7 Best Lightweight Running Shoes in 2024 (2024)

Mach 5 might be a bit of a stretch, but it sure is lightning fast. It gobbles miles with ease, delivering otherworldly comfort for effortless miles at a feather-light 225 grams (7.9 oz). It's a clear favorite, with the average shoe weighing 267 grams (9.4 oz).

Beyond lab accolades, the Mach 5 thrives on the road. Its rockered design felt lovely on our feet, creating silky-smooth transitions and easing out our most intense efforts with an energetic aura. Our landings felt safe and sound, thanks to the widened base, specifically at the heel - in our lab, our caliper measured a midsole width of 96.7 mm at the heel, 6.9 mm wider than the average running shoe.

Not only it can go fast, but it can go far too. A master of all trades of comfort, this Hoka features a lovely downy midsole that emerged as a whooping 39% softer than average, melting our feet and our heart. Remarkably flexible, the Mach 5 gracefully follows the foot's natural movement, as confirmed by its 36.2% below-the-average resistance to our 90º bending test.

However, wintery climates are the nemesis of the Mach 5. Its traction system didn’t stand a chance on wet pavement, feeling quite slippery and hurting our performance.

Our chronometer utterly attested to the Streakfly’s superb performance on track sessions. It makes each gram count, putting together exceptional velocity and delightful comfort on its 171 grams (6.0 oz). We needed nothing more to make it #1 for speed runs.

Quick and nimble, it feels like a vintage racing flat on foot. Tigh corners were no problem, as the Streakfly’s low stack stabilized our every stride. Its bendable build worked on the same goal, seamlessly coupling with our feet to create a safe and freeing ride. Outperforming any expectations, this shoe required 58.3% less effort to bend up to 90º than the average running shoe from our database.

While its engine may be old-fashioned, the Streakfly’s cushioning sure isn’t - pure ZoomX foam underfoot, renowned for its bouncy and silky nature. Further testing with our durometer ranked the midsole as 50.4% softer than average, sweet numbers for a speed-oriented shoe.

We do not recommend this shoe for runners seeking a super-propulsive kick to double as a racer. Without a plate, it can’t seriously compete with the prowess of modern supershoes.

Faster than its shadow, our pick for the 5K/10K events is the ASICS Metaspeed Edge, a cunningly crafted propeller in disguise. Unlike Luke, this kick weighs a miserable 176 grams (6.2 oz), channeling all our energy towards pure speed.

The Edge unveiled its devilish speedster persona on our streets, unleashing infamous bursts of energy in every toe-off. Its power lies in the full-length carbon plate, gifting the shoe with an aggressive and stiff underfoot feel. Turning to our force gauge, we measured a staggering 62.2N resistance to our 90º bending test, being 40% stiffer than the average. Plus, no need to worry about its performance in the wintery season, as it stiffens up only 11.5% after 20 minutes in the freezer, while the average increase is 46.3%.

Our workouts reveled in the enviable harmony between its composed foam and low stack, granting some of that old-school grounded feel and a rather stable ride. Putting our durometer against the midsole ranked it as 14.3% harder than average, while our caliper measured a nostalgic 8.0 mm drop.

For the marathon gang, the Metaspeed Edge might not be the ideal choice, as it doesn’t feel as bouncy and naturally energetic as other premium alternatives out there.

Running in the AP3 feels like we’re shoeless! It redefines the meaning of a supershoe because it’s not only lightning-fast and airy, it’s stable and supportive too. This speedster helps us shave off minutes without sacrificing comfort, making it our top lightweight marathon shoe.

AP3’s lab results are outstanding but it’s our actual runs that amaze us more. It releases a consistent supply of energy and comfort with its luscious mega-stack and rigid platform. In our flex test, it ranks 50.0% stiffer than average, validating the insane responsiveness we feel. With every stride, a pop of energy launches us forward. The speed comes with comfort as our durometer confirms the foam to be 13.6% softer than average.

Its airy build keeps things light on our feet — a great relief in endurance runs. At 7.7 oz (218g), it’s 21.0% lighter than the average of lab-tested long-distance running shoes. Its breezy upper — scoring the highest rating on our breathability test — keeps hotspots and sweaty feet away.

While other racers tend to be unstable, AP3 is extremely supportive. Its forefoot measures 6.3 mm wider than average, providing more stable landings for forefoot and midfoot strikers. Even when turning at high speeds, the shoe feels steady with no lateral wobbles.

Adios, heel-strikers! Its heel measures 6.1 mm narrower than average, which may cause discomfort.

With its staggering 206 grams (7.3 oz), the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is our #1 lightweight option for going the distance. It’s delightfully cushioned, keeping the legs fresh and ready as it infuses outlandish tons of energy in each toe-off.

A real star in the long haul game, the Pro 3’s midsole ticks all boxes. It’s light and fresh, overflowing golden retriever energy. It emerged as 36.5% softer than average on our durometer, melting shaped like our feet in each landing. The refreshing feel starts from above, though, with a minimalistic 1.2 mm tongue padding allowing easy airflow throughout the foot.

No matter the direction, the Pro 3 is one of the toughest shoes we’ve ever tried to bend. The guilt goes to the carbon plate, which powerfully ignited our strides with unrivaled grace. Locking the tip of the shoe to attest its resistance to being bent 90º confirmed our manual assessments - it topped the charts with a 94.4N resistance, meaning it’s 193% (!) stiffer than average.

On scorching sunny days, the breathable upper might not be sufficient for wide-footers. Our caliper measured the toebox to be 94.3 mm at the widest part, noticeably below the average of 97.8 mm.

Can a shoe that's light on the wallet also be light on the foot? For an answer to that rhetorical question, look no further than the Brooks Revel 6, which was just as forgiving on our wallet as it was on our scale! The lean 9.2 oz (261g) shoe delivers a ride that feels more premium than its equally lean £110 price would suggest, thus easily making the Revel 6 our top choice for the best lightweight shoe on a budget.

Playing a great part in the Revel 6's unburdensome nature is the shoe's light and airy upper, which felt pleasantly ventilated during our test runs. This is corroborated by our smoke test, where the shoe's above-average performance led us to give it a respectable breathability score of 4 out of 5. That's pretty good for a shoe, £30.98 cheaper than the average shoe, and means that the Revel 6 is a great training partner for runs on warm days.

Like most budget daily trainers, the Revel 6's upper is seriously lacking in durability. With the toebox and heel counter suffering catastrophic damage after tangoing with our Dremel's relentless abrasive element, the Revel 6 is about as flimsy as we expect from a shoe at this price point.

The Saucony Kinvara 14 shows us that looks can be deceiving. While its chunky midsole gives us a weighty impression of the shoe, it totally defies expectations by tipping our scale at a barely-there weight of only 6.84 oz (194g). What's more, it's a versatile workhorse of a shoe that proved to be more than capable of tackling any of our test runs, so when it comes to the best lightweight daily trainer, the Kinvara 14 is truly a no-brainer.

Playing a large part in the versatility of the Kinvara 14 is how flexible it is. Requiring only 15.3N of force to bend the shoe 90 degrees in our flex test makes the Kinvara 14 49.8% more flexible than the average road shoe. This greatly factors into the shoe's overall comfort as it is able to bend along with the natural movement of our foot with ease, making the shoe feel extremely forgiving on the foot, whether we take it for mile-gobbling long-distance efforts or pavement-pounding high-paced sessions.

The main drawback of the Kinvara 14 is its toebox, which is 3.1 mm narrower than average in the area around the big toe, measuring only 74 mm wide. This means that runners with wide feet will likely have to contend with hotspots or even blisters as the shoe constricts the natural splaying of the foot.