The Most Durable and Long Lasting Running Shoes in 2026!

Running shoes these days seem to be becoming more and more expensive, but lasting fewer and fewer miles. Foams are degrading after just a few runs, delicate uppers falling apart and outsoles wearing thin. As someone just like you who buys all of their own shoes, here to review on the channel, and use it in my own training, I really do feel your pain when this happens. It can be so frustrating, especially when you've shelled out all of that hard-earned money for something that really isn't going to last. Well, it's not all doom and gloom, because in today's video, we're going to talk about the most durable and really good running shoes on the market. And no, none of these shoes are from 10 years ago. They're all shoes that you can buy right now, and they're going to last a long time. I want to say a huge thank you to my Strava followers. who have really helped me out with this one throwing out loads of suggestions and they've really helped shape this entire video so a massive kudos to them. We've got all sorts of different types of shoes here from daily shoes to race shoes to long run shoes all at different price points as well so it's gonna be something in here for everyone. Right let's get cracking with this one starting out with some really good affordable shoe options to kick things off. First up we have We have the amazing Puma Velocity Nitro, Version 5, their main daily shoe in the Puma lineup. Price-wise, around about 110 pounds for this one, but you can definitely get it a little bit cheaper. Stack height 35, eight mil drop, coming in for me at 302 grams. Not too bad there on the weight. So why is this shoe really good? The amazing Puma grip outsole on the bottom of this one. Very grippy, good coverage, and really quite thick. It's going to last a long time. Puma are renowned for their very durable outsoles, and it's great they've put this on their entry-level shoe as well. With that excellent grip, it's going to look after you in the corners. And you can get this in a wide-fit option as well. Really versatile shoe as well. Great winter running option. All of this at a pretty good price point. Are there any downsides? Well, it's a fairly low-stack shoe by today's standards. So long runs, you might want a little bit more stack height at the back of the shoe. But we have got a whole section on dedication. Dedicated long run shoes coming up, so stay tuned for that. So all in all, a fantastic, really good value shoe that's got a solid history of being able to clock up a lot of miles. The second shoe in this category is the Adidas Boston, which again, is a really good daily shoe, but with a little bit more of a speed emphasis here with the rods running through the midsole. Price-wise, around about £140, but you can get this shoe on sale at the moment for under £100, which is why we're including it in this category here. Stack height of the back of the shoe coming at 36 mil, seven mil drop overall. Nice the end of the 300 grams for me at 293 grams in my size. So why I really like the Boston, why are we including it here? It's a very solidly built shoe. It just feels really good quality in the hand. The upper, very hard wearing, reinforced toe box at the front of the shoe, and a decent outsole here from Adidas with a patch of Continental rubber up at the front of the shoe to help it last that little bit longer. Comfy, good for those daily miles. Also, you can really pick up the pace in this shoe when you want to run a little bit faster. It's got rods for that little bit of extra assistance when you really want to start cruising around your marathon and half marathon paces. The Evo SL is definitely more of a popular shoe than the Boston. But the Boston is going to last a lot longer. It's so much more robust. Any downsides with this one? Well, the laces are a little bit on the cheaper side. You can easily replace those with some higher quality, more durable ones. And it's not the most fun, engaging shoe to run in, especially compared to the EVO SL. But it gets the job done. Overall, a really decent shoe, especially if you want to get something for under £100 at the moment. The availability is pretty good at the time of filming. One that's going to last you run after run, time after time. and be suitable to get the bulk of your runs done, a really good versatile shoe. So two good budget options here. Now let's move on to our daily shoe category. First up is the very, very, very popular New Balance 1080. Price-wise, around about 155 pounds at the moment. Stack out the back. 40 mil, 6 mil drop over all, and around the 300 grams again, 305 grams for me and my size. The 1080 line has got a really good history of lasting a long time. Version 14 was particularly good, version 15 also very strong as well. Decent amounts of stack with the current 1080 with that new Infineon foam, still feels springy after hundreds of miles. Plush and very comfortable upper, well a comfortable shoe. All round here, really wide and extra wide versions are available. So it's going to suit so many different types of runners. In terms of downsides with this one, in my original review, I did say it