Max Cushion Running Shoes Compared
37 max-cushion shoes from 15 brands in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, lightest first, on published figures.
This is the category defined by one number: heel stack. These run from 34 mm to 55.5 mm under the heel, against a median of 35.5 mm across the daily trainers in the same dataset — so the label covers a wide span, and the shallow end of it is barely taller than an ordinary trainer. More foam is not automatically softer, either: a thick stack of firm foam and a thin stack of soft foam can feel closer than the numbers imply.
Note that World Athletics caps stack height at 40 mm for road racing, so the tallest shoes here are training shoes by design rather than by accident.
- Lightest249 gNew Balance Infinion 1080v15
- Median295 gacross 37 shoes with a published weight
- Heaviest333 gHoka Skyward X
- 240–260 g4
- 260–280 g6
- 280–300 g16
- 300–320 g9
- 320–340 g2
37 of 37 have a published weight. Lightest 249 g, heaviest 333 g.
| Shoe | Weight | Stack (heel/fore) | Drop | Foam | Plate | Year | Maker's stated use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Balance Infinion 1080v15 | 249 g | 40 / 34 mm | 6 mm | Infinion (TPEE) | None | 2026 | Flagship cushioned daily |
| Saucony Triumph 24 | 250 g | 43 / 33 mm | 10 mm | IncrediLux (ATPU) | None | 2026 | Light max-cushion daily |
| Adidas Hyperboost Edge | 255 g | 45 / 39 mm | 6 mm | Hyperboost Pro | None | 2026 | Plate-free max-stack super trainer |
| Skechers GoRun MaxRoad 6 | 258 g | 34 / 28 mm | 6 mm | Hyper Burst | None | 2023 | Light max-cushion daily |
| Saucony Triumph 23 | 263 g | 37 / 27 mm | 10 mm | PWRRUN PB | None | 2025 | Premium neutral daily |
| Craft CTM Ultra Carbon 2 | 264 g | 40 / 30 mm | 10 mm | PX Pro (PEBA) | Carbon | 2023 | High-stack long-run / ultra trainer |
| Puma MagMax Nitro 2 | 266 g | 46 / 38 mm | 8 mm | NITROFOAM (supercritical) | None | 2026 | Puma's tallest-stack cruiser |
| Hoka Skyflow | 269 g | 42 / 36 mm | 6 mm | Supercritical EVA | None | 2025 | Plush bouncy daily |
| New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 | 269 g | 38 / 32 mm | 6 mm | Fresh Foam X | None | 2024 | Plush premium daily |
| Saucony Triumph 22 | 279 g | 37 / 27 mm | 10 mm | PWRRUN+ | None | 2024 | Soft premium daily |
| Asics Gel-Nimbus 28 | 280 g | 43.5 / 35.5 mm | 8 mm | FF Blast Max | None | 2026 | Max-cushion neutral daily |
| Salomon Aero Glide 2 | 280 g | 38 / 30 mm | 8 mm | Energy Foam | None | 2024 | Cushioned road daily |
| Nike Vomero Plus | 281 g | 43 / 33 mm | 10 mm | ZoomX (full-length) | None | 2025 | Plush max-cushion neutral |
| Kiprun KS900 2 | 285 g | 38 / 30 mm | 8 mm | VFOAM | None | 2024 | Value cushioned daily |
| Brooks Ghost Max 2 | 289 g | 40 / 34 mm | 6 mm | DNA Loft v3 | None | 2024 | Tall, protective easy days |
| Brooks Glycerin 22 | 289 g | 38 / 28 mm | 10 mm | DNA Tuned | None | 2025 | Plush neutral daily |
| On Cloudsurfer Max | 292 g | 37 / 31 mm | 6 mm | Helion (CloudTec Phase) | None | 2025 | Plate-free max-cushion cruiser |
| 361° Spire 5 | 295 g | 39 / 30 mm | 9 mm | QU!KFOAM | None | 2023 | Max-cushion daily |
| Mizuno Wave Neo Ultra | 295 g | 40 / 32 mm | 8 mm | Enerzy NXT | None | 2023 | Premium sustainable max cushion |
| Mizuno Wave Sky 8 | 295 g | 40 / 32 mm | 8 mm | Enerzy | None | 2024 | Plush cushioned daily |
| New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5 | 295 g | 46 / 42 mm | 4 mm | Fresh Foam X | None | 2024 | Maximal soft cushioning |
| Nike Vomero 18 | 295 g | 46 / 36 mm | 10 mm | ZoomX + ReactX | None | 2025 | Soft, protective daily |
| On Cloudeclipse | 295 g | 37 / 31 mm | 6 mm | Helion (double CloudTec) | None | 2024 | Plush long-run cruiser |
