Most durable running shoes for high mileage
If you run a lot, the cost per mile of a shoe matters more than the price on the box. A £160 shoe that lasts six hundred miles is better value than a £110 one that goes flat at two hundred and fifty, and it is also less likely to leave you sore in the last month of its life.
Two separate things wear out. The outsole rubber wears down, which you can see, and the midsole foam compresses and stops springing back, which you cannot. The foam is usually what finishes a shoe first, and it is the reason a pair can look perfectly respectable while feeling dead underfoot.
The shoes that last tend to share a few traits. A full rubber outsole rather than exposed foam, a firmer and denser midsole rather than the softest and lightest available, and a build aimed at daily training rather than racing. They are rarely the most exciting shoes on the shelf, which is rather the point.
The shortlist
These are the shoes the Shoe Finder quiz returns when you answer it as someone in this situation. Same database, same scoring, nothing added by hand. Answer it yourself and you will get a list shaped around your own feet, weight and budget rather than an average.
Asics Glideride Max 2
£159.99 · Max cushion · 264g · 11mm drop · 42mm stack · wide fitting
Big, smooth cushioning for long slow miles. Be warned, the drop measures 11mm, not 6mm.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
On Cloudboom Max
£219.99 · Max cushion · 286g · 8mm drop · 39mm stack · wide fitting · nylon plate
Big stack that rides firmer than it looks. A stable, hard wearing shoe for long, steady miles.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Mizuno Sky Prime
£189.99 · Max cushion · 295g · 6mm drop · 47mm stack
A 47mm slab of foam that stays springy instead of going mushy. The toebox is on the narrow side.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Asics Novablast 6
£139.99 · Everyday trainer · 249g · 8mm drop · 41mm stack · wide fitting
Bouncy and fun but still cushioned. Happy plodding along or picking up the pace.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Saucony Ride 19
£140 · Everyday trainer · 278g · 8mm drop · 37mm stack · wide fitting
A well balanced everyday shoe. Light enough to speed up, soft enough to plod.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Hoka Bondi 9
£160 · Max cushion · 303g · 5mm drop · 43mm stack · wide fitting
About as much cushioning as you can buy. Great if your legs and joints ache.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Brooks Ghost 18
£135 · Everyday trainer · 289g · 10mm drop · 36mm stack · 4E available
The safe, do everything trainer. If you are unsure what to buy, start here.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
Brooks Ghost Amp
£135 · Everyday trainer · 249g · 6mm drop · 35mm stack · wide fitting
The safe daily pick for any easy run. The foam is sold as springy but returns little energy.
- Holds up under a heavier runner instead of bottoming out
- Matches the balanced feel you asked for
- Hard wearing, so it should last a good few hundred miles
- Made for the long steady miles of race training
How this list was put together
Every shoe in our database is scored against a set of rules, and this page shows the top eight for this particular need. The rules are written down in full on the how it works page, including which ones rule a shoe out completely. Nothing on this page is ordered by commission, and the prices are RRP, so shop around because they are very often discounted.
This is a starting point rather than a fitting. Where you can, try shoes on, and if you are running through pain see a physio rather than buying your way out of it.
Common questions
How many miles should a running shoe last?
Between three hundred and five hundred miles is the usual range. Heavier runners and rougher surfaces push it towards the lower end. A durable shoe used on smooth roads by a lighter runner can go beyond it.
How do I know when my running shoes are worn out?
Feel rather than looks. When a shoe that used to feel cushioned starts feeling flat, or you notice more soreness after ordinary runs, the foam has gone. Visible wear through the outsole to the foam underneath is a second clear signal.
Does rotating two pairs make them last longer?
Yes, measurably. Midsole foam recovers over a day or two between runs, so alternating pairs means each one spends less time compressed. Two pairs rotated tend to outlast two pairs used one after the other.
Get a list for your feet, not an average one
The shortlist above assumes a fairly typical runner. The shoe finder asks about your width, how your ankles roll, your weight, where you run, your budget and any recurring niggles, then gives you three shoes and tells you why each one made it. It takes about a minute and there is no email or sign up.