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Sometimes, less is more.

Anyone who has ever run a marathon will tell you that training for and running a 26.2-mile race requires a shocking amount of gear. Energy gels, hydration vests, phone holders, muscle-warming layers—when you’re out on the road for hours on end, there’s actually a lot you need on hand to stay prepared. What’s less surprising? Among all of the stuff, the most important piece of marathon gear is your running shoes. After all, your feet are what will get you across the finish line—and your brain, lungs, heart, that cute dog at mile 18… ok there are a lot of factors at play, but you get it.

Of course, when it comes to marathon shoes, what works for one runner might not be the best fit (literally) for another. But there are a few things to consider when lacing up for the long run. I asked a few run coaches what to look for in the best marathon shoes, plus got recommendations from marathoners themselves. Here are the sneakers that will keep your feet happy and healthy, mile after mile.

Best marathon shoes, at a glance:

Nike Alphafly 3, $285
Brooks Glycerin GTS 21, $160
Asics Metaspeed Edge+, $250
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris, $250
Hoka Arahi 7, $145
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4, $250
Asics Gel Kayano 31, $165
On Cloudboom Strike, $280

What should you look for in marathon shoes?

This may seem like a non-answer, but the right marathon shoe for you is the one that you can run comfortably in for the entirety of the race.

“Your marathon shoes should feel good on your feet first and foremost—after all, you’ll be running 26.2 miles in them!,” says Sam Scaffidi, founder and head coach of Project Sweat Run Club. “Try a few different pairs in the running store, see what feels best upon lacing them up,” she adds. From there, consider the shoe’s stability, support, weight, heel-to-toe drop, and potentially a carbon fiber plate.

“The most important thing is feeling comfortable on race day,” echoes Emily Abbate, a 13-time marathoner, UESCA-certified run coach, and host of Hurdle podcast. “You want to eliminate anything that could bring unnecessary anxieties—research shows that injury is less likely when you’re feeling really confident and comfortable in what you’re wearing on your feet, regardless of your gait cycle. You don’t want to be thinking about something extra while you’re toeing the starting line.”

So while we list a handful of recommended marathon shoes below, finding a shoe is a personal task. Luckily, many running brands let you return or exchange your shoes, even after you’ve run in them. So try things out! It’s the only way to know what you really like.

8 excellent marathon shoes, according to marathon runners

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Nike Alphafly 3 — $285.00

Sizes: 5-12 | Colors: 4 | Drop: 8mm

You know when you hear about a car model and suddenly you see it everywhere? That’s how I’ve felt about the Alphafly 3. It’s one of the most popular marathon shoes right now (spot them on the feet of Peloton’s Tunde Oyeneyin during the 2024 Chicago Marathon) thanks to its full-length carbon plate and huge stack of foam. Weighing in at six ounces, it’s super lightweight, and the knit upper is breathable enough to keep your feet cool until the finish line.

What runners say: “I’m going to be wearing the Nike Alphafly 3 while running my 7th New York marathon this year. I’ve done plenty of runs in this shoe and I know that it makes me feel confident and ready to perform my best,” says Abbate.

“Nike Alphafly 3 is my current go-to, though I don’t use it for everyday training runs because you can only get 100 or so good miles out of them before they start to wear out (so I just wear them for 1-2 runs to break them in before stashing away for Race Day),” says Benton.

Pros: