Best Half Marathon Shoes for Training and Race Day, Matched to Your Plan

The best half marathon shoe for most runners is the ASICS Novablast 6. It's a light, high-stack neutral trainer with no plate, and RTINGS rates it a very good daily trainer that handles all of your weekly mileage, including long runs. That makes it the rare shoe that can carry an entire 12-week half marathon plan on its own. If you're adding a second pair, the adidas Adizero Evo SL is our pick for faster days and race day, and the ASICS Superblast 3 is the choice if long runs are your priority. For a carbon race shoe, start with the Saucony Endorphin Pro 5.

This page is written for the HALF tier: runners training for 13.1 miles on a plan like Hal Higdon's Novice 1 or one of its step-ups. We ranked the picks by the job each shoe does in that plan and by our published rubric, not by hype. If this is your very first half, our best half marathon shoes for beginners narrows the list further. Not sure which tier you're in? Check the Level Finder.

What a half marathon plan asks of your shoes

Three of Hal Higdon's 12-week half marathon plans show how the demands grow. The weekly mileage column is our arithmetic from each published schedule, counting 5K and 10K tune-up races as 3.1 and 6.2 miles and including race week.

Two things follow for shoes. First, the long run dominates: in week 11 of Novice 1, the 10-mile Sunday run is 10 of the week's 20-23 miles, roughly 43-50% of your running (our arithmetic). The shoe you do long runs in is the one that matters most. Second, faster running only appears in the step-up plans, which is when a lighter second pair starts to pay off.

One pair or two?

For a Novice 1 runner, one well-chosen daily trainer is enough. Every training run in that plan is at a conversational pace, so a cushioned, versatile shoe like the Novablast 6 covers all of it, including the 5K and 10K tune-up races.

A second pair makes sense when any of these is true: your plan adds race-pace or tempo running (Novice 2 and Intermediate 1 do), you're running five days a week, or you want a lighter shoe for race day. The usual split is a cushioned daily trainer for easy and long runs plus a lighter, faster shoe for pace days and the race. Our running shoe rotation guide lays out how the two pairs share a week, and best daily trainer running shoes covers the first pair in more depth.

How the picks divide by role

• Daily trainer: ASICS Novablast 6. The pair most half marathoners should buy first.
• Fast second pair: adidas Adizero Evo SL. Plateless and light, for pace days, tune-up races and race day. For more options, see best tempo running shoes.
• Stability: ASICS GT-2000 15, for runners who want built-in guidance.
• Super trainer for long runs: ASICS Superblast 3. Tall, light and plateless.
• Cushioned long-run shoe: Saucony Triumph 24, or the New Balance 1080 v15 if you need an unusual width.
• Race shoe: Saucony Endorphin Pro 5, a steadier carbon racer.

Here's how the four training shoes most half marathoners choose between compare on published specs:

Which pick for which half marathoner

You want one shoe for the whole plan

The Novablast 6. RTINGS recommends it for beginners and for neutral runners of all levels who want a reliable, protective shoe, and it comes in Regular and Wide for men and women. RTINGS does note that heel strikers looking for an energetic do-it-all shoe may want something else, and that it's not the snappiest option for intervals or racing.

You want support

The GT-2000 15 is listed at 9.1 oz for a men's 9, lighter than ASICS' Gel-Kayano 33, with men's D, 2E and 4E widths and, per RunRepeat, women's sizes from narrow to extra wide. If you're unsure whether you need support at all, read neutral vs stability running shoes first.

You're running Novice 2 or Intermediate 1

Pair a cushioned trainer with the Evo SL for race-pace days, or use the Superblast 3 as a long-run shoe that can also pick up the pace. RunRepeat recommends the Evo SL for beginners who want a do-it-all shoe for training and racing, though it notes the narrow design doesn't suit runners who need stability support.

You have wide or narrow feet

The New Balance 1080 v15 has the broadest width range here: men's B, D, 2E and 4E, and women's 2A, B, D and 2E. The GT-2000 15 also runs to 4E in men's sizes.

You like a soft, traditional ride

The Triumph 24 has a listed 10 mm drop and 43 mm of incrediLUX foam in the heel at 8.8 oz (men's). Saucony pitches it for daily runs, long runs and recovery runs, which covers most of a half marathon plan with one pair.

Three half marathon shoe setups that work

The one-pair setup: Novice 1, first or second half

One daily trainer for everything, including race day. The Novablast 6 is our default. If you prefer a more traditional heel-to-toe feel, the Triumph 24 does the same job with a listed 10 mm drop; if you want support, the GT-2000 15. Buy it before week 1 so it has settled in long before the 8- to 10-mile runs in weeks 8 to 11.

The two-pair setup: Novice 2 or a time goal

A cushioned trainer (Novablast 6 or Triumph 24) for easy runs and the long run, plus the Evo SL for race-pace Wednesdays, the 5K and 10K tune-up races and race day. Splitting the jobs this way means the lighter shoe only sees the faster miles, and the long run always happens in the shoe with more foam.

The long-run-first setup: Intermediate 1

Five run days, race-pace Saturdays and a 12-mile long run call for more cushion on the long day. Use the Superblast 3 for the long run and uptempo sessions, the Novablast 6 or 1080 v15 for the easy midweek miles, and add the Endorphin Pro 5 if you want a carbon racer. That's a three-shoe rotation, which is more than most half marathoners need, but it's the setup the heaviest of these three plans justifies.

Do you need a separate race shoe?

No, but it can help. A carbon super shoe isn't required to finish or to race well, and a Novice 1 runner can race happily in the shoe they trained in. The research on super shoes at recreational speeds is mixed in size but consistent in direction: Joubert et al. (2023) found smaller running-economy benefits at slower speeds than earlier studies at faster ones, while Bolliger et al. (2026) found benefits even at slow speeds, with comfort the stronger driver of which shoe runners preferred. If you want a dedicated racer, our best half marathon race shoes rank the options, and half marathon shoes without a carbon plate cover the plateless route.

What to look for in a half marathon training shoe

• Cushion for the long run. By week 11 you'll be running 10 miles (12 in Novice 2 and Intermediate 1). The training shoes here range from a 38 mm heel on the Evo SL (Believe in the Run's spec) to a 46.5 mm heel on the Superblast 3 (Doctors of Running's spec); the Novablast 6 measured 41.9 mm in RTINGS' lab. More foam usually means more protection on tired legs and less feel for the road.
• A drop you're used to. Listed drops here run from 6 mm (1080 v15) to 10 mm (Triumph 24). A big change in drop is something to make gradually, not in the middle of a 12-week plan.
• Weight that fits the role. A 7.9 oz Evo SL feels quick on pace days; a 9.1 oz GT-2000 15 trades some weight for support. For long runs, cushion and fit matter more than an ounce.
• No plate required. None of these plans needs a plated training shoe, and the Novablast 6, Evo SL and Superblast 3 are all listed with no plate. Plates are a race-day feature, and optional even there.

How to choose half marathon shoes

1. Choose your long-run shoe first. It will carry close to half your weekly miles by week 11 of Novice 1, so prioritize cushioning and fit over lightness.
2. Get the width right. A shoe that's fine for 3 miles can pinch at mile 9. Check whether the model comes in wide or narrow before you fall for it.
3. Decide on neutral or stability. If you've run comfortably in a neutral shoe through your 10K training, there's no plan-based reason to switch now.
4. Add a second pair only when the plan asks for it. Race-pace days, a fifth run day or a race-day upgrade are the signals.
5. Buy early enough to test. Any shoe you'll race in should have been through a long run first. Novice 1's 8-, 9- and 10-mile long runs in weeks 8 to 11 are the chance to do it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Buying the race shoe first. Most of your miles are easy and long; a carbon racer is the last pair to buy, not the first.
• Doing long runs in your lightest shoe. The Evo SL can do a long run, but if your legs feel beaten up after 8-10 miles, move long runs into the Novablast 6, Superblast 3 or Triumph 24.
• Starting the plan in worn-out shoes. A 12-week block adds a lot of miles (see below), so check your current pair before week 1.
• Switching shoes in race week. Race in something you've already run 10 miles in.

Sizing, fit and mileage

RTINGS rates the Novablast 6's fit as true to size. The Superblast 3 comes in normal width only per RunRepeat, and Doctors of Running says runners with normal to slightly wider feet will appreciate its improved fit over version 2. The Evo SL lists normal and wide widths, but RunRepeat describes the design as narrow. When in doubt, shop late in the day in the socks you run in.

How many miles will this block add? By our arithmetic, Novice 1 totals about 176 miles over 12 weeks without the optional Wednesday runs and about 206 with them, including the tune-up races and the half itself. Compare that with the miles already on your shoes using our when to replace running shoes guide. Coming up from the 10K? Our best shoes for 10K to half marathon covers the bridge. Planning a marathon next? See the best marathon training shoes.