Road Trail Run's Best of 2020 for Road Running..So Far!

THE BEST of 2020..So Far for Road Running

The RTR test team picks their favorites of 2020..So  Far.. 

Best of Trail to follow soon!

Article by Mac Jeffries, Jamie Hershfang, Micheal Ellenberger, Derek Li, Peter Stuart, Renee Kursemark, Jeff Beck, Nils Scharff, Jacob Brady, Ryan Eiler, Joost de Raeymaker, Don Reichelt and Sam Winebaum

Link to all our RTR reviews Here

Link to our reviewers bios HERE

Video version HERE

Please read on for the Winners!

Favorite Heavy Duty Trainer of 2020.. So Far!

Mac Jeffries	Asics Novablast- crazy cushion to weight ratio, great bounce
Jamie Hershfang	HOKA Clifton 6- soft, lightweight, and durable
Michael Ellenberger	Saucony Endorphin Shift. Seriously, for a trainer this “heavy,” the Shift can do it all. I’ve rolled long 20 milers and 55 minute 10-miles in these, and they handle it in stride (no pun intended). The Saucony Endorphin lineup is awesome - Speed and Pro included - but this is actually my favorite of the 3.
Derek LI	Saucony Endorphin Shift. It is easily the smoothest and most fun running shoe of its weight class from 2020, and feels way lighter than the scale says.
Peter Stuart	New Balance 1080v10 A great fitting, reliable and durable cushioned shoe that eats up the miles. I've put well over 400 miles on a pair and just moved to a new pair. A go to for easy days and long runs.
Renee Krusemark	NB88v10; it’s light enough to go at quicker speeds, yet cushiony and stable enough for longer, slow runs.
Jeff Beck	Nike React Infinity - Took some tinkering to get it dialed in (with a leather punch for extra holes to kill the heel slip), it's a solid shoe that doesn't do anything wrong. Comfortable upper, nice wide platform, and good outsole.
Nils Scharff	New Balance 1080v10 - I love, love, love my New Balance 1080v10! I ran most of my spring marathon block in the 1080s and they treated me so well. Leg saving, subtle rockered, bouncy, soft (but not too soft) - couldn't wish for a better shoe. I already have a second pair stocked under my bed. Technically it is a late 2019 shoe, but as release schedules for Germany are a bit behind compared to the US it is an early 2020 shoe for me.
Jacob Brady	Brooks Ghost 13: Plenty of outsole rubber to wear through, smooth ride, easy to run when legs are tired, comfortable on foot.
Ryan Eiler	Asics Novablast - Heavily cushioned to take a daily beating, yet tons of fun from the midsole's bounce.
Joost de Raeymaeker	Salomon Sonic 3 Accelerate - great ride, fantastic downhills, dampened but responsive.
Don Reichelt	New Balance 880v10 - It's soft, well cushioned, and seems to keep going mile after mile. It's on the heavier side for me, but I don't have a better "slow day" shoe in my rotation right now
Sam Winebaum	Saucony Endorphin Shift: Stable super cushioned yet responsive with a great forward rocker to toe off  Shift is steady and fast when you need it to be. And… Saucony Xodus 10 for the ultimate in heavy duty road to any trail versatility.

Favorite Daily Trainer of 2020.. So Far!

