The Best Running Shoes for High School Cross Country

If you're heading into your first season, it’s important to understand what kinds of running will take place. As exciting as the glory of a PR or victory at the end of the season can be, the real victory happens in the grueling months leading up to the final meets. It takes a long time to build endurance and train your body to run hard over long distances, and some key training runs will get you there.

Over the course of a season, you can expect to do much more than go for a simple run each day. Every program works differently, but any team can expect easy days, workouts, and long runs. Workout days vary, but one thing is certain: you’ll be working hard and running fast. Easy days let you log miles while your legs recover, while long runs are all about covering distance.

With so many different paces and types of runs, it’s important to find footwear that can keep up with you.

Athletes are the ones who set personal bests and win races, but a proper pair of shoes can be the perfect tool to shatter those records. Price point aside, not all shoes are created equal.

Some shoes are made with special foams that can put extra pep in your step, or other shoes are made to aggressively roll you forward, making it easier on your legs to run fast. If you’re going to be using the same shoe for easy days, long runs, and speed work, it’s important to find a shoe that can handle it all!

When asked about a “running shoe,” many people will think of shoes in our Standard Daily Trainer category. While these are perfectly fine for easier daily mileage, they may not be ideal for athletes preparing to run the wide variety of paces in cross country training.

Standard daily trainers are generally best suited for balanced daily mileage, and many people also enjoy them as walking shoes. Is there anything wrong with a good running/walking shoe? No. Is there something better? Yes. These shoes can get the job done, but they may not be the most specialized options for athletes' training to crush it out on the course.

One easy (but not foolproof) way to identify Standard Daily Trainers is by checking the number in the shoe’s name. Higher numbers (usually 9+) mean that the shoes have been around for a while, and they tend to be rooted in traditional designs. Running shoes such as the Nike Pegasus 42, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25, Saucony Ride 19, New Balance 880 v15, ASICS GT 2000 14, and HOKA Clifton 10 come to mind.

Most of our favorite Energetic Daily Trainers have only been around for a few years, so they’re typically on lower version numbers. At the end of the day, running faster and longer in Standard Daily Trainers takes more effort than in Energetic Daily Trainers.

The key drivers in an Energetic Daily Trainer come down to the foam and geometry. Midsole (the foam you’re running on) technology is advancing rapidly, and we’re seeing shoes with higher levels of bounce and energy return. Compared to a Standard Daily Trainer, these shoes will give more energy back to your legs as you log each training mile.

Geometry also plays a big part in the energetic experience. These shoes often curl upwards towards the front of the shoe, rocking you through your stride onto your toes. Especially on faster days, this rocker can offer a great boost and smooth out your transitions.

Considering that Energetic Daily Trainers and Standard Daily Trainers are in similar price ranges, Energetic trainers are an excellent choice for high school cross country runners of all levels:

Sure! Especially during their first season, there are plenty of runners who will race in their trainers. It can take some time to adapt to racing flats or spikes, so some people wait until they are a bit more competitive. Check out our guide for the best Cross Country Racing Shoes for more information!

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what feels comfortable. You’ll be logging a lot of miles in your trainers, so it’s important to find something that fits well and matches your preferences.

If you can head to your local store and try on a few options. Through Running Warehouse, we have a 90-day free return policy, so we can set you up with store credit if the shoe you ordered isn’t quite working out. You can even take them for a test run!

In this category, there are only a few shoes with specific wide options. The ASICS Novablast, New Balance Rebel, and HOKA Mach are all offered in standard and wide widths.

This will vary from shoe to shoe, but we usually hope to get 300+ miles out of a good daily trainer. When you’ve worn through the outsole rubber or notice that the midsole foam isn’t as lively as it once was, it may be time to consider a fresh pair. For more details, check out our deep dive about replacing running shoes.

Many runners will have multiple shoes in their quiver, like different tools for different jobs. Certain shoes are speed-specific, slow-day/recovery-focused, etc. People will rotate between pairs of shoes depending on what kind of run they’re doing.

Each shoe in the Energetic Daily Trainer category is well-equipped to do any of your runs, with extra bounce to carry you farther, faster.

For more information, check out our full guide about rotation building.

Shoes with carbon, nylon, or another kind of plate can offer great added stability and propulsion, but we may not recommend them as the one shoe you use every day. Plates cause you to interact with the ground and your gait cycle differently, and some evidence is starting to suggest that daily drivers may be slightly better suited as non-plated options.