Nike is named after the Greek goddess of triumph, and this North American firm is one of the largest and most well-known running shoe brands in the world, partially due to its well-known motto, "Just do it." So it's not surprising that, since the groundbreaking Waffle Trainer in 1973 and the Air Max in 1987, Nike has continued to produce shoes worn by the world's fastest runners, including Britain's Mo Farah, who won Olympic gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m in 2012 and 2016, and Paula Radcliffe, who held the women's marathon world record from 2002 to 2016. Since 2014, Nike has also served as the official clothing supplier for British Athletics.

For runners, the brand is presently focused on the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next shoe, a collaboration with world record marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, who ran the only sub-two-hour marathon under carefully controlled and regulated conditions utilizing a team of pacers in 2019. He donned a pair of prototypes that made him 4% more energy efficient thanks to their winning blend of carbon fiber and foam, as well as air pods under the shoe sole for greater energy return per step. Nike's notable models are the Nike Air Force 1 basketball sneakers and the Nike Air Max, Flyknit, and Pegasus running trainers.

Founded: 1964

Headquarters: Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.

Official website: https://www.nike.com/

Adidas, along with fierce competition from Nike, is one of the greatest road running shoe companies available. When it comes to road and trail running, you can't leave out Adidas' Terrex line. Adi (Adolf) Dassler of Barvaria, Germany, was the first to register the brand Adidas and the three stripes in 1949. Adi created the football studs that enabled Germany's national soccer team to defeat Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final, and Adidas quickly became a household name in creative shoe technology. Adidas even put a tiny computer in the Micropacer shoe in 1984 to calculate performance statistics, which was far ahead of its time.

Nowadays, Adidas continues to develop and preserve its position as one of the greatest running shoe brands. Their Ultraboost debuted in 2015, using cutting-edge NASA technology, and was dubbed "the greatest running shoe ever" by the brand (which is obviously not biased). Its white, welded energy capsules are designed for comfort and provide 20% more energy return than conventional EVA rubber. They have gained popularity not just among runners but also among pop singers and fashionistas.

Founded: 1924
Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany

Official website: https://www.adidas.com/

If you have overpronation and require a more supportive shoe to avoid injury and pain on your runs, Brooks makes an excellent variety of sneakers, including ones with a wide fit and ones with greater support for runners. "Overpronation occurs when the arch of your foot drops when your foot strikes the ground," says Brooks. Fortunately, they supply a wide variety of shoes to address this issue. You can also search their site by size, price, width, and experience level, which is quite helpful in narrowing it down because, as a long-standing business, they have a large number of shoes on the site.

Unfortunately, they no longer sell their original products. They also claim to have invented the front bumper on roller skates in 1929, as well as baseball cleats and football studs at about the same time. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS has been a cornerstone of the stability shoe market since 1999, and it is currently one of the most popular road running shoes for runners looking for a flexible and versatile, lightweight training shoe. Consider the Cascadia 16 as one of the best road-to-trail running shoes, as well as the Ghost 14.

Founded: 1914

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Official website: https://www.brooksrunning.com/

Running shoes are unique and distinctive due to their 'cloud pod' domes under the sole for maximum bounce. The team, which was founded in 2010 in the Swiss Alps by three friends (including retired three-time World Duathlon Champion and serial Ironman winner Olivier Bernhard), intended to make running as enjoyable as possible by creating the "ideal running sensation." On Running ranks 4th on the list of the largest running shoe brands by revenue.

The team has continued to develop a wide selection of shoes for road, trail, and extreme running, all featuring some variation of that trademark sole. The Cloudracer was the company's first shoe, and it was regarded as "a groundbreaking running shoe" by the Wall Street Journal. Triathlete Nicola Spirig, who was sponsored by the firm, won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and a silver medal in 2016 while using On Running shoes, while Frederik Van Lierde won the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, while wearing the brand's debut shoe.

Founded: 2010
Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

Official website: https://on-running.com/

Hoka One One is perhaps most famous for its 2009 push into maximally cushioned shoes, which followed the big craze for minimal or barefoot shoes in the 2000s. Former Salomon employees created the company, and "One One signifies 'fly over the world' in Maori. They were attempting to create a shoe for quicker downhill running, which explains the huge outsole of their first shoe, the Mafate, which featured two to three times the cushioning of most other running shoes while being remarkably lightweight. Imagine platform shoes from the 1970s, but for running.

Contrary to common perception, many Hoka shoes have a low or zero drop (the difference in height between the heel and toe) and are meant to foster a more natural stride. Hoka has expanded its product line to include a wide variety of brightly colored shoes for trail and road running, as well as hiking and walking. These are particularly popular among ultrarunners due to their high cushioning, great rebound bounce, and lightweight nature.

Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Goleta, California, U.S.

Official website: https://www.hoka.com/en/us/

Salomon is well known in the trail running world for their gripping Speedcross multi-terrain shoes, but it began as a ski equipment firm in 1947, creating skis and bindings in the heart of the Alps in Annecy, France. In the 1960s, they developed the first binding with a self-release heel. Over the next three decades, they established themselves as world champions in ski manufacturing before debuting hiking shoes in 1992 and quickly moving into the adventure racing and trail running shoe and gear arenas.

