Top running shoes compared

About Top running shoes compared

Running shoes are easy to buy and hard to compare, because a low price says nothing about the return window behind it or the width you will actually get. This ranking sets sellers side by side on exactly those points: the price you meet at entry, the running types each range carries, the length of the return window, and the fit options stocked. It covers 19 sellers, ordered on the price at entry and the return window behind it. Entry prices across the field run €23.95 to €166.95, and return windows run 14 to 45 days. The main trade-off is straightforward. The cheapest shoes here sit with sellers whose ranges are narrow or whose return windows are short, while the longer windows and the broader width runs tend to sit higher up the price list. Worn returns sit with a single seller, and so does the broadest width run, which is worth knowing before you settle on a pair.

How we picked

Every seller listed was scored on the things that decide whether a pair of running shoes is worth buying. Cost carries a weight of 40% and the offer carries 40%, so the price at entry and the shape of the range do most of the work, while trust counts for 20% and stops a generous return policy being outweighed by a cheap ticket. Cost covers the lowest price a seller lists for running shoes. Offer covers the product types carried, the widths stocked, the drop and weight published for a listed model, and the length of the return window. Trust covers free returns, worn returns, the legal entity behind the shop, the home country, the markets served and the support channels published. Figures come from each seller's own product pages, shipping and returns pages, and imprint or terms pages, with the range figures drawn from the collected data. Partners, where a ranking has them, are listed first; the rest follow the score in the order shown.

Our top picks

1. 1. Sportwerk: best for top-pick

   Sportwerk takes the top-pick in this ranking because the price at entry is hard to argue with: running shoes start at €23.95, and the range behind that number is a running range, covering road, racing, trail and spikes. Free returns run for 30 days, and support is published on email, phone and help centre, so a sizing question does not have to sit unanswered. The listed road shoe shows a drop of 8 mm and a weight of 300 grams, which you can check against a pair you already own. Worn returns are not accepted, and widths come in regular only. Decathlon, ranked next, matches that return window but spreads its range across camping, hiking, cycling and winter sports rather than spikes.

   • Price from: €23.95
   • Heel-to-toe drop (mm): 8
   • Weight (g): 300

   Pros

   • Shoes start at €23.95, and that entry price ranks 1 of 13 brands in the running shoe comparison.
   • The entry price sits under the €64.02 figure across the running shoe ranking.
   • The range covers road, racing and trail, a longer list than Decathlon at road, trail and racing or Mizuno at road, racing and trail.
   • Returns run 30 days and returns are free, so a pair that does not fit costs nothing extra to send back.

   Cons

   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, so there is no chat or community channel.
   • Fits come in regular, so a runner who needs a wide or narrow last has no option here.
   • Shipping reaches DE, AT and CH, which leaves buyers outside that list without a delivery route.
   • Worn returns are not accepted, so shoes have to be sent back unworn.

2. 3. Decathlon

   Decathlon holds second place in this ranking on the lowest starting price of the shoe sellers here, $9.99, with free returns over 30 days taking the sting out of a wrong size. The trade-off is range focus: the catalogue spans camping, hiking, outdoor clothing, cycling, winter sports and activewear, so running sits inside a much wider selection. Support is published on email and help centre, with no phone line, and the shop serves a single market, the US, as Decathlon USA LLC and/or Decathlon America LLC. Worn returns are not accepted. Academy, ranked next, runs a much longer return window, though its listed prices belong to home gym equipment.

   • Price from: $9.99
   • Return window: 30 days
   • Lifetime warranty: Yes

   Pros

   • Prices start at $9.99, placing Decathlon 5 of 67 brands on price from.
   • A lifetime warranty covers eligible gear far longer than the site median of 2 years.
   • The range spans camping, hiking and outdoor clothing, so one brand covers several sports rather than a single niche.
   • Returns run 30 days and are free, with worn items not accepted back.
   • Delivery is free above $49, which keeps shipping predictable on larger baskets.

   Cons

   • Worn returns are not accepted, so footwear and clothing have to be tried on with care.
   • Support runs on email and help centre only, so there is no phone or live chat route for sizing questions.
   • The range is limited to US, which rules it out for shoppers based elsewhere.
   • Returns sit at 30 days, placing Decathlon 8 of 60 brands on that measure, in the middle of the field rather than near the front.

3. 5. PUMA

   PUMA pairs a broad running catalogue with a mid-range entry price, which is why it sits in this ranking. Shoes start at $73, and the range adds walking and spikes to road, racing and trail. Free returns run for 30 days and support is published on email, phone and help centre, including a community board. The listed road model shows a drop of 8 mm, widths come in regular only, and the company was founded in 1948 and trades as PUMA SE from Germany, though the store serves the US. BeLenka Europe, ranked next, is cheaper still and ships far more widely.

   • Price from: $73
   • Heel-to-toe drop (mm): 8
   • Return window: 30 days

   Pros

   • The range spans road, racing and trail, covering road, racing, trail, walking and spikes in one place.
   • Returns run for 30 days and are free, so a poor fit is easy to send back.
   • Entry price of $73 ranks 6 of 13 brands compared on price, so the money is not going to the cheapest name on the list.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, which covers phone and email rather than a help centre alone.
   • It is a brand, not a marketplace seller, so the same PUMA SE stands behind every order.

