Best and most popular running shoes in 2017

The users have spoken. We have had a look at the statistics of our users’ behavior on the site, and in this way we have found the most popular running shoe in 2017 on Iloebesko.dk
The figures are from the first 8 months of 2017, and of course they are not completely accurate, as we are missing 4 months, but trends show that it is in the spring and in August that the most running shoes are searched for and sold. So we would like to be on target that the figures would not change very much if the last 4 months were included in the statistics.

The users have spoken – a running brand stands out

There was no doubt about the running brand of the year at Iloebesko.dk. It is almost the same as last year (Read the test of the year running shoe 2016) Asics are supremely in first place when it comes to direct brand ratings. There is a long way to go from the other brands to Asics, and this is also evident in the test of the individual running shoes, because Asics again has 2 running shoes in the top 3..
It’s no wonder that Asics continues to impress the Danes. They keep up with the times and trends in running, but most importantly for us Danes, they stick to the things they are good at. Their 2 top models that we all know are still there, and they are also the ones that can be found in the top 3.

The best running shoes of 2017 at Iloebesko.dk

We cannot judge whether it is the best running shoe in 2017. There will probably be as many opinions on the matter as there are runners. But we can see that the absolute most popular running shoe in 2017 is the Asics Gel Kayano. The Asics Gel Kayano has existed for more than 20 years on the Danish running market, and is now in its 24th version at the time of writing. And the Asics Kayano 24 may be one of the reasons why it was the Kayano and not the Nimbus or Ultra Boost that won this year.
After a few seasons (version numbers) where users had begun to doubt the Asics Kayano concept a bit, it must be said that with first its 23rd version but especially its 24th version of the Asics Kayano, Asics has brought this uncertainty to the ground again. The shoe has received some really good updates, and this has especially contributed to the Asics Kayano once again being at the top of many running wish lists around Denmark.
That’s one of the things that characterizes Asics. It may well be that for many years they have had the 2 most popular running shoes in Denmark, but that doesn’t mean they have to rest on their laurels. And we think the Asics Gel Kayano 24 is a clear answer to that.

Asics is popular, but it’s a pain in the neck

Even though the list contains 3 Asics running shoes in the first 4 places, it is still our clear feeling that Asics should not be followed too safely. They are constantly being criticized, and it is not by just anyone. In Denmark, they are fighting for the throne with 2 of the world’s biggest sports brands, namely Adidas and Nike..
And that’s exactly what Adidas has with their Adidas Boost running shoes series has created quite a stir in the duck pond. We can clearly see and sense that this running shoe is becoming more and more popular among runners. And as the infochart diagram also shows, we actually see that the people of Aarhus tend to have Adidas Boost as their preferred running shoe. At least when you look at our statistics on popularity measured against geography. And it is not only Aarhus that has opened its eyes to this slightly different and free approach to creating running shoes. When we look, we can see that both Aalborg, Odense and Copenhagen have Adidas Ultra Boost in a nice second place. So it is not for nothing that we say that Asics should always be at the forefront of shoes. Because there are others who really want to take over the throne.
While Asics Gel Kayano and Asics Gel Nimbus, number 1 and 3 respectively on the list of the most popular running shoes in 2017, are more traditional running shoes, we see with Adidas Boost one of the more “free” running shoes on the list. This trend clearly proves that this concept of “Natural running” and a more free approach to choosing running shoes is gaining more and more popularity among Danes.

The 4 largest Danish cities are almost in agreement

As you can see from our infochart, there is not much variation in how the 4 largest Danish cities search on our website. They are relatively in agreement about which running shoes are the most popular in 2017. There is broad agreement especially around Asics Gel Kayano and Adidas Ultra Boost. But if we look a little further down the list, it makes a difference whether it is Nike Air Pegasus or aNew Balance 1080 which belong on the list.

Asics Gel Nimbus, Asics Gel Kayano and Adidas Ultra Boost are the 3 models that are recurring on the lists for all 4 cities.

