Glideride Max 2 vs Wave Sky 9

The Glideride Max 2 is Asics at its most protective: a max-cushion road running shoe with a big 46mm heel and an aggressive rocker built to roll you through easy miles when your legs have nothing left to give. At 261g it is not light for the class, and it never pretends to be a speed tool. What it does is soak up impact and keep you moving with minimal effort, which is exactly what you want on a recovery day or the back half of a long run. The 6mm drop and tall stack put you high off the ground, so the ride feels smooth and floaty rather than snappy. At £225 it sits at the premium end of the daily-trainer market, and you are paying for maximum protection over versatility. We rate it as a specialist. If you run high mileage and want one shoe to guard your joints, this earns its place. If you want a do-everything trainer, look lower down the range or at the Superblast 3.

The Wave Sky 9 is Mizuno's plush, max-cushion daily trainer, a soft running shoe built to soak up easy miles and long runs rather than chase pace. With 44.3mm of stack under the heel and a moderate 6.2mm drop, it plants a deep, protective platform between your legs and the road, and that is exactly where it does its best work. At 295g it is a substantial shoe, so nobody will mistake it for a tempo tool. That heft is the trade-off for the comfort. If you want a neutral cushioned trainer to protect tired legs across a marathon build, or a plush recovery-day cruiser, it earns its place. If you already run in the Asics Gel Nimbus 28 or another pillowy daily trainer, the Wave Sky 9 sits squarely in that same comfort-first bracket, and we rate it as an honest, dependable option rather than a flashy one.