Start with what each brand actually lists
Running shoes sit inside a much wider catalogue at most sports retailers, so the first filter is simple: does the brand break out shoe categories at all? Sportwerk lists road, racing, trail and spikes, which is the clearest signal in this set that you can narrow to a surface and a pace before you read a single price. The running shoes ranking is the efficient place to build a shortlist first.
Decathlon's listed categories are camping, hiking, outdoor clothing, cycling, winter sports and activewear, while Academy's are treadmill, exercise bike, rower, cross-trainer, strength, home gym, massage gun and recovery. Neither list names a shoe category, so read their footwear sections as part of a general sports range rather than a specialised one. Academy also sits differently in the market: it is a store rather than a brand, which shapes everything from advice to warranty, and the Academy review sets out what that means in practice.
Compare entry prices honestly
Sportwerk lists an entry price of €23.95 for its running range, and it is the only brand here whose listed floor is attached to shoes rather than to a broader catalogue.
Decathlon's entry price of $9.99 comes from its site as a whole, and Academy's of $399.99 sits in the treadmill category, so neither figure tells you what a pair of running shoes costs you. Across the brands compared here, entry prices run €23.95 to €166.95, and that span is a fairer frame for a budget conversation than any single number.
Delivery can quietly change the total. Decathlon waives delivery above $49 and Mizuno above $75, so buying a single pair can still carry a shipping charge even when the shoe itself is cheap. Work out whether you are buying one pair or a couple before you use either threshold.
Drop, weight and the fit gap
Only two brands here publish a measured heel-to-toe drop: Sportwerk at 8 millimetres and Mizuno at 8 millimetres on the models listed. Identical numbers, different shoes, so treat the figure as a starting point rather than a match.
Weight matters more than many shoppers expect on a long run, and Sportwerk is the only brand in this set that lists it: 300 grams for one running shoe. No weight is given for Mizuno, Decathlon or Academy, so that comparison has to wait until you hold the shoes.
Widths are the quieter gap. Sportwerk lists a regular width only, with no narrow or wide widths to compare, so anyone who needs a specific fit is left with an open question and should check the size guidance before ordering. The Mizuno review is worth reading for the detail behind that drop figure.
Returns, warranty and the risk of a wrong size
Online shoe buying goes wrong on fit far more often than on taste, so returns are not a footnote. Sportwerk offers free returns, does not accept worn returns and lists a return window of 30 days. Decathlon also offers free returns, does not take worn returns and lists 30 days.
Academy is the most generous on paper, with a return window of 60 days and a money-back period of 60 days. Decathlon adds a lifetime warranty on top of its return terms, which the Decathlon review unpacks in detail.
Across the brands here, return windows run 14 to 45 days. A short window only becomes a problem when your first sizing attempt fails, so buy from a seller you could return comfortably within the days you actually run, not within the days you hope to run.
Check where the brand operates and who stands behind it
Delivery terms mean little if the brand does not ship to you. Sportwerk ships to DE, AT and CH and is run by e-xplosion GmbH in DE. Decathlon lists US under Decathlon USA LLC and/or Decathlon America LLC with its headquarters in FR. Academy serves US through Academy, LTD in US.
Decathlon was founded in 1976, the only company age given in this comparison, which tells you something about staying power but nothing about service. If you sit outside the markets above, both price and return terms become hypothetical, and a local specialist is the better use of an afternoon.
Support, then close the decision
Support is the last filter. Sportwerk runs email, phone and help centre, and Academy offers the same set of email, phone and help centre. Decathlon offers email and help centre, email and a help centre only, and no support channels are listed for Mizuno here.
Academy asks for no membership to buy, and its membership costs $0 a month, so nothing stands between you and a purchase. As a store, its advice comes from staff rather than a brand page, which can help on fit and can also push towards whatever is in stock.
Put the four filters together: shoe categories, entry price, return window and delivery market. Then read the Sportwerk review and the Decathlon review for the practical detail, and buy from the brand whose published numbers match your distance, your budget and your delivery country.