Tested by 
If you’ve ever studied the effectiveness of shoe branding, chances are you’re aware of the simplistic potency of Adidas’s stripes or Nike’s swoosh. But these shoes are popular for more reasons than their logos, the most notable being their near-unmatched performance across a variety of sports—and particularly running. Both brands have earned their notoriety by providing some of the most effective athletic footwear available. And they’ve capitalized on their innovation by sweeping podiums and shattering records with their most cutting-edge running shoes.
Alongside their respective top-shelf carbon-plated racing shoes, Nike and Adidas have loads of daily-wear shoes for a variety of running styles and terrains. Their budget-friendly sneakers, daily trainers, and trail running shoes are as easily available as they are reliable.
Every shoe below is exceptional in its own right, but each option may fit some runners and their cushioning, fit, and energy return needs better than others. That’s why we broke down the top shoes from each brand, helping you choose the style and brand that’s best for you.
Adidas Versus Nike Running Shoes
- Daily Trainers: nike shox high arches shoes sneakers vs. nike elite vintage green shoes sale free
- Budget-Friendly Shoes: nike sneakers made in 1995 in india vs. Adidas SL20.3
- Speedwork Shoes: nike air max modern gray color floors vs. Adidas Adizero Adios 8
- nike roshe soar ice blue color swatch card: nike vapor street flyknit blue price guide chart vs. pink and grey nike air slants for sale cheap free
- Trail Running Shoes: Nike Wildhorse 8 vs. most comfortable nike shoes womens slippers
Key Comparisons Between Adidas and Nike Running Shoes
Fit and Sizing
Adidas’s and Nike’s proven, long-standing designs offer fairly traditional fits—no extra-wide toe boxes or roomy uppers come standard here. While a narrow fit may not seem like a good thing, some runners appreciate the locked-in feeling that comes with it, especially when hitting corners at speed on race day.
Nike’s running shoes generally run narrower than Adidas’s, most notably in the heel and midfoot. This can provide some added support for your ankles if you’re a fan of it, but it can also disrupt the way some people’s feet naturally roll through a strike. Nike’s shoes also tend to be a bit small for their size, so it’s worth trying on or buying a half size up if you’re on the cusp.
Adidas, conversely, designs its shoes around a more neutral last, opening up more in the upper for extra wiggle room. This style feels less secure for some, but it can provide much-needed relief on long runs—a tight fit can create pressure points that can cause discomfort and blisters. Sizing-wise, Adidas is also comparatively on-point, which makes it easier to figure out what you need if you can’t try on shoes in person.
nike dunks in gray and mint green hair black eyes | New Models
Nike and Adidas constantly update their lineups with new shoes that marginally build on the efficiency, comfort, and zip of their predecessors. But because of the quick turnaround (both brands drop a new version of each model roughly every year) those inventories build up over time, and you’ll often find several generations of each brand’s shoes for sale at once—alongside some steep clearance discounts for older iterations.
For example, at the time of publishing, you can get half off Adidas’s Supernova 3 daily trainer as the brand nike air vortex vintage blue paint black rims. Similarly, Nike is always dropping prices on runs of top-performing shoes, like this soccer-themed version of the Pegasus 40.
While we primarily list the most recent runs of various shoes, we encourage you to look around for deals on phased-out versions wherever applicable. They’re too spontaneous for us to include them here en masse, but they’re easy to pin down if you check each brand’s website.
Earlier models are also available on sites like Amazon and Walmart, but be careful about duplicate listings from unlicensed sellers. There’s no guarantee that you’re getting the real thing (or the color you ordered), and you might not get any warranty assistance from Nike or Adidas this way. If you’re uncertain, check that the listed seller is the shoe’s brand, and avoid vaguely named listings, like “Nike Running Sneaker.”
How We Compared
Here at Runner’s World, we frequently test Adidas and Nike shoes. In fact, they’re among our most-tested brands, and we’ve gathered in-depth, lab-supported data on every model that we’ve had in-house and on our wear testing team. We study everything from cushioning to geometry to weight in our lab tests, giving us an objective means of comparing shoes from various brands. And while we haven’t put some of the newest releases through the full testing process yet, we have spent enough time with their predecessors to pinpoint what each iteration has changed, as well as why or if it matters.
