Invincible 3 vs Magnify Nitro 3

The Nike Invincible 3 is Nike's big, bouncy neutral trainer, a max-cushion running shoe built to eat up easy miles and keep your legs fresh for the next session. This is not a race shoe and it is not trying to be. The stack is tall, the foam is soft and springy, and the whole point is protection over distance. You get a rolling, energetic ride that flatters recovery runs and long steady efforts. At a 9mm drop it sits in familiar territory for most runners, and at 310g it is on the heavier side, which you feel if you try to push the pace. In our view this is one of the best daily training shoes for a neutral runner who wants maximum comfort and does their speed work in something lighter. If you want a similar soft ride at a lower weight, the Nike Vomero 18 is the leaner sibling. Priced at 180 pounds it is a premium buy, so it earns its place as your dedicated cushioning workhorse.

The Magnify Nitro 3 is Puma's big, soft, everyday max-cushion running shoe, and at £140 it undercuts most of the plush daily trainers it lines up against. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, long runs and recovery miles when your legs want protection more than speed. The NITRO foam midsole is tall and forgiving without turning to mush, and Puma's PUMAGRIP outsole is genuinely excellent in the wet. At 287g it is not a light shoe, and you feel that on faster efforts, so treat it as a cruiser rather than a tempo tool. It runs neutral, with a 10mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers. In our view the real story is value: you get proper max cushioning and grippy, hard-wearing rubber for less than a Gel Nimbus 28 or Glycerin 22. If you want soft daily miles without paying £170, it belongs on your shortlist.