There were a lot of shoes that I was looking forward to this season, and I’m not gonna lie, this one caught me completely off guard. I have had a few pair of shoes from 361 and while they have always used incredible materials and made shoes with quality builds, the designs felt a bit outdated, the designs didn’t take full advantage of those materials…until now!

When the original Ghost Max came out, Brooks didn’t have a maximum cushioned shoe by the latest definitions. The Glycerin had always been Brooks most cushioned shoe, and they didn’t really have anything to compete with Hoka or other brands that were putting a lot more midsole beneath the runner. The Ghost Max was a pivotal shoe for the brand. The Ghost Max 2 features one significant upgrade to the midsole, so if you liked the original, I think you’ll be a fan of version 2 as well.

I feel like the More was a bit of a hit or miss shoe for New Balance in the first few years, but in years four and five they have really hit their stride. While version 4 was very much a long run recovery shoe only, version 5 has surprised me in that it has a bit more versatility than I was expecting!

The Brooks Hyperion Max launched last year with version 1, a non plated shoe with supercritical midsole foam that felt great underfoot and seemed to be a blend of newer technology with an older sense of what a speed day shoe should feel like. While version 2 has some trait similarities, this is essentially a redesign of the Hyperion Max and I think they nailed it!

The Deviate Nitro 2 was my introduction to Puma running. Considering how far Puma running has come, the Deviate 2 will always hold a special place in my heart as my introduction to the brand. The Deviate 3 has been a highly anticipated shoe for me, and it does not disappoint.

One of my favorite shoes of all time is the Hoka Mach 4. I got a pair when I had built up a lot of fitness during the Covid shutdown so some of that nostalgia may be from having the fitness to have a lot of fun at races like the Escape from Alcatraz and Ironman Texas. When it was time to retire that pair of shoes, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. The Mach 5 was a solid shoe, but it didn’t seem to have the magic that the Mach 4 had for me. The Mach 6 brings back that feeling of a truly special shoe even though it’s a very different shoe than that original Mach 4 I fell in love with.

Mizuno has long been known for making excellent court shoes, but in the running world, they have long lived behind the times. As other brands embraced new foams and technology in their daily trainers, Mizuno came out with some stellar racing shoes and concept shoes, but didn’t let any of those advancements trickle down into shoes for everyday running…until now.

Traditional running experience states that the lightest shoe will always be the fastest. I’m not sure that is always the case anymore with the advent of modern shoe technology and this shoe provides evidence to the fact that speed and weight aren’t necessarily as tied as we’ve always made them.

My introduction to the Rebel was with version 3, so while I don’t have a long history, I loved the Rebel v3 and my romance with v4 is off to a great start as well. If you haven’t run in a New Balance with fuelcell foam before, you are missing out. I initially saw the design for the v4 when photos from The Running Event made their way to the internet, and needless to say, I became very excited to get a pair on my feet.

The Brooks Hyperion Elite series has had a rough go of it since I’ve been following the shoe. When I saw the Elite 4 coming down the pipeline, I got very excited about this shoe and I was hoping to get my feet in a pair to log some good miles in it. I’m very excited to have gotten a pair and while the shoe has gotten mixed reviews, I think that on the whole it is an incredible shoe, though it may not be for everybody.

For years when you think of maximum cushion running shoes, Hoka has been the brand that first comes to mind. The title of max cushion king has been challenged by many brands in the past 2-3 years as new foams have been used in daily trainers and we’ve seen the advent of the super trainers becoming more prevalent for use by the average runner. With the introduction of the Skyward X, I’m not sure that Hoka takes the title definitively, but this shoe puts Hoka right back into contention for the crown. This is also Hoka’s first super trainer that has a full length carbon plate in it.

When it comes to making great running shoes, On has had a long and bumpy road. They always made incredible looking shoes, and the materials and craftsmanship were top notch, but up until about 2 years ago, they just weren’t comfortable when you compared them to shoes from other major brands. The shift began with the Cloudmonster and Cloudgo for me. The Cloudsurfer was the first shoe that they made that I felt was a true game changer though. The Cloudmonster Hyper is another shoe that I consider a game changer or pivot point for the brand.

The 880 is New Balance medium cushioned, neutral running shoe. In the last few years the 880 has gotten better and better and I think this is the best version yet.

The Glycerin had a massive update in its 20th iteration and one that, in my opinion, saved the shoe and kept the brand competitive. In the Glycerin 21 we see a year of smaller changes to give the people a little time to cool off and settle in. Prior to the 20 I would say that it was hard for me to see or feel a difference between the Glycerin and the Ghost. Now I find a substantial difference and I am on team Glycerin for one main reason: nitrogen. Introducing the nitrogen infused EVA to the Glycerin was a game changer for the shoe line and made it a shoe to pay attention to.

There is a high probability that if you ask me at the end of the year to make a list of my favorite running shoes, the Novablast 4 will be on it. Logically one would hope that as shoes progress, they continue to get better and better, thus making the latest version of the shoe the greatest. This logic is unfortunately not always accurate in the shoe world, but I think when it comes to the Novablast, the latest is also currently the greatest.

There isn’t much that is flashy about this shoe, but it gets the job done and I think that’s the whole point. If you’re looking for relative comparison points in other brands look at the Brooks Ghost, New Balance 880 or the Asics Cumulus to get an idea of where this shoe lies within a larger lineup. It’s made to be a workhorse and it does the job as asked.

The Magnify Nitro 2 is Puma’s maximum cushion daily trainer and it does not disappoint. There are no tricks or gimmicks to make this shoe special, but it feels good, fits well and runs wonderfully.

The Ghost Max is an easy shoe to recommend for just about anyone. Just about anyone can head into their local running store and grab a pair of these shoes and walk out and get a few hundred good training miles in them. It will be a durable and steady shoe. It’s not flashy and lacks any bells or whistles, but it is built to get the job done.