The engine's answer
Best running shoe for getting started on road running, under €280
Hoka Gaviota 5
95% match
Maximum support meets maximum marshmallow
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Live search for the Hoka Gaviota 5 at retailers that carry it.
Why it wins here
The Hoka Gaviota 5 wins this question with a 95% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €180, weighs 305 g and stands on a 41 mm heel stack with a 5 mm drop; its cushioning scores 90/100, its grip 60/100 and its energy return 48/100. The tightest constraint is the terrain: only 61 of the 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe, and 60 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on goal — cushioning 90 /100, stability 92 /100, price €180. The nearest runner-up, the Asics Gel-Kayano 31, finished 3 points behind.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.
- Goalcushioning 90 /100, stability 92 /100, price €180
- TerrainRoad shoe, grip 60 /100, stability 92 /100; 61 of 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe
- Budget€180, €100 under the €280 ceiling — 77 of 78 shoes qualify
What's good
- The most supportive ride in the field
- Genuinely roomy fit
What to watch
- A lot of shoe to move at pace
- Overkill for neutral striders
What the runners-up gave up
The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Hoka Gaviota 5.
- Asics Gel-Kayano 3192%The flagship stability cruiserAsics Gel-Kayano 31 (92%) lost on the goal: cushioning 85 /100 against 90 /100 for the Hoka Gaviota 5. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Hoka Arahi 792%Stability that doesn’t feel like punishmentHoka Arahi 7 (92%) lost on the goal: cushioning 80 /100 against 90 /100 for the Hoka Gaviota 5. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Brooks Adrenaline GTS 2492%The stability shoe your physio keeps recommendingBrooks Adrenaline GTS 24 (92%) lost on the goal: cushioning 76 /100 against 90 /100 for the Hoka Gaviota 5. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Hoka Gaviota 5 within a €280 budget?
- Yes. At €180 it sits €100 under the ceiling, and 77 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €280 or less.
- Does the Hoka Gaviota 5 suit road running?
- It is a road shoe with grip 60 /100 and stability 92 /100. The question filtered for a road-ready shoe, which 61 of the 78 shoes are; for getting started the ranking also weighed cushioning 90 /100, stability 92 /100, price €180.
- What does the engine pick with a smaller budget?
- With a €140 ceiling the same question goes to the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24 at €140. Best road running shoes for beginners under €140 →
Change an assumption
This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.
Answer for your own running