Running Shoes vs Training Shoes: What a New Runner Should Wear
Training shoes and cross trainers are built flat and firm for lifting and side-to-side moves; running shoes are built to cushion forward strides. Here's which you need for Couch to 5K, and when you need both.
RTINGS rated its stability 8.4/10 and calls it a stable, grounded shoe for daily runs, with enough cushion for shorter, easier runs: a good fit for Couch to 5K's session lengths.
RTINGS calls it an affordable shoe for walking, gym work and some running, and very stable, but also inadequately cushioned. Only for short runs if it must double as a gym shoe.
The two shoe types solve opposite problems. A training shoe is built flatter and firmer to keep your foot stable and controlled during gym work and side-to-side movement. A running shoe is built to cushion repeated forward landings, run after run. The features that make one good at its job make it worse at the other's, which is why the usual answer for anyone who does both is two pairs.
Running shoes vs training shoes: the design differences
Feature
Running shoes
Training shoes
Source
Heel-to-toe drop
Nike describes traditional running shoes as 10 mm or more; our three picks list 8 mm
Training shoes, cross trainers and gym shoes: the same thing?
Close enough for this decision. Nike uses "training shoes" for shoes built for gym work, classes and lifting. The AAOS, the US orthopedic surgeons' academy, describes a cross-training shoe as one "designed to take you from sport to sport with one pair of shoes" (OrthoInfo). Either way, the shoe is a generalist built for stability across many movements, and both sources draw the same line at running: Nike on cushioning, the AAOS on distance.
That also answers the "running shoes vs cross trainers" question. The AAOS draws its line at running volume (more than 4 to 5 miles a day) and at frequency (any single sport more than twice a week deserves its own shoe). A plan with three running sessions a week crosses the second line from week 1.
Can you run in training shoes?
You can, but for a running plan it isn't recommended. Nike says training shoes can be heavier and more cumbersome and don't have sufficient cushioning for running. The AAOS sets the limit at 4 to 5 miles a day for cross-training shoes and advises that if you do a single sport more than two times a week, you should buy a shoe designed for that sport. The NHS Couch to 5K plan is three runs a week, and its kit list asks for running shoes that support your feet (NHS).
To be straight about the evidence, a 2022 Cochrane review of running shoes and injury found no trials comparing running shoes with non-running shoes. The advice here rests on shoe design and expert guidance rather than a trial, and we won't claim that any shoe prevents injury.
Can you lift or do classes in running shoes?
Nike's answer is that running shoes don't provide enough stability and support for lateral movements. The soft, cushioned midsole that makes a running shoe comfortable over distance is the opposite of the firm, flat platform Nike describes for training shoes. If your gym sessions involve heavy lifting, jumping or quick side-to-side moves, use training shoes for those and keep your running shoes for running.
There's one exception worth knowing: RTINGS describes the Brooks Revel 9 as an affordable shoe for walking, gym work and some running, and rates it as very stable. The catch is that RTINGS also calls it inadequately cushioned, with a harsh midsole that RTINGS says can leave legs beat up even after a short run. It's a compromise, not a solution, and we'd only suggest it if your running stays short and the gym is your main activity.
What this means for Couch to 5K
The NHS plan schedules three runs a week with a rest day between each, building from 1-minute runs in week 1 to a 30-minute run in week 9, with 5-minute walks either side. That's regular, repeated forward running, the job running shoes are built for. One pair of running shoes covers every session.
If you also go to the gym or do classes on your non-running days, you'll want both types, and that doesn't go away when you finish. Hal Higdon's Novice 10K, a common next step, schedules cross-training days alongside its three runs a week. Running shoes on run days, training shoes on cross-training days, is a simple rule that works for both plans.
When you choose the running pair, the fit checks are the same as for anyone: Cleveland Clinic's guide says to leave a thumb's width in front of your longest toe, with a snug heel and no pressure across the midfoot. More in our running shoe size guide.
Which shoe on which day
If you run and train, it helps to see the two pairs mapped onto a real week. Here's how that looks for Couch to 5K and for the Novice 10K plan many people move on to, using each plan's published structure:
Plan
Running days (running shoes)
Other days (training shoes, if you train)
NHS Couch to 5K
Three runs a week, with a rest day between each
The days between runs; the NHS says rest days give your body time to recover
Hal Higdon Novice 10K
Three runs a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday in the published schedule)
Two cross-training days (Wednesday and Saturday), plus two rest days
The NHS is clear that rest days matter: it says they give your body time to recover and are just as important as the runs themselves. So if you add gym sessions to Couch to 5K, keep them sensible and don't let them crowd out recovery. The shoe rule is simple either way: running shoes when you run, including on the treadmill, and training shoes for lifting and classes. Keeping each pair to its own job also means your running shoes' mileage reflects your running, which makes it easier to judge when they need replacing.
