Winter Shoe Buyer’s Guide: tried and true models for 2025/2026

This article appears in our November/December 2025 print issue, available on newsstands now, or, to access it on our members-only site, click here. 

Puma
MAGNIFY NITRO 3

Editor’s Pick: Best Daily Trainer

Category: Neutral cushioning
Unisex: 260 g (9.2 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 10 mm
Stack height: 40 mm/30 mm
$190

This long run shoe update from Puma is a home run. It’s high-stack, yet very stable, with cushioning that’s the perfect degree of plushness/firmness for your easy long runs (though we’d consider it for almost any type of daily training, including faster runs—it’s that comfortable). Also, call us shallow, but it’s one of the best-looking shoes we’ve tested.

The shoe’s engineered knit upper locks down well, is stretchy where you need it to be and very breathable, with laces that are just thin and stretchy enough to tie easily (without being too thin). The full NitroFoam (peba) midsole has been made lighter and more responsive, and the shoe is extremely light for a daily trainer (and slightly lighter than the previous version). Also, it has an unusually grippy outsole for a road shoe, and we look forward to trying it in snowy conditions (possibly with an extra pair of socks).

We did notice that the very snug midfoot wrapping typical of Puma shoes is even more pronounced in the Magnify Nitro 3; in fact, the last has been updated for a better fit, and, while it’s quite noticeable on step-in, once we started running, we loved it.

Asics
GEL-KAYANO 32

Editor’s Pick: Best Stablity Shoe

Category: Stability
Men’s: 300 g (10.6 oz.)
Women’s: 256 g (9.0 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 40 mm/32 mm (men’s), 39 mm/31 mm (women’s)
$220

Asics’s premium stability model for distance training tends not to change too radically from version to version, but there are some significant updates this year, even if most runners would not consider them to be substantial.

For example, the heel-to-toe offset has been lowered from 10 mm to 8 mm. This is a trend we’re seeing across various types of shoes, with brands moving away from very high-drop shoes. It accomplishes this by adding 2 mm of updated FF Blast Plus cushioning under the midfoot, for a plush ride that’s still gently supportive for runners with a tendency to overpronate (i.e. their feet roll inward excessively when they land). Also, the shoe’s breathable mesh upper has been made softer, and the brand has redesigned the ankle collar.

The shoe provides stability via its 4D Guidance system, with a new reinforced “wing” on the medial side of the midsole. The shoe uses a slightly lighter cushioning material in the midsole, in addition to the PureGEL cushioning hidden in the heel; for a relatively high-stack shoe, it feels surprisingly close to the ground, providing a very comfortable ride. Our tester loved the new, stretchy heel tab. Both the weight and the price remain stable, at 300 grams and $180, respectively.

Brooks
ADRENALINE GTS 25

Category: Stability
Men’s: 301 g (10.6 oz.)
Women’s: 269 g (9.5 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 10 mm
Stack height: 37 mm/27 mm
$180

Another shoe that has proven its worth many times over in the stability space, the Adrenaline provides that feeling of security that assures you it’s got you, especially if your feet tend to roll inward when you run.

The shoe has a very breathable engineered mesh upper with a flat knit collar, a stretchy pull tab at the heel and thick padding in the heel and tongue. The highly cushioned midsole contains generous amounts of nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 cushioning (three more millimetres in the forefoot and one more in the heel than in the previous version of the shoe). Besides simply being cushier and more comfortable to run in, this additional cushioning actually changes how the shoe feels, since the heel-to-toe offset is now only 10 mm (previously it was 12 mm), leading (in theory) to a slightly more natural stride. Brooks’s GuideRails Technology System (also known as Go-To Support) gently corrects overpronation.

The textured outsole has plenty of hard rubber, providing good grip (even if it’s raining) and durability/longevity. This is a shoe designed for easy runs and long runs rather than fast workouts, and will appeal particularly to heavier runners; others will likely find it to be a little overbuilt for fair-weather running (though this could make it a good winter shoe).

Salomon
AERO BLAZE 3 GRAVEL GTX

Editor’s Pick: Best Road-to-Trail Shoe

Category: Trail
Men’s: 283 g (10.0 oz.)
Women’s: 233 g (8.2 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 35 mm/27 mm
Lug depth: 3.5 mm
$200

This shoe, which takes inspiration from gravel bikes, might be the ideal shoe for fall running: it’s responsive, protective and comfortable for a range of terrains and conditions, from road-to-trail to rail trail to puddle-dotted path. We quite liked the first version of the shoe, and the new update with a waterproof upper is even better.

The first thing you notice is the rocker, which gently and smoothly rolls your foot from heel to toe, whether you’re running, walking or hiking. The shoe’s TPU midsole is softly cushioned and provides a very comfortable ride. The ContaGrip outsole, which is modelled after the lug pattern on a gravel bike tire, is well-designed for a range of moderate conditions, and you could certainly use it successfully for short trail races, provided conditions aren’t too extreme. It could also be a great shoe for road running in wet or snowy conditions, when you need a bit more traction than you get in most road shoes. Plus, it’s a nice-looking shoe you could easily wear casually.

The fit, as with many Salomon models, is slightly long, and though it felt a bit tight across the base of the toes on step-in, it flexed out comfortably when we started running.

Hoka
MAFATE 5

Category: Trail
Men’s: 332 g (11.7 oz.)
Women’s: 286 g (10.1 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 45 mm/37 mm (men’s), 43 mm/35 mm (women’s)
Lug depth: 5 mm
$230

There have been various versions of the Mafate, with very different characteristics, for different purposes, so this one doesn’t necessarily fit the “tried and true” category perfectly. This latest Mafate is a rugged, well-built shoe for long, technical trail outings involving a lot of climbing and descending. But it isn’t just a bruiser; it’s extremely comfortable and feels lighter than it is, thanks to the very responsive midsole cushioning (there’s a layer of soft, supercritical EVA next to your foot), rockered sole and partial TPU midsole plate between the foam layers in the forefoot. The brand calls this “Rocker Integrity Technology,” but it’s essentially a plate, though the brand says its function is more to stabilize the upper than the runner’s foot. Stability is also attributable to the shoe’s very wide platform.

The upper is a lightweight but protective jacquard mesh, with TPU reinforcements in strategic areas. The tongue, while very thin and not gussetted, has a cutout for the laces, so it doesn’t move around while you’re running. The shoe has a Vibram Megagrip outsole with deep lugs (with tiny prongs on the sides, which we’ve seen in other brands, also) for digging into soft terrain. This is altogether an excellent, all-round training shoe for the trails, and we wouldn’t rule out racing in it.