It quickly gathered an excellent roster of sponsored athletes, including burgeoning Catalan star Kilian Jornet, who established a new Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc record in 2008, and highly gifted Emelie Forsberg, who represented Salomon as Skyrunning World Champion in 2013. This pair has since left the business to form their own firm, Nnormal (which will be available later this year), but Salomon remains at the forefront of trail running innovation with its athlete-designed S-Lab range. Salomon's original and best-selling trail running shoe, the Speedcross, has now entered its sixth edition. The Sense Ride 4 is a less grippy road-to-trail shoe, and the S-Lab collection includes top-tier trail running shoes for athletes at the pinnacle of their ability.

Founded: 1947
Headquarters: Annecy, France

Official website: https://www.salomon.com/

Inov-8 ranks 7th on the list of the largest running shoe brands by revenue. Inov-8 is best known for its lightweight, high-grip shoes, which cater to rugged fell runners in the UK's muddy, wet highlands. Established in 2003 in the Lake District, it has now expanded into trail, ultra, cross-fit, and road running shoes and has most recently teamed with the University of Manchester to bring graphene to the shoe arena, making its shoes more grippy and durable than before.

The ultra-gripping MudRoc 290 was the first Inov-8 shoe, brought to fame in 2003 by Melissa Moon of New Zealand, who won the women's World Mountain Running Trophy in Alaska with a pair borrowed just before the event. The MudClaw shoes have to be some of the most gripping shoes on the market; the RocLites are an excellent classic multi-terrain shoe; and the X-Talons fit the ultra-running slot for long-distance bog-hoppers. Inov-8 ambassador athletes include double Bob Graham record holder Nicky Spinks, Pennine Way and South West Coast Path record holder Damian Hall, and Jasmin Paris, the outright champion of the 268-mile winter Spine Race until recently.

Founded: 2001
Headquarters: Staveley, UK

Official website: https://www.inov-8.com/

Decathlon, the outdoor sports superstore, is the ideal location to get a good deal on a pair of road or trail running shoes, with their own brand of Kalenji adult road running shoes beginning at just £12.99! They also sell discount brands like Adidas, Asics, and Salomon. Kalenji running shoes may not have all the bells and whistles of your carbon-plated Nike Air Zooms or your ultra-durable, grippy, graphene-enhanced Inov-8s, but they will let you run without breaking the bank, with none of their own-brand shoes costing more than £60.

Decathlon is a family-owned corporation created in 1976 in Lille, France, by Michel Leclercq. He believes that everyone should be able to participate in sports and enjoy the outdoors. He wants their design to be "smart, stylish, and inexpensive," and his credo is to "guide customers as if they were our closest friends." The cheapest adult running shoes are the £12.99 Kalenji Run 100, a lightweight type suitable for weekly runs of up to 10km. The Kiprun Ultralight is £60 for the more serious runner, and the Evadict is the same price for trail running.

Founded: 2004
Headquarters: Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France

Official website: https://www.kalenji.co.uk/

Topo ranks 9th on the list of the largest running shoe brands by revenue. Many runners need a bigger toe box, and there are two brands dedicated to meeting this requirement: Altra and Topo. Topo offers a small selection of zero- or 5-mm-drop road and trail running shoes with a noticeably altered foot shape around the toes. For many runners, slipping their foot into a Topo shoe and feeling their little toe not be squished cruelly against the others is a breath of fresh air.

The shoes are ideal for trails that require less support and have a good ground feel, allowing the foot to respond freely and rapidly to the uneven terrain below. The Mountain Racer 2 is a terrific 5mm drop trail running shoe for individuals with wide feet, as is its 5mm drop sister, the Cyclone road shoe. The Magnifly 4 is a zero-drop road shoe that you should ease into if you're not used to the lack of stack under your heel.

Founded: 2012
Headquarters: Massachusetts, U.S.

Official website: https://www.topoathletic.com/

Altra is the only other running brand that caters particularly to the demands of wide-toed runners. They design trail, road, and lifestyle shoes with a bigger toe box, which allows the foot to spread out more naturally with a straight big toe, lowering the chances of bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis. The underfoot padding of Altra shoes ranges from 21mm to 33mm, but every single shoe also has zero drops, which they claim "encourages superior running technique and promotes appropriate form to reduce impact by three to five times."

Drop is the height difference between the heel and toe, and Zero Drop is the heel that is the same distance from the ground as the forefoot. It does seem strange that we put a higher cushion under our heel in a standard pair of trainers, yet we're intended to walk and run with our entire foot. But if you've been healed for most of your life, your body will be acclimated to running with the heel at a different angle, so make the change to zero-drop shoes slowly (1-2 years) to avoid straining or injury to your Achilles and calf muscles.

Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Logan, Utah, U.S.

Official website: https://www.altrarunning.com/