Three short guides built from our shoe finder data and independent RunRepeat lab tests. Jump to running shoes for wide feet, carbon shoes for the marathon or trail shoes for ultras. Or let the shoe finder pick your shoe in two minutes.
Running shoes for wide feet
If your shoes often pinch at the little toe, or the upper bulges out at the side, you probably need a wider shoe. Width is not just a feeling: independent lab tests by RunRepeat measure the inner width of every shoe at its widest point and the width of the toe box. Our average across road shoes is 95 mm inside and 72 mm at the toe box. The shoes below are clearly wider.
Not sure what fits you? Our shoe finder asks for your foot width and removes narrow shoes automatically. Or measure your foot in store at Niederdorfstrasse 20 in Zürich and try them on.
Mount To Coast C1
Inner width 3 mm above average, toe box 73 mm, drop 7 mm
The widest road shoe we measured. Mount To Coast builds all its shoes on a roomy last, made for long road runs and multi day efforts where feet swell.
Mount To Coast R1
Wide last, built for road marathons and road ultras
Same generous fit as the C1, but lighter and livelier for long road races. Justin Montague ran 1374 km from John o' Groats to Land's End in one pair.
Adidas Adistar BYD 2
Toe box 74 mm, one of the roomiest forefoots on the road
A cushioned long run shoe with plenty of space for the toes. Good for easy kilometres and marathon training when the forefoot needs room.
Adidas Hyperboost Run
Toe box 74 mm, inner width 2 mm above average
A versatile daily trainer with a wide forefoot, for runs from 5 to 21 km.
Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Inner width 2 mm above average, light and fast
Rare for a fast shoe: race day foam with a forefoot that does not pinch. For tempo runs and races up to the half marathon.
Nike Zegama 2
Toe box 76 mm, the roomiest trail shoe we measured
Lots of cushioning and lots of space for the toes on long mountain runs, from 20 km up to ultra distance.
Nike ACG Zegama Trail GTX
Toe box 75 mm, waterproof
The waterproof option for wide feet in wet and wintry conditions, for 10 to 40 km.
Arc'teryx Norvan LD 4
Generous fit, long distance mountain shoe
A durable long distance trail shoe with a roomy fit, also available with a Gore Tex membrane.
Better avoided with wide feet
These shoes measured clearly narrower than average: Nike Zoom Fly 6, Nike Pegasus Premium, Nike Vaporfly 4, Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 and Salomon S/LAB Ultra V2. Salomon shoes in general run narrow to medium.
Carbon running shoes for the marathon
A carbon plate combined with a light, springy foam saves energy with every step, which adds up over 42 km. These shoes pay off most at 4:30 per kilometre or faster. If you run slower, or land heavily on your heel, a cushioned trainer is often the better marathon shoe.
Energy return values come from independent RunRepeat lab tests. Our shoe finder narrows the list down to your pace, feel and foot width, and you can try every model in store at Niederdorfstrasse 20 in Zürich.
Nike Alphafly 3
218 g (men's), drop 8 mm, energy return 74 %
Nike's marathon specialist with Air Zoom pods up front. Kelvin Kiptum set the marathon world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago 2023 in a prototype, and Jacob Kiplimo won Chicago 2025.
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4
201 g (men's), drop 6 mm, energy return 80 %, the highest in our range
Sheila Chepkirui won the New York City Marathon 2026 in it, and Rosemary Wanjiru won Berlin 2025. Energy rods instead of a full plate give a smooth, rolling ride.
Nike Vaporfly 4
190 g (men's), drop 6 mm, energy return 75 %
Lighter and lower than the Alphafly, the all rounder from 5 km to the marathon. Runs narrow.
On Cloudboom Strike 2
191 g, drop 5 mm, energy return 76 %
On's newest marathon super shoe. Its predecessor carried Hellen Obiri to wins in Boston 2024 and New York 2025.
Hoka Cielo X1 3.0
Stack 44 mm, drop 7 mm, energy return 70 %
The most cushioned shoe in this list, with a strong rocker. Alex Masai ran 2:04:37 for third in Chicago 2025 in a prototype.
On Cloudboom Volt
210 g, drop 5 mm
Made for fast 10 km, half marathon and marathon races.
Salomon S/LAB Phantasm 2
210 g, drop 9 mm, made in France
A firmer, more direct racer for runners who like to feel the road.
Nike Zoom Fly 6
265 g, drop 8 mm, carbon plate
The carbon trainer: heavier and more durable, for long runs with marathon pace parts.
Trail running shoes for ultras
From 50 km on, your shoe needs more than grip: cushioning that lasts for many hours, protection on rocky ground, an upper that stays comfortable when your feet swell, and an outsole that survives hundreds of kilometres. Every shoe below is built for 50 km or more, and most of them have proven it in the big ultras.
Our shoe finder narrows the list down to your feel, landing and foot width. Try them on in store at Niederdorfstrasse 20 in Zürich.
Norda 055
286 g (men's), drop 6 mm, stack 39 mm
Max cushioned and stable on any terrain. Rachel Entrekin won the Cocodona 250 outright in 2026 in it, as the first woman ever, and reached the UTMB podium the same year.
Norda 001A
268 g (men's), drop 5 mm, Vibram Litebase sole, Dyneema upper
Built to last for hundreds of kilometres, from 20 km to 100 miles. Also available as G+ with a waterproof upper.
Nike ACG Ultrafly
287 g, drop 8.5 mm, carbon plate, energy return 69 %
The carbon option for fast ultras. Caleb Olson won Western States 100 in 2025 in a prototype and finished third at UTMB 2026 in the Ultrafly.
On Cloudultra Pro
261 g (men's), drop 6 mm, stack 36 mm, plate
On's ultra racer. Baptiste Chassagne reached the UTMB podium in 2026, and Katie Schide won the Madeira Island Ultra Trail 115 km in 2025.
Mount To Coast M1
275 g (men's), drop 4 mm, stack 39 mm
Made for 50 km and more, with a roomy fit for swollen feet late in the race. Manu Vilaseca finished third at the Tor des Géants 2026 (336 km) wearing the M1 the whole way.
Salomon S/LAB Ultra V2
290 g, drop 8 mm, stack 36 mm
Developed with François d'Haene for 50 km to 100 miles. Precise and narrow, with grip and protection to the finish.
Hoka Mafate 5
332 g (men's), drop 8 mm, stack 43 mm
The most cushioned and protective shoe in this list, for long, technical mountain days.
Hoka Speedgoat 7
275 g (men's), drop 5 mm, stack 38 mm
The classic all rounder with Vibram Megagrip, from 10 km to ultra distance.
Arc'teryx Norvan LD 4
270 g (men's), drop 6 mm, roomy fit
Durable and roomy, for long training days and ultras up to 100 km.
Try them in Zürich
Run Store Zurich, Niederdorfstrasse 20, 8001 Zürich. Monday to Friday 11:00 to 19:00, Saturday 10:00 to 18:00. Bring your old shoes: their wear tells us a lot about your stride.