The right kit.
No guesswork.
Tell us your sport, experience and budget. We rank the top-rated models that fit and give you a best choice plus two alternatives, with the reasons and the trade-offs.
What are you training for?
Pick the closest match. We only ask about what matters for that sport.
How a recommendation is made
You tell us about your event
Choose your sport, then answer a few questions about your experience, your priorities and your maximum budget.
We rank the models that fit
We only recommend models that independent testers rated highly, each with a UK retailer page we have checked. Your budget counts: we look for the best model it allows, and only lean towards cheaper options if you tell us value for money matters most.
You get three options
Our best choice, plus a runner-up and a value or alternative pick, each with the reasons, the trade-offs and what to check in person.
Buying guides
Picks by goal and budget, with the reasons and the trade-offs.
- Road running shoesFrom a first pair for parkrun to a carbon-plated marathon racer.
- Trail running shoesGrip for mud, protection for rock and comfort for long days.
- HYROX shoesRunning shoe, training shoe or something in between.
- GPS running watchesSimple GPS, long battery life or full maps.
- Walking bootsCountryside paths, muddy hills and long mountain days.
- Backpacking tentsLight solo shelters, two-person tents and more room for three.
- Road bikesA first road bike, an endurance bike and aero race machines.
- Tri suitsOne suit for swim, bike and run, from first race to long course.
Find your kit
Answer a few questions. No perfect answers needed.
Your recommendation
Chosen around your priorities, sport and budget.
Good recommendations need good reasons.
Our aim is to make the equipment decision simpler, without pretending that a questionnaire knows everything.
There isn't one best shoe for everybody
The right decision depends on your purpose, what feels good to you, your budget and the surface or conditions you're training for. A higher price can buy better materials and features, but only matters if they suit what you’re doing, so we only compare products that match your answers.
We say what we don't know
Where a respected publication has tested a product, that counts for more than price in our ranking, but we don’t reproduce anyone’s reviews here. We tell you why a product suits your answers and what to check. Many products have no published test results yet, and we never invent any.
Three clear options, not a wall of cards
We use a repeatable rules-based matching system, then show our best choice with a runner-up and a value or alternative pick. We explain the strongest reasons, the trade-offs and the fit checks you should make before relying on our choice.
New products are added with care
We can expand the products we consider without overwhelming you with a catalogue. New models need identity checks, current evidence and a working retailer page before they are treated as confident recommendations.
On choosing running shoes
Comfort, fit and suitability to the activity deserve more weight than simplistic foot-type labels. This approach is consistent with sports-science research on choosing running shoes by comfort, and with NHS footwear guidance.