was on the expensive side because when it launched, it was £170 here in the UK. But New Balance have since amended that. And dropped it down to 155. So not too bad. There's not much of a rocker in this one. So some runners might find it a little bit slappy. It's also a little bit narrow compared to the previous version. So wider footed people go for those wide or extra wide versions. And you are going to be all good. But really a very popular option out there with so many different runners. This was mentioned a lot in my comments on Strava and it's definitely one of the comfiest options on the list today. Next up is the Triumph from Saucony. A little bit on the expensive side, around about £170 for this one. 37mm here, 10mm drop overall, 327g in my size. So why is the Saucony Triumph a really good option here? Well, it's another classic daily shoe that consistently ranks very high. In terms of durability, very popular with heavier runners as well. In my comments, a lot of you mentioned version 21, 22, 23 and 24 as well. What you're seeing on the screen now is version 23. You can get that with some really good deals right now as 24 has not long been out. It's also a very well-built shoe, very premium, high-end durable upper. And another very strong outsole on the bottom of the shoe. It's going to be really good for that winter running when it starts to get a little bit damp. Any downsides with this one? Well, the upper does run quite thick, so the airflow coming through isn't the best. But if you're out there running in the autumn, winter and spring, you're going to be all good with this one. RRP is quite expensive here, but if you can get 23 or a previous model on a deal, then definitely go for that one. All in all, a really good shoe that's going to last miles and miles. And it's universally loved by so many of you out there as well. Right, let's move on to have a chat about shoes with a little bit more stack, built for the long run, and built like absolute tanks. Right, on to something from Nike here, the Nike Vomero Plus, a hugely popular shoe. Price-wise, coming at £155, 45mm stack at the back of the shoe. Loads of squishy foam here, 10mm drop overall. A little bit on the heavy side, 359 grams for me in my size. For why people are loving this shoe, why I really love this shoe, that full coverage waffle outsole. Plus a foam that stays so springy for hundreds and hundreds of miles as well. Are two really big tick boxes. The grip is all good and that outsole is going to last a very long time. Again on Strava, lots of comments about this shoe. You guys really rate this one and so do I. It's a shoe I recommend here on the channel all the time. It's going to suit so many different types of people. So many different types of foot strikes. Beginner runners, intermediate runners, advanced runners can all really benefit from a shoe like this. Really good for those long runs, those easy jogs and a firm favourite again with heavier runners as well. Very squishy, help absorb all that impact and really look after you on those long runs. Any downsides for this one? It is a little bit on the heavy side and it is quite a large volume shoe. It's a big chunky shoe but it doesn't matter so much because you aren't really running that fast in this shoe. Very high stacked shoe as well you've just got to keep your wits about you a little bit in the corners. Stability isn't going to be the best with these type of shoes but overall an extremely durable shoe especially with many runners getting well over a thousand kilometers in this one. For me it's Nike's standout shoe at the moment. Now I guarantee what's even more annoying when you're running shoes that don't It's when your socks don't last a long time. I've got a solution for that. Check out my website, benparks.com. We've got amazing running socks and racing socks as well. Super durable. They're going to last a very long time. I absolutely guarantee. Feel free to use code YOUTUBE10. to get 10% off your order. We'll ship wherever you are in the world and we'll get it dispatched to you very quickly as well. The next shoe coming up in the long run section is a bit of a wild card from quite a relatively new brand that's really disrupting the running shoe industry right now, and that is the Mountain to Coast with their C1. Price-wise, this shoe set me back 170 pounds, 42 mil stack at the back. 6mm drop over all, weight-wise pretty good, coming in for me at 302 grams. Why this shoe is so good? It's really designed specifically for those long road ultras with ultimate durability in mind. It's a really popular option at races like Badwater, long multi-day FKT attempts as well. It's going to be a really good comrade shoe for anybody that's running that race. Just for any super long runs where pace isn't the most important thing, but you just want maximum comfort for a very, very long amount of time When you're getting your big miles in. The C in the name does stand for comfort. Mountain to Coast have really gone to town to make this shoe as comfortable as possible. It also features Mountain to Coast's dual lacing system. You can adjust the pressure at different points on top of your foot. It's also