Take advantage of the summer sunshine and add a little spring to your stride with this selection of the latest road running shoe releases

361 – Centauri – £120.00

361europe.com

I’d be inclined to say this is the best shoe yet from 361! Not only is the Centauri a great running shoe, but it offers cushioning and performance that’s usually found on shoes costing anything from £40 more, so it’s great value. At this price, the shoe is one of the best-value running shoes on the market today.

The real magic in the shoe comes from the brand’s ENGAGE midsole. This TPE (thermoplastic-elastomer) material offers that now much sought-after soft, almost bouncy ride.

For such a shoe it remains stable and although not super-light (283g) its performance makes up for the weight. The smooth, energetic cushioning soaks up the impact of the road and provides a nice responsive feel when required.

A neat, engineered mesh upper has the feel of a much more expensive shoe and again demonstrates great value on offer. At this price and with this cushioning and performance the Centauri has to be one of the best-value shoes on the market today.

Lululemon – Blissfeel 2 – £133.00

Lululemon.co.uk

With an emphasis on women’s specific fit, this shoe was created by gathering the volumetric data of one million foot scans! From this information both the upper and cushioning profile was created for a unique fit.

The result is a great fitting shoe for the female athlete that’s suitable both as an everyday running shoe as well as being capable of gym workouts and general training.

The soft, responsive midsole is light and flexible and with a broader footprint adds some stability to the foot when both running and in the gym.

An engineered mesh seamless upper provides good all-around support as well as breathability and flexibility for a neat, uncomplicated fit.

Mizuno – Wave Rider 26 ROXY – £150.00

Emea.mizuno.com

Here in a special-edition colourway in collaboration with fashion brand ROXY, the Wave Rider sees its 26^th generation update. One of the most popular neutral everyday training shoes, the update sees an increase in the cushioning with a 2mm deeper ENERZY foam midsole. The ENERZY foam combined with the brand’s Waveplate technology gives a soft, smooth, stable and responsive ride that’s capable of high mileage and everyday miles.

The shoe features a durable and versatile outsole that works as well on light, dry trails and gravel as it does on the roads, making the shoe a versatile summer option.

A seamless engineered mesh upper fits very well and is relatively generous in terms of toe-box width accommodating a good range of foot widths.

As well as this special-edition collaboration the shoe is available in both men’s and women’s colours and size ranges.

Adidas – Ultraboost Light – £169.99

Sportsshoes.com

Ten years since its launch, the Ultraboost returns with its lightest version yet. Okay, so it’s the lightest version of this model but it’s still not an ultra-light shoe when compared to the competition. That said, it does offer an incredible amount of cushioning, perhaps the largest stack of that soft, springy Boost material than ever before!

For those not familiar with Boost cushioning, it’s essentially the forerunner of the super-foams we see in many other shoes today, with a ‘spring-like’ feel that’s noticeable from the first step.

The stack height comes in at around 30mm in the heel and 20mm in the forefoot although it feels much higher in the heel and somehow much lower in the forefoot to me!

The higher feel of the drop does perhaps help heel strikers although remember that with the soft ride, the shoe is best suited to neutral runners.

The upper retains the familiar knitted design with a sock-like fit and the 3-stripe design is incorporated into the laces to create a secure fit.

For those seeking maximal levels of cushioning with a responsive feel, it’s a great choice.

Salomon – Aero Glide – £150.00

Salomon.com

Jumping right into the mix of maximally cushioned shoes, this new road running model from trail specialists Salomon, the Aero Glide features a big 37mm stack of the brand’s proprietary midsole material, energyFOAM with a 10mm drop. This is a mixture of EVA and Olefin (a polypropylene material) that delivers a durable and ‘bouncy’ ride.

There does feel to be a ‘lot of shoe’ under the foot with the deep stack, but it doesn’t feel heavy or cumbersome and provides a well-cushioned and smooth ride. The Contagrip outsole features a road-specific design that’s flexible and hard-wearing.

The upper is a very simple design with breathable, seamless mesh and minimal bonded overlays to create a little structure.

The brand’s familiar quick-lacing system is replaced in favour of traditional laces, but they aren’t really required on a road shoe.

Overall it’s a shoe that should give the brand a wider appeal to road runners and it does so with the maximum amount of cushioning.

ASICS – Superblast – £210.00

Asics.com

Taking many of the design features from the Metaspeed racing models, the Superblast is essentially a super shoe for more frequent use. With this combination of the brands FF Blast+ and FF Turbo midsole materials, we have a lightweight and very responsive shoe that is capable of daily miles. That said, it is at a faster pace that the shoe comes alive and the responsive midsole with the aggressive forefoot rocker encourages a quicker pace.

Even without a carbon plate, the shoe feels aggressive on toe-off, perhaps thanks to the combination of the dual midsole layers. The FF Turbo gives the ‘spring’ while the FF Blast helps out with general cushioning and improves long-term durability.

A simple lightweight mesh upper does the job and keeps the weight down while the outsole provides much more coverage than the racing models to improve durability as this is a shoe you’ll find yourself reaching for regularly thanks to that lively high-performance feel.

New Balance – Fresh Foam X 880v13 – £140.00

Newbalance.co.uk

Now well established as a go-to neutral everyday training shoe, the 880v13 retains a familiar look with updates to the overall ride and fit.

The full-length Fresh Foam X midsole cushioning offers a softer-than-ever feel while improving long-term durability and with a more responsive toe-off. It’s not supershoe racer-like energy return, but it’s a smooth engaging ride for an everyday model.

The upper has a high-quality construction with highly breathable materials and a neatly padded heel collar that turns away slightly from the Achilles to welcome the foot inside as well as avoid any irritation when running.

All-in-all it’s a good update to this popular model that just makes slight improvements without detracting from its great ride, fit and feel.

Nike – Pegasus 40 – £114.95

Nike.com

What’s left to be said about the Nike Pegasus that hasn’t already been said many times?

As what is most likely the best-selling running shoe of all time (after all, it’s been around for 40 years), the Pegasus remains one of the most popular daily trainers for many runners.

This, the 40^th edition sees twin Zoom Air units placed in the heel and forefoot. These help with cushioning and push-off thanks to the compressed air construction which, essentially bounces back into shape as you run. Encased in the brand’s React foam you get a combination that makes for a highly cushioned and responsive ride that lasts and lasts.

The upper is the familiar no-fuss affair with breathable mesh, snug, secure fit and a range of colours to suit all tastes.

Oh, and did we mention the price? One of the cheapest shoes here, the Pegasus does continue to offer great value for money.