These eight shoes show soft doesn鈥檛 have to be sluggish.
Salomon Sonic RA Max听($130)
This heavily cushioned trainer is the most sophisticated road shoe we鈥檝e seen from the French trail-running juggernaut. Meaty and damp, the Sonic was a hit with heel strikers and a favorite for pleasure cruises and recovery days. It has a few quirks (notably the slightly abrasive heel collar) and a chunkier ride. 9.3 oz (men鈥檚) / 8.3 oz (women鈥檚); 10 mm drop
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Adidas Aerobounce ST听($110)
This baby鈥檚 got back! While the Aerobounce has a moderately cushioned forefoot for a responsive toe-off, the heel is a bottomless cradle of bouncy foam. Fun and carefree, it鈥檚 billed as a stability shoe, though the medial post has a slight bit of pronation control. Best for unrepentant heel strikers who want to jog, not slog. 11 oz (men鈥檚) / 8.7 oz (women鈥檚); 10 mm drop听
Brooks Levitate听($150)
Are traditional running shoes more your jam? Brooks鈥檚 responsive new DNA Amp foam puts some caffeine into this cruisey, mid-thick trainer. The extra structure allows for blissful, long-range comfort鈥攖hough the trade-off is a few more ounces and a slower turnover. Still, for everyday support with some spring, the Levitate was a test-team winner. 11.2 oz (men鈥檚) / 9.2 oz (women鈥檚); 8 mm drop
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v8听($150)
Credit New Balance for creating the most balanced shoe of the lot. With a moderate stack of foam in both the toe and heel, the latest 1080 caters to wide-footed midfoot strikers who are accustomed to classic trainers but want a little more comfort in their step. Testers dinged it for a general lack of energy and pop, though. 11 oz (men鈥檚) / 9.7 oz (women鈥檚); 8 mm drop
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Altra Duo $130
Heel pounders, look away. Like all Altras, which have zero drop, this light speedster is decidedly limited to midfoot strikers. The fit is wide and high volume鈥攃avernously so in the forefoot鈥攁nd the ride is quick, responsive, and single-malt smooth. Think of it as a mid-fattie with race-car genes, though given its sparse padding in the heel and tongue, the interior is decidedly spartan. 8.7 oz (men鈥檚) / 7.4 oz (women鈥檚); zero drop
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Saucony Triumph ISO 4听($160)
The Triumph dials up the soft to 11. Without overdoing the thickness of the foam, this flexy, mellow cruiser takes all trace of sting out of the pavement and pampers the ride with a swollen tongue and a set of detached overlays that give the upper a slipper-like feel. If easygoing were an art form, this would be a masterpiece. Best for midfoot strikers who prefer less structure. 10.8 oz (men鈥檚) / 9.4 oz (women鈥檚); 8 mm drop
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Under Armour Hovr Sonic CT听($110)
The coolest thing about the Hovr Sonic is its ability to pair with the Map My Run app, letting you ditch your phone while still tracking pace, distance, time, and less common metrics like cadence and stride length. The stretchy mesh upper lends a casual comfort to this moderately thick, quick, and firm trainer. That said, it isn鈥檛 the smoothest ride here. 9.6 oz (men鈥檚) / 6.7 oz (women鈥檚); 8 mm drop
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Nike Epic React听($150)
Soft doesn鈥檛 have to be sluggish. Proof in point: Nike鈥檚 new Epic React鈥攐ne of the best new shoes of the year鈥攈as deep cushioning in the heel and a highly energetic, bouncy ride made for fast, low-impact runs. It鈥檚 all courtesy of a new springy blend of foam, an extremely low weight, and a snug mesh-bootie upper. The nine-millimeter drop caters slightly to the heel-striking set. 8.5 oz (men鈥檚) / 6.9 oz (women鈥檚); 10 mm drop
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