Aero Glide 3 vs Triumph 24

The Salomon Aero Glide 3 is a road-focused, max-cushioned daily training shoe from a brand better known for trail. It is a soft, protective cruiser built for easy miles and long runs rather than chasing pace. At 275g it is not a light shoe, and the 8mm drop plus deep stack put comfort and leg protection first. What you get is a stable, planted ride that keeps your legs fresh when the run drags on past an hour. This is a versatile running shoe for the runner who wants one dependable trainer for the bulk of their week, not a race-day tool. If you already know Salomon from the trails, the road manners here will surprise you. It sits in a crowded max-cushion daily market, and the Aero Glide 4 has since arrived, so at RRP the 3 is best bought on a deal.

The Saucony Triumph 24 is the brand's plush, do-everything max-cushion running shoe, the one you reach for when comfort matters more than the clock. At 250g with a towering 43mm heel stack, it is genuinely light for how much foam sits underfoot, and that is the story here. The new IncrediLUX A-TPU midsole is the soft, springy kind of cushioning that soaks up long miles without feeling dead or mushy. This is a neutral daily training shoe built for easy runs, recovery days and marathon-distance base miles, not a firm tempo tool and not a racer. In a max-cushion field that includes the Nike Vomero 18 and the Asics Gel Nimbus 28, the Triumph 24 leans into a livelier, bouncier ride than most. We rate it as one of the most comfortable plush trainers you can buy, as long as you want cushioning first and speed second.