Jamie	HOKA Rincon- versatile for workouts, long runs, and everything in between
Michael	Skechers GoRun 7+ Hyper. What can I say? It’s actually trainer perfection. A well-fitting, breathable, comfortable upper: check. An insanely fun, bouncy, responsive midsole: check. Enough rubber on the outside to handle hundreds of miles: as we Minnesotans say, you betcha. Ignore the brand new (for those holdout anti-Skechites) and get the GoRun7+ Hyper before it’s too late.
Derek	New Balance FuelCell TC. Incredibly bouncy and fun ride than can handle a wide variety of paces. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t enjoy running in this shoe.
Peter	New Balance FuelCell TC. There's some magic in this shoe. It's cushioned, has a Carbon Plate, does great at speed (I'd consider racing a marathon in it)--and is also a really forgiving daily trainer. All around great shoe.
Renee	Brooks Revel 4; it’s cheap, versatile, and comfortable.
Jeff Beck	New Balance Fuel Cell TC - It's greater than the sum of its parts, and those parts are great. Soft midsole with a plate to avoid any mush, always fun to run in at any pace.
Nils	Saucony Kinvara 11 - If someone would force me to choose one shoe to run in for the rest of my life it would probably be the Kinvara 11. Light and fast enough for races and faster training, cushioned enough for longruns (ran my marathon PR in it!), comfortable enough for recovery runs. I would be concerned about durability for the rest of my life, but other than that this shoe is awesome!
Jacob	ASICS Novablast: awesome fun at all paces, super-bouncy, forgiving ride and fairly lightweight and durable.
Sally Reiley	New Balance Fuel Cell TC is a joy to run in! Feels so soft underfoot, but start running and it will respond with a fervor. The shoe of choice for me when I need a confidence boost.
Ryan	Saucony Ride 13 - High mileage daily trainer, with the personality of a lighter-weight tempo shoe. Comfort and fit of the upper is hard to beat.
Joost	Saucony Ride 13 - comfortable shoe with a great bouncy ride.
Don	Salming Enroute3 - WHAT A SHOE! I have been sleeping on Salming, but this shoe is springly, lively, and can do anything asked of it from slower long stuff, to uptempo.
Sam	FuelCell TC: a super fun to run combination of soft heel bounce and carbon plating in a tie with women’s version of the Pegasus 37, a more forgiving, smoother flavor of the classic.

Favorite Tempo Shoe of 2020

Jamie	Nike Vaporfly Next%- I use my old pair with over 100 miles to do long tempos in, it’s the shoe that does it all!
Michael	Atreyu (“Voyager”). This was a hard shoe to find a category for - the Atreyu team swears it can do it all, and I’m inclined to agree - but I find myself going back to the Atreyu more and more for those faster runs when keeping the weight off matters. My pair has north of 250 miles and is still kicking but darn if I don’t want to trade it in for a new colorway. You gotta look good to run fast!
Derek	Saucony Endorphin Speed. It is the most value for money performance trainer on the market, and I expect it to sell like hotcakes. Very smooth with a distinct springy ride and great propulsion from its nylon plate. It works well for easy runs too, but you just want to go faster with these shoes.
Peter	Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro. Both of these are great tempo shoes. They love to go fast and protect the feet while doing it. Speed is probably the shoe that will work for more people.
Renee	Still stuck on the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2. I haven’t tested a lot of shoes this year, so maybe exclude my response.
Jeff Beck	Nike Pegasus 37. First Peg of my career, and it's great. Firm but well cushioned, and the forefoot air bag gives it plenty of pop when it's time to speed up.
Nils	Saucony Kinvara 11 - Again! Did my last marathon block basically in a one-two-punch: 1080v10 for daily miles / long runs, Kinvara 11 for faster stuff. Recovery in both (never the same shoe 2 days in a row). It was perfect. PWRRUN really shines when you push the pace during threshold or interval sessions.
Jacob	Saucony Endorphin Pro: durable outsole rubber makes this potential race-only shoe a viable choice for speed days. Stable, bouncy, snappy ride makes it easy to run fast.
Sally	Actually a marathon shoe (but no racing) but the Saucony Endorphin Pro is a great shoe for the long fast miles. Love the forward propulsion of the rocker geometry, cushioned with a firm responsive pop.
Joost	Skechers Speed Elite - light and fast.
Don	Altra Escalante Racer! So lightweight and peppy. The firmer EGO foam is perfect for faster days compared to its bigger brother the Escalante.
Sam	Saucony Endorphin Speed: A rare shoe good for any distance tempo workout or run with ample cushion, super light weight with a propulsive yet forgiving plastic plate leading to a nice roll to toe off.

Favorite Short Distance Racer of 2020  .. So Far!

