361 DEGREES 361-ELEOS

Price: $145 Type: Cushioned Trainer

Weight: 9.2 oz (M), 7.5 oz (W) Drop: 6 mm

THE ELEOS MAY have been the biggest surprise of 2024. And, if we were giving out a "Best Buy" award, this one would be a front-runner because of the shoe's combination of versatility and cost. It's a chunky-looking shoe, with an exceptionally broad slab of foam, but don't be deceived by the appearance. In testing, we found the shoe to be relatively lightweight, well-balanced, and incredibly lively underfoot.

Our testers favorably compared it to the Asics Superblast 2, as much for its looks as for its performance. But while that shoe is firmly in "illegal" territory with a heel stack height of just over 45mm (World Athletics caps a shoe's height at 40mm), the Eleos's 36mm heel falls within regulation. Never mind that nobody is winning a major marathon in either of these shoes; you may find yourself lacing them up for just about every other run.

"I like the cushioning that the shoe provides, without it feeling overly clunky like some high-cushion shoes," said one RW shoe tester who has run a sub-4-minute mile. "I also liked that my foot felt secure in the shoe without feeling too tight."

The secret to that cushioning is a supercritical blend of EVA and PEBA foams, giving you durable reliability along with lightweight responsiveness. You're sure to find that the platform feels capable at a variety of speeds and delivers the protection you want, whether you're at the end of a long run or 300 miles into the shoe's life.

The midsole also delivers a surprising amount of stability, in large part because of the extra-broad sole-even small-footed runners will be leaving behind massive footprints. However, it didn't feel too wide on the run. I often kick my own ankles or heel collar when I run, but it was never an issue in the Eleos.