   Cons

   • Widths are listed as regular only, so anyone needing a narrow or wide fit has less to choose from here.
   • The range is listed for US alone, which narrows shoppers outside that market.
   • Sportwerk lists road, racing and trail and Academy adds hiking boots, so PUMA covers less of the shoe map than either.
   • Entry price of $73 ranks 6 of 13 brands, placing it behind the cheapest options in the comparison.

4. 6. Altra

   Altra closes this ranking as the only seller here that accepts worn returns, which settles a question most shops leave open. Shoes start at $104, the range covers road, trail, walking and hiking boots, and widths come in regular and wide, so a wide fit is covered without a separate line. Free returns run for 30 days and support runs on chat and help centre, meaning a sizing question is handled in chat or through the help centre. The legal entity is Altra LLC, the home country is the US, and the store ships to markets in North America and Europe. Against Specialized, ranked above, this is a running specialist rather than a bike shop.

   • Price from: $104
   • Return window: 30 days
   • Worn-shoe returns: Yes

   Pros

   • Footwear is sold direct by the brand rather than through a third party retailer, so the listed price is the one you pay.
   • Returns run 30 days and worn pairs are accepted, so a pair that does not suit your feet can still come back.
   • Widths cover regular and wide, so runners with roomier feet have a real choice rather than one standard fit.
   • Product types span road, trail, walking and hiking boots under one brand, which is more than Academy covers with road and hiking boots.
   • The returns terms sit alongside free delivery with no minimum spend, cutting the cost of getting the decision wrong.

   Cons

   • Entry price of $104 ranks Altra 8 of 13, so it is not the cheapest shelf here.
   • There is no lifetime warranty, which separates Altra from brands that back their footwear for longer.
   • Support runs on chat and help centre only, with no phone line listed for order questions.
   • Only regular and wide widths are offered, so runners who need extra wide or narrow fits have little to pick from.

5. 8. Saucony

   Saucony is in this ranking as a running specialist with breadth behind it. Its listed range is road, racing and trail, covering road, racing and trail, and its market list reaches US, GB and AD, long enough to cover most of Europe and beyond. Entry price is €128, which places it above most of the field, and returns run 30 days with free returns. Support is strong, working on email, chat and help centre with chat and a community board as well as email. The limitation is fit, since regular is the only width listed. Academy, ranked last, lists camping, hiking and outdoor clothing and a longer return window of 60 days, but its range has nothing on road running.

   • Price from: €128
   • Return window: 30 days
   • Free returns: Yes

   Pros

   • The 30 day return window with free returns puts Saucony at 5 of 17 on return length.
   • Free returns mean a wrong size or a poor fit does not cost the buyer postage.
   • The road, racing and trail range covers the same disciplines as road, trail and racing, so road, racing and trail buyers have a genuine alternative to quote.
   • Shipping covers US, GB and AD, spanning Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
   • Support comes through email, chat and help centre, so quick questions and longer ones both have a route.

   Cons

   • The €128 entry price sits above the running-shoes group median, €64.02, and places Saucony at 12 of 13 on price from.
   • Widths are listed as regular only, so runners who need a wide or extra-wide pair have little choice here.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone channel among them.
   • The road, racing and trail list stops short of spikes, which road, racing and trail includes.

6. 10. Shop4runners: best for Shop4runners

   Shop4runners is an online running shop selling running shoes and clothing from brands such as Asics, Adidas, Mizuno, Brooks and New Balance.

   • Markets: FR

   Pros

   • Keeps a clear focus on running shoes and apparel
   • Brings footwear and clothing together for training use
   • Draws on a dedicated expert running team for direction

   Cons

   • Covers running only, so choice outside that sport is limited
   • Centers on outside labels rather than its own shoe designs

What to look for

Entry price, not headline price

Read the lowest price a seller lists for running shoes rather than a temporary discount. The typical entry in this ranking sits at €64.02, the middle of the field runs €49.08 to €128, and the extremes are €8.76 and €2,385.95.

The return window behind the price

A long window changes what a low price really costs. The median return window here is 30 days, and the field runs from 14 at the tight end to 60 at the generous end.

Who pays for the return

Free returns apply at 81.8% of sellers in this ranking, so a return window is only worth what the postage bill allows. Check that before a long window gets read as a bargain.

Worn shoes sent back

Only 12.5% of sellers here will take a pair back after it has been run in. That is rare, and it matters if you judge fit by feel rather than by sizing.

Widths, not just sizes

Regular fits cover 88.9% of sellers here, while wide fits appear at 22.2% and extra-wide at 22.2%. Narrow is rarest at 11.1%, so a wide foot has fewer places to go.

How you get an answer

Every seller here publishes a help centre, for 100% of them, with email at 64.3% and a phone line at 57.1%. Chat reaches 35.7% and community boards 14.3%, so live conversation is the exception.

Frequently asked questions

Top running shoes compared by country

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV