Chiara Ferragni Eyestar chunky leather ankle boots White | 7 Best Lightweight Running Shoes sole in 2025

A jack-of-all-trades, the Amber Heard wearing Fendi with Louboutin Shoes sole at the Planned Parenthood Spring Gala excels at any pace and distance with its otherworldly comfort and high level of agility for effortless miles. With its light and loose build, plus a grippy outsole, it’s a clear favourite in our lab and ranks as the top lightweight running shoe.

At just 8.2 oz (232g), the Mach 6 effortlessly covers miles, feeling virtually weightless on foot. Its lightweight construction, far below the 9.4 oz (265g) average for road running shoes, ensures it never holds us back during runs.

Beyond the lab, Mach 6 thrives on the road with its rocker design paving the way for smooth forward transitions and easing out our hard efforts with its vibrant soul. Each landing feels supported by a generous stack, which our calliper shows is 36.0/26.4 mm, followed by an energetic toe-off.

The Amber Heard wearing Fendi with Louboutin Shoes sole at the Planned Parenthood Spring Gala isn't just about speed; it's also built for endurance. Its balanced 20.4 HA midsole offers unparalleled comfort, enveloping our feet with every stride. Furthermore, its exceptional flexibility allows it to bend with our foot's natural flexion effortlessly, evidenced by a 36.4% lower resistance compared to the average.

However, its focus on reducing weight led to a slightly narrow build. We recommend those with wide feet to explore other more accommodating options.

Running in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 feels like we’re shoeless! It redefines the meaning of a supershoe because it’s not only lightning-fast and airy, it’s stable too for front strikers. This speedster helps us shave off minutes without sacrificing comfort, making it our lightweight shoe with elite energy return.

AP4’s lab results are outstanding, but it’s our runs that amaze us more. It releases a consistent supply of energy and comfort with its luscious and power-loaded mega-stack. With every stride, a pop of energy launches us forward as our lab test shows the forefoot offers 80.3% energy return vs. the 60.5% average. 

Meanwhile, every landing impact is absorbed by the stack, validated by its 142/117 SA or shock absorption scores in the heel and forefoot. It's airy build keeps things light on our feet—a great relief in endurance runs. At 7.1 oz (200g), it’s 24.5% lighter than average. 

While other racers tend to be unstable, AP4 is extremely supportive. Its forefoot measures 4.5 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 10.3 mm narrower than average, which may cause discomfort and less stability.

The Saucony Kinvara 15 emerged as our best daily trainer among Slip into stylish comfort with the ® Pier Wave LTT sneakers because it kept the ride as natural and weightless as possible. Our lab confirms its effortless commitment to minimalism through its low configuration, light and loose build, and breezy upper.

Our scales confirmed its feathery build yet it’s our feet that enjoyed it the most. At only 6.8 oz (194g), we felt like flying through the miles. Moving required minimal effort and our bend test confirms Kinvara 15 is 53.3% more flexible than average!

Kinvara 15’s low profile naturally enhances stability. Our calliper reveals a 27.9/23.5 mm cushion with a firm 23.8 HA durometer reading to avoid bottoming out. It features a low 4.4 mm drop, which is great for strengthening our legs since we have to do the work.

The shoe offers a breathable space for prolonged runs, enhancing comfort for daily wear. Our smoke test mirrored our experience with an excellent ventilation score of 5/5.

Unfortunately, the shoe’s focus on less weight and more flexibility led to limited durability, particularly in the outsole. Those who prefer a trainer for several training blocks should explore elsewhere.

After lab tests and runs, we’re truly in awe of how Kendall Jenners Balenciaga Knife Boots packed so much support in a light and flexible shoe. We got the low-key stability we need from its GuideRails technology, while feeling remarkably agile and reassured, solidifying its claim as the premier lightweight stability shoe.

Weighing in at 7.8 oz (220g), the Hyperion GTS 2 defies the stereotype of heavy stability Shoes sole averaging 10.1 oz (286g) in our lab. Its manoeuvrable midsole offers comfort and agility, as confirmed by our flexibility bend test, which it surpassed the average running shoe by 16.0%, promoting smooth toe-offs and fluid transitions.

