Arahi 9 vs Hurricane 25

The Arahi 9 is Hoka's lightweight take on a stability running shoe, and it is one of the easiest shoes in the category to just get on and run in. Instead of a firm medial post, it uses a J-Frame in the midsole that quietly guides your foot and reins in overpronation without ever feeling like a corrective brace. At 270g with a 39mm heel stack, it is genuinely light for a support trainer, so it never drags on daily miles the way old-school stability shoes could. We rate it as a do-it-all daily training shoe for runners who want a little help staying aligned but do not want to give up a smooth, cushioned ride. It sits in the sweet spot between a plush neutral trainer and a heavy motion-control shoe. If you like the guided feel of the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 but want something lighter underfoot, this is the shoe to try.

Heavy and bulky it may be, but the Hurricane 25 scored higher with independent reviewers than most stability shoes we track. RunRepeat's lab review put it in its top band, and the other two reviews we read liked the ride just as much. It's Saucony's most cushioned support shoe: 38mm of stack under the heel, a 6mm drop and a wide base that keeps an inward-rolling foot in line without a hard medial post. At 283g it isn't built for intervals, and nobody we read tried to use it that way. It earns its £160 RRP on slow miles, recovery days and the back half of long runs, when your form starts to fade. Reviewers disagree on how much it moved on from the 24. Believe in the Run found it bouncier and less plodding, while a UK panel called it a mild update to a similar shoe. Neutral runners who like a big, planted shoe get on with it too.