880 14 vs Winflo 12

The New Balance 880v14 is the definition of a do-everything neutral daily trainer, and that is exactly the point. This is the shoe you reach for on Monday when you just want to run, not think about your shoes. It is not light at 304g and it is not flashy, but it gives you a dependable, cushioned running shoe that soaks up easy miles, marathon-block base runs and the daily commute-jog without complaint. New Balance pitches it against the neutral-daily benchmarks, and it holds its own next to the Brooks Ghost 17 and the Pegasus. The 8mm drop and generous cushioning suit heel and midfoot strikers who want protection over pop. If you want a softer, more premium ride from the same brand, the Fresh Foam X 1080v14 sits a tier up. But for a no-drama workhorse at £140, the 880v14 is an easy shoe to recommend.

At £99.99 the Winflo 12 is one of the cheapest ways into a high-stack Nike running shoe, and it's a very different shoe from the Winflo 11. Nike piled on foam, taking the heel to 40.9mm and the forefoot to 30.3mm with a 10.6mm drop. The result is a soft, stable daily training shoe for easy miles and long runs. It isn't built for speed, and at 305g it's heavy, which is the complaint that keeps coming up. RunRepeat rated it highly, mostly for how much protection you get for the money. Fordy Runs was cooler, calling it a decent budget shoe but pointing serious runners to the Vomero 18, which costs £45 more at RRP. We sit somewhere between the two. If your budget stops around £100 and most of your running is steady, it makes a lot of sense. If you want a shoe that can also handle tempo work, pick something lighter.