Hyperboost Edge 1 vs Gel Nimbus 27

The Hyperboost Edge is adidas going all in on soft, high-stack comfort for everyday miles. It is a max-cushion road running shoe built for one job: soaking up impact and keeping your legs fresh over long, steady distances. With a 44.6mm heel and a moderate 6.5mm drop, there is a lot of foam underfoot, yet at 247g it stays lighter than most shoes this tall, so it never feels like lugging bricks. There is no plate here, and adidas has not tried to make it a do-everything trainer. It is a cushioned cruiser, plain and simple. If you want the plush, protected feel of adidas's classic Ultraboost but with a taller, more modern stack, this is the natural step up. We rate it as a genuine long-run and recovery-day tool rather than a daily quiver of one. Firm-ride fans and anyone chasing turnover will want something snappier, but for eating up easy volume in comfort, it delivers.

The Gel Nimbus 27 is ASICS at its most plush: a max-cushion neutral running shoe built for soft, protected miles rather than speed. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, recovery runs and long efforts when your legs want padding underfoot and a forgiving ride. At 305g it is not light, and with an 8mm drop it sits in familiar territory for a daily trainer, but the appeal here is comfort, not pace. We rate it as one of the safest picks in the cushioned daily category, especially if you log steady mileage and value a shoe that feels the same in mile twenty as it did in mile one. It is a premium buy at £175 RRP, so it asks a lot up front. If you want the same soft, dependable feel in something a touch lighter and quicker, the Gel Cumulus 27 is the leaner sibling worth a look.