Wave Sky 8 vs Aero Glide 4

The Wave Sky 8 is Mizuno's plush, max-cushion daily trainer, and it plays that role with real conviction. This is a soft, protective road running shoe built for piling on easy miles in comfort, not for chasing splits. At 310g it is a hefty shoe, so you feel every gram if you try to pick up the pace, but that weight buys you a deep, forgiving platform that shrugs off long runs and keeps your legs fresher on recovery days. The 8mm drop sits in familiar daily-trainer territory and suits heel and midfoot strikers alike. In our view it is best thought of as a cruiser: a neutral shoe for runners who value cushioning and durability over pop and speed. If your priority is a soft, dependable trainer for long slow distance, it earns its place. Runners after something lighter and livelier, like the Hoka Bondi 9, should look elsewhere.

The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is the brand's big-cushion road running shoe, built for soaking up easy miles and long runs without asking your legs for anything back. With a tall 43.2mm heel stack and no carbon plate, this is a comfort-first daily training shoe rather than a racer. What sets it apart from most max-cushion rivals is the tall 11.7mm drop, which rolls you forward off a generous heel and suits runners who land heel-first. It is not the lightest shoe in the class at 250g, and it is not trying to be snappy. What you get instead is a soft, planted, protective ride that stays comfortable when the miles pile up. If you loved the Aero Glide 3, this is a familiar, refined take on the same idea. We rate it as a dependable cushioned trainer for steady runners who value comfort over pace.