Three running shoes, side by side
All three are neutral, plate-free running shoes badged for Couch to 5K. Each value links to its source.
Figures as published by the maker or the named reviewer; each value links to its source. A dash means the figure isn't in our cited sources.
The Velocity Nitro 5 and Revel 9 are the lower, firmer options: RTINGS measured heels of 35.0 mm and 33.8 mm respectively, and rated both highly for stability. The Novablast 6 is the tall, soft one, with a 41.9 mm lab-measured heel. All three list an 8 mm drop and come in a wide option.
Level by level
Gym only, no running plan: training shoes. Nothing here changes that.
Couch to 5K (C25K): running shoes for the three weekly runs; training shoes for any gym days.
First 10K: the same two-pair setup, since Hal Higdon's Novice 10K adds cross-training days to its three runs a week.
Half marathon and up: running mileage grows, and a second running shoe may join the rotation. Our running shoe rotation guide explains when.
Which to buy
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 if you want a running shoe that feels grounded. RTINGS rated its stability 8.4/10, crediting firm foam, a broad platform and a moderate stack, and says its cushioning gives enough protection for shorter, easier runs, though it can feel thin and harsh on longer efforts. For Couch to 5K session lengths, that trade-off is reasonable.
ASICS Novablast 6 if running is becoming your main thing. RTINGS rates its cushioning 8.5/10 and recommends it to neutral runners of all levels. It's the pair to grow into if a 10K or half marathon is next.
Brooks Revel 9 only as a one-shoe compromise for someone who mostly lifts and runs a little. RTINGS praises its stability and its versatility for walking and gym work, and criticizes its cushioning for running.
For the gym pair, we don't rank training shoes, so we won't name one. Use Nike's description as a checklist when you shop: a flatter shoe with a lower drop, firmer cushioning that prioritizes stability and control, and a wide outsole that keeps your foot in place when you move side to side. If a gym shoe feels soft and bouncy like a running shoe, it's probably not doing the training-shoe job.
RTINGS rated its stability 8.4/10 and calls it a stable, grounded shoe for daily runs, with enough cushion for shorter, easier runs: a good fit for Couch to 5K's session lengths.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ASICS Novablast 6
Stock photo
The one-shoe compromise, with caveats
Brooks Revel 9
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
7.5 /10
RTINGS calls it an affordable shoe for walking, gym work and some running, and very stable, but also inadequately cushioned. Only for short runs if it must double as a gym shoe.
Plenty of sites say they ran hundreds of miles in every shoe. We didn't, and we say so. What we do instead: start from what a published training plan actually asks of a runner at your level, compare each model's published specs (stack height, drop, weight, plate, stability features, widths) against that job, and score every pick on a public rubric. Each spec links to where it came from.
You can, but for a running plan it isn't recommended. Nike says training shoes don't have sufficient cushioning for running and can be heavier and more cumbersome, and the AAOS says cross-training shoes aren't appropriate for running more than 4 to 5 miles a day.
Are cross trainers good for running?+
Not for regular running. The AAOS describes cross trainers as shoes that take you from sport to sport, and says they aren't appropriate for someone running more than 4 to 5 miles a day. It also advises a sport-specific shoe for anything you do more than twice a week.
Can I wear running shoes to the gym?+
For treadmill running, a running shoe is built for the job. For lifting and side-to-side classes, Nike says running shoes don't provide enough stability and support for lateral movements, so training shoes are the better choice there.
What is the difference between running shoes and training shoes?+
Running shoes have more midsole cushioning and arch support for forward strides and are lighter; training shoes are flatter, with lower drop, firmer cushioning and wide outsoles for stability in side-to-side movement, per Nike.
Do I need two pairs of shoes if I run and go to the gym?+
If you do both regularly, yes: running shoes for runs and training shoes for the gym. For the running pair, see our best running shoes for beginners.
We don't lab-test shoes or gear and we don't pretend to. Specs come from the maker's own pages or the named reviewer's published measurements (linked above); level definitions come from published training plans. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.
Stock photo