Mac	N/A
Jamie	N/A
Michael	Tough call - the Hyperion Elite, Endorphin Pro, MetaRacer, and Speed Elite all deserve consideration. Each has its pros and cons, to be sure - but I’m going to be a contrarian. I had some exceptional workouts in the Hyperion Elite, and am going to say that it I was racing 13.1 tomorrow, I might just pull these on. Firm? Oh yeah. Durable? Perhaps not (though I have more than 100 miles on my pair without considerable wear) - but there’s a definite carbon snappiness in this one that just works for me. It’s not a perfect shoe - its predecessor is on the way - but damn if it isn’t fun.
Derek	Skechers Speed Elite. I really like the unstructured upper and the super-aggressive forefoot rocker. I’ve used mine for short intervals so much the forefoot rubber is quite bald already.
Peter	Skechers Speed 6. This thing is a rocket. It's just padded enough to get through Half Marathons without any discomfort. It's light, it's super fast, turns over great. I prefer it to the Speed Elite.
Renee	Haven’t tried enough 2020 shoes in this category. I’m still running in the Turbo 2 and Reebok Fun Fast.
Jeff Beck	Saucony Endorphin Pro. It's lightweight and well cushioned, but feels dialed in for truly fast running (which for my slow self is ~7:00 per mile).
Nils	adidas Adizero Pro - adidas paired one of the best uppers I have ever experienced with the amazing propulsion of the Carbitex plate. Some would say it is too heavy for short races but I would buy the Carbitex plate every time for the price of a view grams! It's just fun!
Jacob	Skechers GOrun Speed Elite Hyper: Very light, no-frills design with a turnover-encouraging geometry like nothing else I've run.
Sally	N/A
Ryan	N/A
Joost	Reebok Floatride Fast London Pro - the cheaper version of the Run Fast Pro is a fantastic traditional racing flat with just enough of the right foam to make it work effortlessly.
Don	N/A
Sam	ASICS Metaracer:  elegant, sublimely fitting, carbon plated and bouncy, the sub 7 oz Metaracer is a forgiving “super race flat”.

Favorite Marathon Shoe of 2020.. So Far!

Mac J	Saucony Endorphin Pro- my size 14 is actually lighter than my Next%, smooth and explosive, better expected durability than N%
Jamie	Nike Vaporfly Next%- responsive and legal cheater shoes
Michael	ASICS MetaRacer. Is it the ideal marathon racer? Perhaps not - Nike’s Vaporfly Next% and elusive AlphaFly are undoubtedly top choices, and Saucony’s Endorphin Pro is knocking on the doorstep. But ASICS has crafted such a streamlined, efficient shoe with the MetaRacer, with a pitch-perfect upper and sufficient carbon-platedness to satisfy the most aggressive of marathon racers. I don’t know when my next 26.2 endeavor will be, but I hope to have the MetaRacer on my feet for it.
Derek	Saucony Endorphin Pro. Even stiffer propulsive carbon plate than the Endorphin Speed with a less structured upper. Very very smooth and efficient at marathon pace.
Peter	Are Marathons still a thing? If I had to race a marathon right now I might go for the Saucony Endorphin Pro. If the NB Fuel Cell was lighter I'd do that, but the Pro is pretty excellent.
Renee	Still the Vaporfly Next%, but I haven’t tried the 2020 carbon shoes, so that’s why.
Jeff Beck	Nike Vaporfly Next%. As much as I like the Endorphin Pro, the little bit of extra cushioning makes all the difference once you pass 20 miles.
Nils	Saucony Endorphin Pro - Running in the Endorphin Pro feels just effortless and smooth. It hasn't the extremely fast feel of the Vaporfly or the Adizero Pro, but it runs as fast anyways - just more subtle. In addition the leg saving abilities of PWRRUN PB + Speedroll are amazing. I ran my half marathon PR in them in the middle of a "climb at least one mountain every day - hiking vacation" and haven't felt any soreness or tired legs the day after. Pair this performance with an outstanding upper and a lovely Miami Dolphins design and you definitely have a classic on your hand!
Jacob	New Balance FuelCell TC: tough call on this once since the TC is heavier than I'd want for a marathon (would still choose the Vaporfly, which isn't 2020), but the other contender the Saucony Endorphin Pro doesn't have the leg-saving, effortless running feel that the TC does. With races canceled since early 2020 the TC is the only shoe I've run the marathon distance in in 2020, and though not a race environment I loved them–felt fresh and finished with my fastest miles.
Sally	no marathons to race, but the Nike Vaporfly Next % would still be my shoe! Results speak volumes - I run my fastest in these "magic slippers"
Ryan	Saucony Endorphin Pro - Forgiving but explosive cutting-edge midsole; a serious Nike Alphafly competitor.
Joost	Saucony Endorphin Pro - fantastic upper, speedy shoe that rolls you off your toes and keeps you going. Bouncy but not too soft or too harsh.
Don	N/A
Sam	Endorphin Speed or VF OG: Still not sure the Speed will replace my beloved baby blue 2016 Vaporfly,