extremely stable shoe here. Large surface area on the bottom of the shoe. Very durable foam that provides a good amount of stiffness. Any downsides with this one? It is quite a firm ride, that layer of EVA foam that they have. is a little bit on the firmer side. That's the trade-off for that ultimate durability and that really good stability as well. If you prefer more of a softer ride, then definitely go for the Vomero. Equally, it's not the most responsive ride out there or the most versatile shoe. It really is for running a long way at quite a nice, relaxed, casual, easy pace. A really great shoe from a slightly lesser-known brand and one that is making some really exciting products, some very high-quality products that really are built to last. And then finally in the long-run shoe section, A shoe for me that is in the running for one of the best shoes of the year and that is the Dynafish Zhanyun. Price I paid for this one around about £120 for the shoe you see on screen now but I have bought another pair for £84 so the price can fluctuate quite a lot with this one. You've really got to get out on AliExpress or direct on their Shopify site. Stack height on the back of the shoe, 41mm, 7mm drop overall. So nice and lightweight, 227g for me and my size. It's got a very, very durable foam. After hundreds and hundreds of miles in this shoe, it still feels exactly the same for me as when I first got it out the box. It's springy, it's responsive. It's also insanely lightweight, very versatile, a really good all-around package. can handle all sorts of different. different runs and paces as well. I love the rocker geometry with this one and it's going to work really well for all sorts of different strike patterns no matter how you hit the ground. Also one of the best running shoes overall ever made in my opinion. The durability really is that cherry on the top. But any downsides with this one? Well the buying process is not going to be as straightforward as buying a regular shoe from a UK retailer. The other slight downside with this one is the laces. They are quite cheap and they do tend to come undone but of course you can easily switch those out for some new ones. Aside from that it's a truly spectacular shoe. As I said I'm on to my second pair now after racking up around about 800k in the first ones. They're still going strong. I just really fancy a new colorway for the winter and I've also got a third pair ready to go. Probably for the spring. It's an absolute belter of a shoe. Next up, we've got some Max Stack shoes for those easier days when you just wanna put something on nice and comfy with lots of cushioning to look after those legs. Starting out with the Hoka Bondi Version 9, another firm favorite with so many ultra runners around the world. Famed for its ability to really last a long time. Price-wise, up at 160 pounds, 43 mil stack, five millimeter drop. Weight-wise, a little bit on the chunky and heavy side here, 363 grams. It's definitely on the firmer side, so if you like a firm riding shoe, this could be a good one to go for. Does mean it's gonna last a very long time. Really, really durable. It's also a very stable shoe. Nice rocker as well. Going to make it a nice walking shoe. Plus, very comfortable. Lots of nice plush padding in all the right areas. Any downsides? Well, as I said, it's quite heavy. It's quite bulky. But for easy jogging, walking around, it really doesn't matter too much. Also quite expensive on the RRP. But it's been out for quite a long time now. So you should definitely be able to pick up a bargain with this one. All in all, a very reliable, stable, comfortable option. That's going to serve you well for a really long time. Another durable classic in Hoka's lineup. Another Chinese shoe I had fairly recently was the Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra. A really good, durable shoe. Price-wise, again, I paid around about £116 for this shoe, but of course, when you buy these shoes from China and all the different websites, prices can fluctuate quite a lot. Stack height at the back of the shoe, coming in at 44mm, 8mm drop overall. Not too bad weight-wise here, given just how big and bulky this shoe is, coming in for me at 303g. Why this shoe is so great, that triple layer foam setup is absolutely crazy. But it really does work so well. Really good outsole here. Great durability. Decent coverage too. It's going to keep that foam nicely protected underneath it. Very comfortable option. Very stable given just how big and bulky this shoe is. And it's just a really good fun shoe to run in, it always brings a smile to your face. Any downsides with this one? Well, I think some people aren't going to like just how big and bulky this shoe is. And as with the DynaFish, the buying process is not the most straightforward thing. But overall with this one, a very unique bouncy soft shoe to really look after those legs when you're out on those easy runs and longer runs too. Super comfortable, a shoe that will really go and go. Right, let's chat about some faster shoes for those key sessions and most importantly, that race day. Now this is a sector of the market where shoes typically don't tend to last that long, especially nowadays with those crazy super soft foams that so many brands are using. However, out of all of the top races out at the moment, the one which for me has definitely lasted the longest is the Asics Metaspeed. Coming in around about £240. Stack height at the back of the shoe, just under that 40mm legal limit. 