There’s no such thing as the perfect running shoe. When it comes to running, all sorts of things come into play – your biomechanics, your weight, the surface you run on and the shape of your feet, meaning no one shoe will suit every kind of runner. One of the things we’ve noticed over the decades of producing shoe reviews at RW is the way our network of runners express themselves when they’re filing their feedback on the shoes they’ve tested. Quite often, they don’t talk about the things the shoe does, but instead focus on the things it doesn’t do. As in: it doesn’t pinch, it doesn’t feel heavy, it doesn’t make their feet sweat – and so on. This shows that, for many runners, the aim in choosing footwear is simply to find shoes that stay out of your way, don’t intrude upon your run and just allow you to get on with it. The more experienced you become, the more you may look for a specific characteristic within a shoe – which is why we give each model such a thorough inspection – but it’s worth remembering that, at a basic level, comfort is key.