| On Cloudmonster 2 | 295 g | 37 / 31 mm | 6 mm | Helion | None | 2024 | Maximal CloudTec cushioning |
| On Cloudmonster 3 | 295 g | 35 / 29 mm | 6 mm | Helion | Nylon | 2026 | Max-cushion daily trainer |
| Puma Magnify Nitro 2 | 295 g | 38 / 28 mm | 10 mm | Nitro Foam | None | 2023 | Max-cushion daily |
| Adidas Prime X 2 Strung | 300 g | 50 / 41.5 mm | 8.5 mm | Lightstrike Pro + Light | Rods | 2023 | Max-stack super trainer (non-record-legal) |
| Asics Gel-Nimbus 27 | 300 g | 42.5 / 34.5 mm | 8 mm | FF Blast Max | None | 2025 | Plush neutral daily |
| Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 | 301 g | 41.5 / 33.5 mm | 8 mm | FF Blast+ Eco | None | 2024 | Plush neutral daily |
| Nike Invincible 3 | 305 g | 40 / 31 mm | 9 mm | ZoomX | None | 2023 | Soft, protective easy days |
| Brooks Ghost Max 3 | 306 g | 39 / 33 mm | 6 mm | DNA Loft v3 | None | 2025 | Max-cushion easy-day cruiser |
| Brooks Glycerin Max | 309 g | 45 / 39 mm | 6 mm | DNA Tuned | None | 2024 | Maximal soft cruiser |
| Nike Pegasus Premium | 309 g | 45 / 35 mm | 10 mm | ZoomX + ReactX + Air | None | 2025 | Premium energetic daily |
| Brooks Glycerin Max 2 | 312 g | 45 / 39 mm | 6 mm | DNA Tuned | None | 2026 | Tallest-stack max cushion |
| Hoka Bondi 9 | 314 g | 43 / 38 mm | 5 mm | Supercritical EVA | None | 2024 | Max plush, long easy + recovery |
| Nike Vomero Premium | 329 g | 55.5 / 45.5 mm | 10 mm | ZoomX / Air Zoom | None | 2025 | Nike's tallest-stack trainer |
| Hoka Skyward X | 333 g | 48 / 43 mm | 5 mm | PEBA + EVA | Carbon | 2024 | Plated max cushion, long runs |
How to read the numbers
- Weight is the single figure that changes how a shoe feels most obviously, but it is quoted at one sample size — usually a men's US9. Your pair will weigh more or less.
- Stack is the foam under the heel and the forefoot. Drop is the difference between them, and it changes where the load sits rather than how much of it there is.
- Plate tells you what is embedded in the midsole. Carbon is the stiffest and the most common in racing shoes; nylon, Pebax and rods are progressively more forgiving; “None” is not a lesser shoe, just a different one.
- Foam is the maker's own name for the midsole compound, reproduced as published. The names are marketing, the behaviour is not — PEBA-based foams are generally lighter and more resilient than EVA-based ones.
Compare any of these side by side
Put any two to four head to head in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, or see Running and Recovery.
More Shoe Lab comparisons
- Carbon Plate Racing Shoes Compared — 56 shoes
- Daily Trainer Running Shoes Compared — 57 shoes
- Trail Running Shoes Compared — 40 shoes
- Stability Running Shoes Compared — 32 shoes
- Super Trainers Compared — 40 shoes
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is the manufacturer's published specification, compiled in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, which is powered by iRUN Singapore. These are specifications, not our own test results — we have not run in every shoe listed, and nothing here is ranked or recommended. Stack heights and weights are quoted at the manufacturer's sample size and will vary with your own size. Where a maker publishes no figure, the cell reads “—”.
The Shoe Lab is built with iRUN Singapore, whose specialists fit runners day in, day out. The specs here are compiled with them — and the shoes are in their stores if you want to put a pair on before you decide.
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comparing.
Every brand and category in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, on the same axes.