5mm drop over all. So lightweight with this one. For me and my size at 191g. Why this shoe is so So great, the outsole really quite good, very grippy, but also on the thicker side, which is amazing given just how lightweight this shoe is. Not a huge amount of coverage though, especially at the back, so it's not going to be ideal for those heel strikers, but if you're striking at the forefoot, the midfoot, then the shoe is going to last a long time. The upper. Also quite strong here despite it being extremely lightweight for me and my pairs it's held up really well. I've run many marathons in the shoe as well as some big key training sessions in the build-up and the shoe just has lasted a long time. It's kept that top speed for a lot longer than I would have expected to in many other shoes. I think a lot of people 200, 250 really good very fast kilometers in this shoe is going to be possible. Any downsides with this one? Well it's always It's always difficult to know whether to go for the sky or the edge. We've got a really good... I could explain a video about that. We'll link to it up there and down below as well. Personally, I've always preferred the edge and the durability of that one should be a little bit better as the foam on the bottom of that shoe is a little bit firmer, a little bit more stable. And then finally, in the race shoe section, we come on to one of the most popular shoes. It's a shoe from ASICS. Again, the amazingly fast, amazingly comfortable, amazingly robust Mega Blast. This shoe set me back £210. Stack at the back, 45mm, 8mm drop over all. So nice and lightweight for a shoe of this size at 275g. Now, why this is so good, we're starting out, it's got a pretty thick outsole on the bottom of the shoe, which is quite surprising, given just how light this one is. The coverage is not amazing on the bottom of the shoe, but given the foam really is not fragile at all, it doesn't seem to matter. And that foam, there's a lot of it, and you're gonna get hundreds and hundreds of very happy miles in this shoe. That foam, it just does not degrade over time. Also, an excellent race day shoe for regular runners out there, especially if you don't want a plate in your race shoes. Three-hour runners, up to five-hour runners, and heavier runners as well. If you want to run a marathon in maximum comfort, this is going to be a really good option to go for. It's so lightweight, so fast, and for so many people, it's going to be far more comfortable than a full-on carbon-plated race shoe. Any downsides with this one? It has quite a shallow toe box. A bit of an odd thing with this one. It has some irritation on the top of the foot, but that does go away with time. Well, it did in my experience anyway. Expensive, of course, but the pounds per mile you can get out of this. Thank you so much for joining me today, and I'll see you in the next one. And really enjoy the shoe has been holding up so, so well. Anyway, I still haven't told you what the most commented shoe was, because technically it's a little bit of an older shoe. So the most commented shoe was the ASICS Superblast. Version 2. Probably my greatest running shoe of all time I would have to say. I'd easily get a thousand k's personally out of each of these shoes over the years and I felt they could have gone on for a lot lot longer but I always got suckered in to a new colorway coming out. The lifespan of these shoes is absolutely amazing especially when you compare it to Superblast 3 that is just not lasting anywhere near as long. It's easily the most durable shoe I've ever ran in. Plus an amazing shoe overall. I really think it was the greatest of all time running shoe. Some other popular models that you may well be able to find some good deals on out at the moment. The Adidas Adios Pro 4 full carbon rodded race shoe is really quite amazing. People get so many. Hundreds of kilometers out of that shoe. The version five has come out. Little bit of a controversial shoe. I'll be giving a good 100 mile or so update on that shoe in due course. And then finally, a really good old faithful, the Nike Zoom Fly version six. Probably set to be replaced later this year, maybe with the Swoosh Fly. We're not quite sure yet, but that's another amazing shoe for faster runs and races, super durable foam. And then the outsole on the bottom of the shoe, that waffle outsole could go on for absolute ever. So let me know your favourite shoes that you've been enjoying at the moment. What's giving you some really good value for money out there on the market? Help out the community and let everybody know down in the comments. The next video coming up is our race day shoes for regular runners. That video's up there, so I'll see you over there very shortly. That's it, guys. Keep on working hard. Keep on going, getting it done. I'll see you very soon in the next one.