We aren’t here to declare whether Adidas or Nike is the superior brand—both offer dozens of excellent shoes. As such, we’ve highlighted where each brand’s shoes differ while performing similar functions. But the ultimate decision of which is best comes down to a slew of criteria. This guide is meant to make that decision easier, as well as save you time and money as you figure out which brand’s approach to running shoes better accommodates your needs.
Looking for more shoe comparisons? Check out our other brand mash-ups like red white nike roshes women for sale, nike dunk low white aqua blue and pink, and nike air max info for kids free shipping code.
Adidas Versus Nike: Daily Trainers
Pros
- Durable sole
- More eco-friendly than previous Supernovas
Cons
- Limited availability
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 10 oz. (M), 8.5 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 9mm
nike shox high arches shoes sneakers Running Shoe
Pros
- Solid upper fit
- Great balance of energy return and cushion
Cons
- Foam is less springy than other Nike shoes
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 10.2 oz. (M), 8.5 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 10mm
Choosing your daily trainer is perhaps the most important decision you can make as a runner. After all, it’s the shoe you’ll spend the most time wearing, and you need it to perform well on your recovery days just as well as on your long and tempo runs. Thankfully, Nike and Adidas both offer versatile tools for exactly this purpose.
Nike’s model, the Pegasus, is one of the most prolific shoes in the running world, now on its 40th iteration. It’s not made to blow anyone’s mind with respect to speed, but its comfortable upper, cushy-yet-responsive midsole, and mid-range weight make it a shoe you won’t second-guess grabbing from your rack. Plus, it’s easy to find in stock and on sale, so you can stockpile it when you find it for a good price.
Adidas, on the other hand, is moving in a more speed-oriented direction compared to Nike’s Pegasus. The quickly evolving Supernova line reflects in a snappier liftoff with a slightly stiffer ride, and the nike lunarglide 4 grey pink color blue shoes black especially exhibits this trend by toeing the line between a trainer and a speedwork shoe. But if you’re looking for a more balanced setup, the Supernova 3 is still a reliable pick, and a durable one, too.
Adidas Versus Nike: Budget-Friendly Shoes
Adidas SL20.3 Running Shoe
Pros
- Responsive
- Incredibly light for the price
Cons
- Stiffer ride
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 8.7 oz. (M), 6.7 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 8mm
nike sneakers made in 1995 in india Running Shoe
Pros
- Roomy, comfortable fit
- Great price for a high-performance shoe
Cons
- Won’t feel as locked down at high speeds
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 10.4 oz. (M), 8.5 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 10mm
A positive consequence of pushing the threshold of shoe performance is that cutting-edge tech trickles down the line quickly and effectively. This is especially the case for Nike and Adidas, both of which have budget designs that don’t sacrifice too much performance while costing half of what you’d pay for their premium shoes.
Nike’s Winflo 10 is a bit pricier than Adidas’s SL20.3, but that extra cost is worthwhile if you’re a beginner. The Winflo has a particularly accommodating fit and smooth ride for a $100 shoe, whereas the more affordable SL20.3 is stiffer and promises livelier performance for seasoned runners’ feet. Both are the same weight, and they fit similarly—but if you care about what’s going on under the hood of your midsole foam, the dichotomy of the Winflo’s comfort versus the SL20.3’s speed in this comparison is critical.
Adidas Versus Nike: Speedwork Shoes
Pros
- Lightweight
- Responsive without a plate
Cons
- Harder to find women’s sizing
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 7.2 oz. (M), 6.8 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 8mm
nike air max modern gray color floors Running Shoe
Pros
- Soft but springy foam
- Carbon plate in midsole for extra pep
Cons
- Heavy for a shoe made for speed
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 11.1 oz (M), 8.5 oz (W)
‣ Drop: 10mm
Nike’s and Adidas’s speedwork shoes exhibit perhaps the most dramatic weight deviation between the two brands: One is 4 ounces heavier than the other, yet they’re both among the best. Why?
