The Mirage has been a top performer for Saucony, straddling the categories of minimal drop shoes and supportive shoes with a generous stack height; it’s well cushioned and efficient. The upper returns to an open mesh with welded, no-sew overlays providing just enough support for the foot with hardly a weight gain.

The Flyknit Lunar1+ is a new shoe for Nike. Well, it is new, though maybe a bit of a hybrid. With all of the fanfare over the Flyknit Racer and Trainer, the Lunar1’s upper will probably look familiar. It’s knit and shaped in a single process without wasted material. With only a seam at the ankle collar and the Strobel board, there’s little to irritate; not surprisingly, it fit our testers well.

The Gravity is the original Newton shoe, now thoroughly dialed in and rolling along. Designed for neutral runners interested in performance, its technology encourages forefoot striking via its cushioning lugs, but it benefits all neutral runners by storing and releasing energy for toe-off.

The Elixer continues to be a flashy bauble in Mizuno’s line, but it’s a bauble with plenty of muscle. The upper is a closed mesh, but with attention-grabbing, sublimated graphics. Like other Mizuno shoes this year, the midfoot is supported by no-sew overlays and anchored by heel and toe overlays of traditional synthetics.