in the depths of D and E? Wherever your shoe came out in our rankings, we hope you enjoyed many a smiley mile in them out on the roads, Let’s see what 2026 brings with our friends at Top4Running!
Coming next is our 2025 Super Trainer Tier List. Will your favourite make the cut?