Absolute Favorite Run Shoe.. So Far! 

Jeff Mac	Saucony Endorphin Pro
Jamie	Nike Vaporfly Next%- best feeling shoe I’ve been in, makes me want to run forever.
Michael	It’s between the Atreyu and the GoRun 7+ Hyper, and while I love what the band in Austin is doing (no one has more fun making running shoes, I guarantee that!), I genuinely cannot deny that I’ve called the 7+ the perfect trainer. It truly has it all - that Hyperburst snappiness with a carefully crafted upper. Buy the Atreyu - support a running startup - and round out your arsenal with the Skechers. You won’t be disappointed.
Derek	Saucony Endorphin Speed. I’ve only been using this shoe for 2 months and despite all the reviewing we’ve been doing, I’ve clocked about 200 miles in these shoes already, because I keep reaching for them to the point I need to restrict myself so they don’t wear out before July 1st. Just an overall fun springy ride, and as I mentioned earlier, incredibly good value for money.
John T	Skechers Forza 4 - it is my favorite all-around road shoe because it has stable and smooth transitioning ride with well structured foot security, and is very lightweight
Peter	New Balance Fuel Cell TC. It's the most fun shoe I have right now and can handle any sort of run. Runners up. Altra Torin 4 for daily trainer, Hoka Rincon 2--racking up all sorts of very comfortable miles, Brooks Revel 4 for a simple, efficient daily trainer.
Renee	I’m new to RTR and I probably haven’t tested enough this year to give a good response.
Jeff Beck	Still early, but right now the FuelCell TC has the top spot. It has a higher smile to time run factor of any shoe I've run in.
Nils	Saucony Endorphin Pro - I have to go with the Endorphin Pro as the first real competition to whatever marathon racer Nike has thrown at us in the last years. I applaud Saucony for putting together such a perfectly finetuned racer. At the same time they raised the bar for durability (for comparable shoes) and lowered the price. Well done!
Jacob	New Balance FuelCell TC: Comfortable, fun, and fast ride with a lightweight and accommodating upper. The TC has the most effortless running feel. Nearly perfect do-it-all road shoe and my favorite long run shoe of all time.
Sally	Saucony Endorphin Speed - fits like a glove, peppy, the miles literally roll along. The rocker just keeps you running at a quick pace, smiles on your face.
Ryan	Saucony Endorphin Pro - The newest contender in the 'super shoe' category proves that Saucony has the chops to stay at the technological forefront of racing shoes. From the fit to the next-level ride, expectations were high, and this did not disappoint.
Joost	Saucony Endorphin Pro - it just feels easy to go fast and basically, I smile inside when I run in them.
Don	Salming Enroute 3 - Just does everything so well. It's simple yet fantastic.
Sam	FuelCell TC: a big smiles, soft yet with carbon plate, fun to run shoe that can tackle any kind of run from easier training to racing.

