880 15 vs Ride 19

The New Balance 880 v15 is the definition of a dependable neutral daily trainer: a road running shoe built to soak up steady miles rather than chase them. It sits in New Balance's line as the sensible, plush workhorse below the pricier Fresh Foam X 1080, and that is exactly its job. You get a tall, well-cushioned platform and a roomy, forgiving fit that suits easy runs, long runs and the daily grind of marathon training. It is a soft, protective ride first and foremost. At 286g it is on the heavier side, so this is not the shoe you reach for when you want to run fast, and there is no plate or standout tech giving you free energy at pace. What you get instead is comfort you can trust and an outsole that keeps going. For runners who want one reliable trainer to log the bulk of their week, we rate it as a safe, comfortable buy, if not an exciting one.

The Saucony Ride 19 is a do-everything neutral daily trainer, the kind of running shoe you reach for on most days of the week without thinking twice. It is not a max-cushion cruiser and it is not a speed shoe. It sits right in the middle, and that is the point. PWRRUN+ foam gives you a lively, slightly bouncy ride that soaks up easy miles but still has enough life to pick up the pace when you want to. With a 36mm heel stack and an 8mm drop it is protective without feeling tall or vague underfoot, and at 255g it stays light enough that it never feels like a chore. In our view this is one of the safest recommendations in the daily training shoe category: versatile, durable and honest about what it is. If you want a single shoe that covers easy runs, steady runs and the odd long run, the Ride 19 earns its place. It is a natural step on from the Ride 18.