What Are The Most Popular Running Shoes In The US?

With dozens of running shoe brands, each producing numerous different running shoes, we wanted to find out which running shoes are the most popular.

These are some of the best-selling running shoes in the US.

THE BEST-SELLING RUNNING SHOES

Based on data from US running store retail, these running shoes were among the best-selling in the US in 2024, with sales trends extending into Europe and beyond. Data here doesn’t include running shoe sales directly from the companies, and is only in retail. 

These are listed alphabetically and with the franchise name but not the latest model (e.g. HOKA Clifton, not HOKA Clifton 9).

And this isn’t necessarily a list of the best running shoes, nor a list of our favourite running shoes at The Running Channel (though they are all good shoes), it’s just a list of the best-selling running shoes. 

• ASICS Gel Nimbus
• ASICS GT-2000
• Brooks Adrenaline
• Brooks Ghost and Ghost Max
• Brooks Glycerin and Glycerin GTS
• HOKA Bondi
• HOKA Clifton
• HOKA Gaviota
• New Balance 860/880
• New Balance 1080
• On Cloudrunner 

Shoes from the PUMA, Saucony, adidas, Altra and Nike are also consistently popular with runners, though sell less volume in running store retail. 

Two related fact worth knowing: in 2024, Brooks and HOKA were collectively responsible for around 50% of shoe sales in US running stores. And many people who buy these shoes, particularly HOKAs, are using them for walking or for working, and not for running.

WHY ARE THESE THE MOST POPULAR RUNNING SHOES?

There are numerous reasons why these are the most popular shoes.

• The brands have large distribution within retail, so they are easily available and accessible for people
• Many are well-established ‘franchises’ that return each year with subtle updates. For example, ASICS Gel-Nimbus is on version 27, HOKA Clifton is up to version 10 in 2025, and New Balance released the 1080 v14 in 2024. Many runners are loyal to their favourite franchise and upgrade to the next version each year
• These shoes are all ‘daily trainers’ meaning they are built for comfort and to be reliable for you to run in regularly. They are not the fastest shoes, but they do give the comfort that most people want
• They are all in the mid-range of price ($140-$160)
• They are mostly neutral daily trainers, though some are in the support shoe category: Brooks Glycerin GTS, ASICS GT-2000, HOKA Gaviota, New Balance 860
• They are all also great for walking, or for people who wear trainers to work and want all-day comfort. In fact, many of the sales for these shoes likely come from walkers and not runners.

ARE ALL THESE SHOES GOOD?

The shoes certainly all come with the confidence of high sales volumes, and they have a lot of loyal fans who return to them each year.

But just because they are popular, doesn’t mean they will automatically work for you. 

Each of these brands has a different fit, and each uses different foam compounds, so they offer different comfort levels – some are more squishy, others more firm, some have more stack height, some are wider and others more narrow. You need to find the shoe that’s right for you.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER BRANDS NOT ON THIS LIST?

Some very popular brands are not on the best-selling list. This may be because they sell more trainers directly to consumers; it may be that they have more variety in their shoes; or that they specialise in a specific market (like Altra, who make shoes with a wide, anatomical toebox). 

Popular brands like PUMA, Saucony, adidas, Altra, Nike, Under Armour and many more, all make excellent shoes across all different running shoe categories. Your next favourite running shoe may come from one of these brands, so make sure you try on a wide range of trainers when you’re next in the market for a new pair. 

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT RUNNING TRAINERS?

We recommend going into a running store to try on several pairs of running shoes. It really helps to be able to put on a few different shoes to find the one which fits you just right, and has the comfort and support level that’s right for you and the way that you run. 

The shoes listed above will be in many running stores, so you will be able to try them on, but also make sure you try on some others for comparison.

You should also find the shoes which suit where you run, so if you often run off-road, on light trails, or on more technical trails, then you’ll want specific trail trainers. 

Some runners have a running shoe rotation, which includes running shoes with different purposes, like a daily trainer for all easy runs, a tempo shoe or carbon plated super shoe for faster runs, and a trail running here. Here are all the types of running shoes. 

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Have you worn any of these popular running shoes?