	Apparel	Run Accessories
Jamie	Rabbit Love how breathable and loose fitting it is. Great for the hot weather days and casual wear	Nathan Speedshot Plus Insulated (18 oz)- hydration on the run has been key to feeling good on all the hot runs. It’s big enough to store GUs for long runs and useful for any run over 45 minutes
Peter	Tracksmith Twilight Split short and Tracksmith Reggie LIned Half tight. Fit great, feel great, run great, look great.	Maurten Caffienated Gel. Tastes good, gets the job done.
Renee	Tracksmith Split Shorts because they fit well, the inner-liner is comfortable, and the split (although a bit revealing) allows for air on hot days.	Salomon Active Skin Set 8. I don’t need much for a pack, and the Active Skin offers a smaller option. The back can hold a 1.5L bladder and the front soft flasks carry 500ml each. That’s enough water for my long runs. The front pocket areas can carry my phone, a knife, gels, keys, a lot. If I don’t use the back bladder, I can fit a small pair of shoes back there to switch while trail running (granted I wear a women’s size 8 shoe). The Active Skin 8 disappears while wearing and it is a great option for me as compared to larger packs because I’m not a big runner.
Jeff Beck	Tie between Lululemon Pacebreaker short and TASC Performance Carrollton t-shirt. Shorts are comfortable and breathable, have ample pockets for Gu trash on long days, and have a built in liner with a thigh pocket for phone. Shirt is made from bamboo and is comfortable wet or dry, and even when drenched with sweat there's zero chafing.	Kogalla Ra light set. If you run at night there's nothing better than effectively having a car headlight mounted on your chest or wherever you want it. I paced a friend during the late stages of a 100K, and I received numerous bribes from other runners to abandon him and light their way instead. The Ra made me a beacon on the trail.
Nils	The North Face "Better Than Naked Shorts" - I finally got my hands on these shorts and it just feels amazing. First shorts I have which can handle 5+ gels easily (which was the reason I bought them) and wears just comfortable at the same time. runinrabbit Champ Lite Singlet - Quite expensive for a singlet (at least here in Europe) but totally worth it's money. If you want something that keeps you cool and comfortable on race day - don't look any further. The green colourway I have just glows!	Buff Run Cap - As I haven't purchased a new watch or anything like that I count this awesome little peice from Buff as a accessory. The Run Cap is just light and comfortable and protects you well from the sun. In addition it's super packable and can just disappear in your pocket / west when you reach some shadow. Plus it looks cool worn casually!
Sally	Tracksmith Run Bra - sorry, fellas, this is for the gals. This is the most comfortable sports bra I have run in - no chafe, no ride up, forget you are wearing it. Longer torso than most, and not the coolest, but amazingly comfortable for those who don't require a whole lot of support. Also Oiselle Lux Long Sleeve - favorite running top for the colder months, cozy enough to wear every day after running. Buttery soft fabric, essential thumb holes. Plus mine is made extra special because it is embroidered with the Heartbreak logo :)	Buffs! Not a favorite, but a necessity. Masks are challenging for running, but the lightweight Buff works well - pull it up over nose and mouth when another runner or walker approaches.
Ryan	Tracksmith Twilight Short - Game-changing internal liner, and handy pockets.	Gore Wear Infinium Jacket - High quality materials, and cut perfectly for running.
Ryan	Tracksmith Twilight shorts and half Reggie half tights and Rabbit Take me to the gun show perforated singlets.
Joost	TRACKSMITH! You can tell a lot about a brand based on the liner in their shorts. Tracksmith clearly spent time on their and my sensitive bits thank them.	My favorite all time accessory is still the Stryd power meter. Flawless and consistent, even though I’m not a power junkie.
Sam	Tracksmith Twilight Shorts 5" (Best shorts ever, fit like nothing on), Odlo Blackcomb Pro T and Zeroweight Dual DryJacket, (super light-Swiss comfort and design engineering to the max) Buff Run Trek Cap (close to a hundred runs and like new), GoreWear R7 Visor (captures all sweat)	Any Polar watch and really liking Grit X now

Link to all our RTR reviews Here

Link to all our reviewers bios HERE

Read reviewers' full run bios here. 

The product reviewed was a provided at no charge. The opinions herein are the authors'.

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