Roy J. Riley 
Running is a refreshingly uncomplicated way to get your heart pumping. You can do it nearly anywhere, and you don’t need much to make it happen (other than the motivation to go).
That said, functional gear that speaks to your specific needs can enhance your experience.
We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing, enlisting the help of a collegiate track coach (and former podiatrist), a former Runner’s World editor, and several of the most passionate runners on our staff. Here are our recommendations for the best gear to get you up and running.
Choosing a definitive “best” pair of running shoes is an impossible task. The right shoe for you depends on a variety of factors, including the size and shape of your feet, how often you run, and your training goals. And there are tons of available options. To help you find your go-to shoe for everyday running, we’ve tapped a variety of experts, researched hundreds of shoes, and run more than 4,000 miles. We recommend trying on several different pairs, either at your local running store, where you can leverage staff expertise to help you find the ideal fit, or in your home, if you prefer to shop online.
To help inspire your search, below we list four shoes that rose to the top in our testing. They include the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v13, a go-to neutral trainer (women’s, men’s); the Saucony Guide 17 (women’s, men’s), a flexible stability shoe; and the Altra Escalante 3 (women’s, men’s), a sneaker with a low heel-to toe-drop. For additional details on each pair, plus more recommendations and advice, check out our full guide to choosing the best running shoes for you.
Across our years of testing running shoes, the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v13 stood out in our most recent evaluations for its softness and bounce. This pair requires virtually no breaking in and feels springy from the first wear.
A stability shoe that requires less breaking in than the competition, the Saucony Guide 17 provides “an incredibly easy and smooth ride,” according to one tester.
A running belt allows you to carry a variety of essentials (phone, keys, water, gels) with little movement or discomfort. A running belt should fit securely and provide easy access to your stuff, while keeping those items reasonably dry.
The Tune Belt SP2 looks like a basic running belt, but it has plenty of storage space underneath a main pocket. Held together by a hook-and-loop closure similar to Velcro, the main compartment contains a zippered pocket good for stashing keys and other small items. Even better, the zippered area has a hard plastic back, creating for safe storage of phones behind the zippered pocket. The straps are easily adjustable and contain thin reflective strips. The belt comes in black only, and it isn’t fully water-resistant, but it is covered by a one-year warranty.
If you want a running waistband with additional storage space, we recommend the Nathan Zipster Max Running Belt, which has two zippered components and two stretchable elastic side pockets good for sticking in a tote bag, an extra layer, or even your phone. The Zipster Max is size-specific and not adjustable. Read more about all our picks in our full guide to the best running belts.
Smartphone armband
Overall, we think running belts outperform running armbands, which have the potential to alter your running form. But an armband is an option if you want to carry your phone and nothing else, if you find running belts uncomfortable or ill fitting, or if you want to give Bluetooth waves a clear path to your headphones.
The Tune Belt AB91 Sport Armband has a straightforward design and is intuitive to use. It felt great around the arm and barely budged during our runs. The Tune Belt comes in a number of slightly different sizes for different phone models, but if you have sizing concerns, you can take a look at the company’s device fit guide. The whole thing is simple to set up, and once you’re off and running, it’s possible to forget you’re even wearing the Tune Belt. (For more information on running with an armband, check out our full guide to the best iPhone armbands for running.)
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-running-gear/