Well-known running shoes on the 2017 list

If you are a runner, you will also nod in recognition when I write that there are no big surprises on the list of the most popular running shoes in 2017. The vast majority of the shoes are well-known classics from even more classic brands. Among other things, you can see that Nike has 2 of their probably 3 most iconic running shoes on the list. Both the Nike Air Pegasus and the Nike Lunarglide are represented, and perhaps only the Nike Structure is missing to complete this musketeer trio. The Nike Air Pegasus is in its 34th version while the Nike Lunarglide is up and running with its 9th edition. So these are a couple of seasoned men/women we are dealing with, and of course they have to be on a list of the most popular running shoes. Because these are names that all runners can name.
In addition, I think it is worth noting that the 2 models from New Balance that people remember are on the list. New balance has moved away from their numbering system a bit, but there are still running shoes from that time in 2017. Both the New balance 1080 and 1260 are on the list of the most popular running shoes with us. And they are only for the reason that they are becoming harder and harder to find. They are still on the market, and the names are not being removed from the market just like that, but these are 2 pairs of running shoes that New Balance is very protective of when we talk about selling these online. New balance has managed to remove a lot of online retailers of these 2 models. This has been done precisely to maintain its popularity and not least to be able to keep a price on a product that deserves it.

Asics Nimbus is of course also on the list, and has been a fixture for many years, and will probably be for many years to come. It is a running shoe that many other brands envy and have tried many times to knock off the pedestal. But still without success, because it is just a crazy good running shoe that Asics has in its range. Asics Gel Nimbus is in its 19th edition now. You can read here whether the Nimbus 19 from Asics is better than version 18?

*You are of course welcome to refer to this infographic. You are also welcome to use it in your own presentation, as long as you remember to link back to the original source. Write to us if you have any questions.

Unknown factors on the list

No list is without its pitfalls. And that is of course also the case on our list. We can draw a picture for you based on the pages on our website with the highest frequency of visits. And that probably also gives a really good picture of the most popular running shoes. Not the best running shoe, but the most popular. Because we are not here to judge whether a running shoe is the best. We test and review our running shoes from the same point of view. We want to equip the consumer to make the correct choice. But whether a running shoe should appear as the user’s best running shoe, we must leave that to the consumer to judge.
But the list naturally has some exceptions in the sense that there may be running shoes that we do not have in our portfolio, and therefore this will not be included in the assessment, as the test is based on our own statistics. But having said that, we ourselves believe that we cover a broad spectrum of running shoes that are available to the Danish consumer.
Another group of people, which the attentive reader may have discovered himself, is that we do not see a Brooks running shoe in the top 10 of the most popular running shoes, but we do have Brooks as the third most popular running brand. This has little to do with the trend on our site. It is about how our users land on our site. In short, it can probably be explained as Brooks perhaps being searched more broadly as a brand, whereas the others are searched directly at the model level.

My own favorite running shoes of 2017

When you are a “running nerd” as some would describe me as, you can quickly come across as very nerdy (hence the name, I think). But that’s not actually the case. And now you’re probably thinking, when you read the following, that it’s probably just to be on the sidelines. But the fact is that in all the years I’ve been involved with running shoes, I’ve had problems with the otherwise popular Asics running shoes. There’s simply something about their construction (and here I’m talking primarily about Kayano and Nimbus) that doesn’t fit my feet. And I’ve never agreed with their sizing either. I fluctuate between needing 42½ and 43½, one I think is too big, while the other becomes too tight after I’ve run +10 kilometers (feet grow in step with the heat)
I try a lot of running shoes over the course of a year, and sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between them when you have to remember, and in that way find your favorite. But a little trick for that is to get out and look at the shelf now, and see which running shoes have been allowed to survive. That is, the running shoes that are regularly used. And once again, I have to admit that I stand out a little from the list.
The 2 most worn pairs of running shoes I look at in the hallway right now are a Nike LunarEpic Flyknit and a Nike Free RN Flyknit. So from this point of view I have to say that these must be my two 2017 favorites when we talk about road running shoes. And it’s no secret that it’s probably primarily because I love the Flyknit upper that Nike uses in the vast majority of their running shoes soon, and then their approach to making minimalist running shoes without compromising on comfort. The Nike LunarEpic is my favorite running shoe on longer trips, but the Nike Free RN has primarily been used as my interval running shoe. The trips where I have to go fast.

If we are to conclude by rounding off the trail series, there is no doubt that in 2017 my most used and absolutely the trail running shoe I have run the most kilometers in is the Salomon S-lab Speed. It does it all.