Best shoes of 2022. It’s funny, what’s best for me isn’t best for you. We all have different shoe tastes, so it’s impossible to find the best of anything. Yet, my blogging of 2022 doesn’t feel complete unless I do the best road shoe of 2022 post.
If you missed the Top 5 Road Shoes of 2022 (So Far), I wrote in June. Of course, many people will say that the Nike Vaporfly or Nike Alphafly is the best shoe of 2022 because they PRed in it. They are great shoes, but they aren’t for everyone.
What are the Best Road Shoes of 2022?
High Cushion:
Saucony Triumph 20:
I think it’s one of the best high-cushioned shoes. It’s lightweight yet responsive. I’ve run 15-minute miles and 7-minute miles. It has a good range but doesn’t feel heavy on your feet. I should have a review by now since I’ve already put 200 miles on it, but it’s been a busy week.
It’s not a secret. I like high-cushioned shoes. Like the Triumph, the Brooks Glycerin 20 can do almost everything. If I were to give an award for most models of one shoe bought, it would be the Brooks Glycerin 20. Since the Glycerin 20 (and Glycerin Stealthfit) came out in June, I’ve already gone through 4 pairs (because I found myself wearing it for almost every easy run). The Glycerin has always been a staple shoe for me, but the responsiveness of the Glycerin 20 has made it a powerhouse.
On running has done great things in the past year. If you had told me On would be a powerhouse brand towards the end of 2022, I would not have believed you. But they have continued to improve. The On Cloudmonster is one of my favorite high-cushioned shoes. Plus, it’s my mom’s favorite shoe for walking the dog…which says something.
Regular Cushion:
Truthfully, I didn’t know if there would ever be a shoe that could take on the Brooks Ghost in popularity. What makes On CloudGo great is that On got rid of the pods at the bottom. There are still pods, but they aren’t the same as other On shoes and don’t pick up rocks and debris. It’s finally a shoe I enjoy running in the desert.
Reebok is underrated, in my opinion. While they don’t make a lot, they make several different running shoes that are cheaper than many other brands. The Reebok Floatride 4 is a durable trainer that only costs $110 (seriously, remember when $110 was the norm?).
Workout and Race Shoes:
In a world of high stack height and carbon-plated racers, the Nike Streakfly is much lower and has no carbon plate (just a lot of foam). It’s designed for 5k-10k or those who don’t want all that stack height in a shoe. I’m a fan, and I hope this is a shoe trend we see more of!
It was surprising when Altra made a carbon-plated shoe. The Altra Carbon Vanish only has a 3/4 carbon plate and a much lower stack height. This makes it perfect for someone who doesn’t do well with a higher stack height or more foam. I appreciate how responsive it is.
These are just a few of the best running shoes of 2023. Is it a comprehensive list? Of course not, and what works for me might not work for you. I looked at the boots to see if they had any significant updates and how the general public responded to the shoe.
Love running? You can subscribe to my weekly newsletter or read more about running shoes in my ebook.
Questions for you:
What was your favorite shoe of 2022?
What was your least favorite shoe?
Holly, I would love to see a newsletter about all the fuss surrounding the Nike alphafly and vaporfly shoes…I recently was in a largecity close to me, and I was unable to try any of these because they were out of stock… would love to know people thoughts about what it’s like to wear these; how much time did they save you; which is best for half-marathon, marathon, etc.
Hey Johnny!! You might enjoy a newsletter back in September that went through carbon plated shoes! https://fueledbylolz.substack.com/p/lolzletter-187-an-updated-list-of
Let me know if you have any questions and happy holidays!