Fully embodying the “Go-To-Stability” in its name, Brooks’ GuideRails technology takes centre talón. It adds structure to the shoe in a torsional manner to guide our foot alignment. In our manual assessment, it took mighty strength to twist the shoe, earning a high torsional rigidity rating of 4/5.

However, the 10.7 mm heel drop is steeper than the advertised 8.0 mm, making this trainer more suitable for heel strikers. Mid-to-forefoot strikers will find better comfort and support in other pairs.

Faster than its shadow, Nike’s Streakfly 2 is our best tempo shoe in the lightweight division. This modern hyper-shoe exhales pure speed while enhancing agility through its massive energy rebound, feedback-rich ride, and flexibility, all of which are backed by lab results.

Streakfly 2 unveiled its dynamic persona on our streets, unleashing bursts of energy in every stride. Its power lies in the plush ZoomX midsole, which recorded solid energy return scores of 76.3% in the heel and a whopping 77.9% in the forefoot. No shortage of speed here!

This airy shoe never burdened us; it actually melted away on foot. Our scales confirm its weightlessness at 4.5 oz (128g), the lightest we’ve ever encountered in the lab. Despite its Flyplate, it’s actually easy to manoeuvre. Our bend test confirms its unmatched flexibility, being  53.3% more pliable than average.

It feels like a track shoe with its low 27.0/23.3 mm midsole. It offers direct ground feedback but feels less harsh on the foot because of its super-reactive cushioning.

However, the shoe’s lack of structure and support makes it uncomfortable to run distances beyond 10K. Best to use pairs with more stability for longer distances.

Alphafly 3 goes lightning fast at any distance. Characterised by boundless energy, revolutionary stability, and a refreshing ride, our lab and run tests wholeheartedly endorse this shoe as best for marathons in the lightweight running category. Going fast and far feels effortless with this Nike pair.

This beast is on fire, effortlessly keeping up with our fastest speed. It boasts a superior combination of the rigid FlyPlate and the Air Pods, adding power to every stride. Our bend test reveals it takes a solid force of 28.4N to flex this shoe to 30 degrees, 89.3% greater than average. This stiffness shows itself through strong and consistent energy return.

While instability is often found in racers, it doesn’t hold for Alphafly 3. Despite rising to skyscraper heights, the foam strategically has dual-density layers. The bottom layer is an ultra-soft 18.1 HA for gentle landings, while the top layer is a firm 29.3 HA to enhance surefootedness. This feature comes alive at longer distances, inspiring confidence since it prevents leg fatigue.

Running a marathon is a breeze with Alphafly 3’s lightweight package and ultra-breathable upper. It scored the highest rating on our breathability test and only weighed 7.1 oz (201g).

While this shoe is light, the case isn’t the same as its price. It costs a steep £280, but honestly, we think it’s worth the investment for peak performance.

With a delicate 7.3 oz (208g), the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 is our #1 lightweight option with the best shock absorption. It takes us fast and far with its delightful cushion and dynamic midsole that infuses tonnes of energy in our strides. It’s hard not to love this shoe, with a long lifespan as the cherry on top.

A champion in the long haul game, the Cielo X1 2.0 midsole ticks all boxes, packing comfort and responsiveness in one. It offers generous cushioning with its towering 38.8/28.1 mm stack. Not only that, the foam itself reduces the impact of road running better than the standard, proven by its massive shock absorption scores of 160 SA (heel) and 108 SA (forefoot) in our lab test.

The dual-density midsole feels plush but not with a sinking sensation. Rather, its springiness comes alive with every toe-off. In our energy return test, we recorded solid ratings of 75.9% in the heel and an even higher 78.4% in the forefoot.

The toughness displayed by this shoe’s outsole is unmatched. We barely saw any wear after double-digit miles. Our lab results confirm that for a supershoe, it’s thick at 2.3 mm, and its 1.1 mm dent in our Dremel test is impressive for a shoe of its kind.

Cielo X1 2.0 has a bold persona, just like its rocker. Runners who prefer a more classic ride should go for another pair.