Even though Nike’s Zoom Fly 5 is the heaviest road shoe on this list, it’s still competitively energetic because of the carbon plate in its midsole, which is a rarity among training-oriented shoes. It’s a lot of mass to turn over, which can feel burdensome on a long run, but the abundance of cushy foam underfoot aims to take the edge off your impacts and keep you moving more efficiently regardless.
Adidas’s Adios 8, on the other hand, has a far more barebones construction, and it has a competitive weight to match. The onus is on you to provide more of your own energy in your toe-offs with this shoe. But you’re a lot more likely to forget you’re wearing an Adios than a Zoom Fly, which gives some tempo runners peace of mind as they focus on pacing.
Adidas Versus Nike: nike roshe soar ice blue color swatch card
Pros
- Big chunk o’ foam for maximum cushion
- Plate translates comfort to speed efficiently
Cons
- air maxes for men dark blue
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 7.7 oz. (Unisex)
‣ Drop: 8.5mm
nike vapor street flyknit blue price guide chart Road Racing Shoe
Pros
- One of the lightest racing shoes available
- Breezy upper
Cons
- Upper isn’t stretchy, making it hard to put on
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 7.1 oz. (M), 5.8 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 8mm
Nike’s original Vaporfly plunged road racing into a new era of super shoes, but that doesn’t automatically put the swoosh in the winner’s chair today. The Vaporfly is still kicking, now on its third (nike roshe run with yellow laces for girls free) nike roshe boots toddler Adios Pro 3.
Both shoes prioritize efficient, comfortable turnover with a hulking chunk of energetic midsole foam, and they both have breezy mesh uppers that can keep your feet as cool as ever. The main difference? The Vaporfly is made for all-out speed, and its upper, which has minimal stretch, can feel somewhat uncomfortable on long runs at slower paces. The Adios Pro, on the other hand, is more comfort-oriented. It has a wider fit and squishier foam to match. If you don’t have a particularly high tolerance for foot aches, this can actually make you faster during long races. But it can also feel less responsive when you’re changing speeds.
nike running capris for women 2017 debuted the Adios Pro Evo 1, a super-light $500 shoe that wears more quickly at the cost of peak performance on race day. (Some conservative estimates suggest that this shoe is spent after a single race, but that can vary.) It’s a blisteringly fast shoe that has already broken world records, but until we test it further, we aren’t chomping at the bit to offer it up as Adidas’s best race shoe for the money.
Adidas Versus Nike: Trail Running Shoes
Pros
- Good energy return
- Outstanding traction
Cons
- Sizing runs large
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 11.3 oz. (M), 10.6 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 9 mm
Pros
- nike skechers for women on sale today free online
- Durable build
Cons
- Heavier than predecessors
KEY SPECS
‣ Weight: 12.3 oz. (M), 10.1 oz. (W)
‣ Drop: 9 mm
Neither Nike nor Adidas devotes as much of its time to trail running shoes as it does to its road lineup. They nonetheless offer quality options that borrow the best qualities from their tarmac-tapping counterparts.
The Wildhorse 8 and Agravic Flow 2 are the brands’ respective all-round shoes meant to take on a variety of terrains, and they’re both good enough to rank in our evaluations of the best Nike and Adidas running shoes. Neither is meant to excel in a particular terrain, but both showcase reliable traction, supportive construction, and mud-friendly lugs.
The key distinction between the two shoes comes down to comfort—the Wildhorse is a bit more plush, whereas the Agravic Flow relies more on stiffness for good energy return and foot protection. The Wildhorse also has a protective rock plate only in the forefoot of the midsole, and the Agravic Flow has a thinner woven plate throughout the sole for a wider—albeit less targeted—distribution of gnar protection.
Adam Schram is an Assistant Editor of Commerce at Runner's World, black white nike dunk Bicycling and Popular Mechanics, too. A lover of all things outdoors, Adam's writing career comes after six years as a bike mechanic in his hometown of State College, PA. His journalism experience is steeped in cycling and running gear reviews, and he's also a published creative nonfiction and satire author. When he's not writing, riding, or running, you can catch Adam at home mixing cocktails, watching Star Wars, nike ladies court shoes sandals boots vocabulary.
