More 5

The ride is soft, tall and protective, exactly what a max-cushion trainer should deliver. Step in and the Fresh Foam X feels plush underfoot without collapsing into mush, and the rockered geometry rolls you through the gait cycle so easy miles pass smoothly. At recovery and easy pace it is in its element, muting harsh pavement and keeping your legs feeling fresh deep into a long run. Push the pace and the character changes. The soft foam and 309g weight damp your turnover, so it never feels quick or snappy, and there is no plate or aggressive geometry to spring you forward. Hold it to steady, relaxed running and it rewards you. Ask it to run fast and it politely declines.

Cushioning is the whole point of this shoe, and the More v5 delivers a deep, generous bed of Fresh Foam X that ranks among the plushest daily trainers you can buy. The stack is tall and the foam leans soft, so impact protection is excellent whether you are a heavier runner or simply piling on high weekly mileage. It stays comfortable late into long runs when firmer shoes start to feel harsh, and it is forgiving enough to double as a recovery-day cruiser. The trade-off is a slightly vague, disconnected feel at faster paces, where you lose ground contact and responsiveness. For soft, protective, all-day comfort though, there is very little to complain about.

This is a neutral shoe with no medial posts or dedicated support features, so it is aimed at runners with an efficient or neutral gait. Despite the tall stack, the platform is reasonably wide and the sidewalls cradle the foot, which lends a surprising amount of inherent stability for a max-cushion trainer. It never feels tippy at easy pace. That said, very soft, tall foam always concedes a little lateral security compared with a firmer or lower shoe, and mild overpronators who need real structure should look at a dedicated stability model instead. For neutral runners the balance is well judged, and the roomy, planted feel is one of the shoe's quiet strengths.

The upper is plush and forgiving, built for long-run comfort rather than a locked-down racing feel. An engineered knit-style mesh gives easy, sock-like flex over the top of the foot, and the padding around the collar and tongue is generous, so hotspots are rare even on multi-hour efforts. Breathability is reasonable for a shoe with this much material, though warmer-weather runners will notice it runs a little toasty. The heel counter is structured enough to hold you without digging in. Overall it matches the shoe's brief nicely: soft, roomy and comfortable, with no break-in period needed straight out of the box.