Wave Inspire 22 vs Hurricane 25

The Wave Inspire 22 is Mizuno's dependable stability trainer, a road running shoe built to keep you upright and comfortable over the miles rather than to chase a fast time. It sits in the moderate support camp: enough guidance to steady a mild overpronator, but calm enough that neutral runners who like a planted, structured ride can wear it happily. At 280g with a 7.6mm drop and 36.6mm of heel stack, it is a proper everyday workhorse, not a plated speed shoe. The Mizuno Wave guidance under the arch gives it that signature stable-but-not-clinical feel the line is known for. We rate it as one of the more honest daily stability shoes on the market: no gimmicks, no wall of hype, just a shoe that turns up for easy runs, steady miles and long training days. If you want a supportive daily trainer you can trust for a marathon build, it belongs on your shortlist. Compare it against the Wave Inspire 21 if you can still find last year's model on offer.

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.