Gel Cumulus 28 vs Ride 19

The Gel Cumulus 28 is Asics at its most dependable: a cushioned, neutral daily training shoe built to soak up easy miles without asking anything clever of your stride. It is not a max-cushion plush ride and it is not a tempo shoe, it sits in the sensible middle as a do-everything running shoe for the bulk of your week. The 13.3mm drop is high by modern standards, which makes it forgiving and natural if you land on your heel, and the gel cushioning under the rear foot takes the sting out of harder landings. At 252g it is no featherweight, but it carries that weight as stability and longevity rather than dead bulk. We rate it as one of the safest first running shoes you can buy, and a reliable second pair for more experienced runners who want a soft, no-drama trainer for recovery days. If you want more pop, look elsewhere. If you want miles, this is it.

The Saucony Ride 19 is a do-everything neutral daily trainer, the kind of running shoe you reach for on most days of the week without thinking twice. It is not a max-cushion cruiser and it is not a speed shoe. It sits right in the middle, and that is the point. PWRRUN+ foam gives you a lively, slightly bouncy ride that soaks up easy miles but still has enough life to pick up the pace when you want to. With a 36mm heel stack and an 8mm drop it is protective without feeling tall or vague underfoot, and at 255g it stays light enough that it never feels like a chore. In our view this is one of the safest recommendations in the daily training shoe category: versatile, durable and honest about what it is. If you want a single shoe that covers easy runs, steady runs and the odd long run, the Ride 19 earns its place. It is a natural step on from the Ride 18.