Over five months, I evaluated shoes from On, Nike, Adidas, Hoka and more to find out which belong on your next road or trail run

• The 13 best pairs of women’s shoes for the office, vetted by style professionals

• Our top running essentials for beating the heat

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Finding the right running shoes is overwhelming if you’re not sure what to look for. Footwear can make or break your run, and there are a sea of options – from sleek carbon-plated racers to aggressive rubber-lugged trail runners.

As a lifelong athlete whose running ranges from holiday-themed 5Ks to trail races in the mountains, I’ve learned that footwear is the most important part of a runner’s gear setup. I am constantly looking for the best pair of shoes to help each run feel enjoyable.

All our running shoe picks, in detail

How I tested women’s running shoes

Other running shoes we tested

Running shoe questions you may have (and our answers!)