Structure 26 vs Hurricane 26

The Nike Structure 26 is a steady, no-drama stability running shoe built for everyday miles rather than fireworks. It is a support daily trainer aimed at runners who want gentle guidance underfoot without a heavy-handed medial post. At 298g it is a substantial shoe, and that weight tells you what it is for: long, easy, repeatable training runs where comfort and a planted feel matter more than speed. The 10mm drop and 36.1mm heel stack give you a familiar, protective ride that suits heel strikers well. It is a sensible step on from the Structure 25, keeping the supportive character while smoothing out the ride. We rate it as a dependable workhorse: not exciting, but exactly the kind of stability daily trainer you reach for when you just want to clock the miles and stay comfortable. At £130 RRP it sits in the mainstream support bracket and competes squarely with the established names.

Saucony took weight out of the Hurricane this year and added some bounce, and reviewers noticed. On our spec sheet the 26 is lighter than the Hurricane 25 with an almost identical stack and a low 5.9mm drop, and most reviews say it rides livelier too. The 25 could feel a bit flat underfoot. This one keeps getting called bouncy, which you don't often hear about a max-stability shoe. It's a daily training shoe for overpronators who want plenty of cushioning for easy miles and marathon training. The support comes from a very wide base and a raised edge on the inside of the foot rather than a hard post, and The Run Testers found neutral runners could get on with it as well. What you give up is agility: the platform is huge, it isn't built for speed, and a couple of reviews felt it's a little less stable than the 25. RTINGS was the least enthusiastic source we read, mainly because it's no shoe for quick running. RRP is £170, £10 above the 25's, so check the price table before you buy.