I run about 500 km a month, my marathon best is under 2:30, and I picked these seriously. This is my conclusion as of Oct 21, 2026. For a beginner's first pair, three things keep you out of trouble: an official price under JPY 20,000, a weight under 300g, and a choice of widths. No. 1 is the ASICS GT-2000 15 at JPY 16,500 and 252g, No. 2 the NOVABLAST 6 at JPY 17,600 and 253g, and No. 3 the staple Nike Pegasus 42.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
For a first pair, pick the GT-2000 15. The reason is that it avoids the three things beginners trip over in one shoe: it's not too heavy (252g), the width doesn't fight you (a wide is available), and it's not too expensive (JPY 16,500). It also has a stability design for people whose feet roll inward on landing. It's about 20g lighter than the previous generation, which breaks the assumption that stability shoes have to be heavy. If you can't decide, look at the one in the middle first.
Key points
- All 6 pairs have an official price under JPY 20,000. The cheapest are the GT-2000 15 and the Velocity Nitro 5 at JPY 16,500
- The lightest is the Velocity Nitro 5 at 240g, and even the heaviest, the Brooks Ghost 18, is 290g (27cm)
- Wide fits are available. The GT-2000 15, NOVABLAST 6 and Pegasus 42 come in standard and wide
For a first pair, picking on a long feature list backfires
Walk into a store and the shoe descriptions are full of technical terms: energy return, max-cushion, carbon. But that isn't what trips up people who've just started. It's three things: heavy legs, a width that hurts your toes, and a price that makes it hard to keep going.
So this article skips the jargon and ranks six shoes on just three numbers: price, weight and width. I run 500 km a month, and for training shoes I check weight and width first too.
How I Chose: Best Running Shoes for Beginners
The order isn't by sales. We ranked them on three criteria.
| Criteria | Reason |
|---|---|
| 1. Official price under JPY 20,000 | The loss is small if you don't stick with it. Even the new generations fit in this range |
| 2. Weight under 300g | The longer you run, the more the weight on your feet matters. Lighter is easier to stick with |
| 3. A choice of widths, or a wide standard fit | When the width doesn't fit, people go up a size to escape it. A shoe with width options is easier to re-pick |
I left out shoes with a carbon plate for energy return as a first pair. Carbon plates are a tool for faster runners, and they raise the price.
Running Shoes for Beginners Compared: 6 Pairs
Scroll the table sideways →
| Shoe | Official price | Weight | Drop | Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASICS GT-2000 15 | JPY 16,500 | 252g | 8mm | Standard / wide |
| ASICS NOVABLAST 6 | JPY 17,600 | 253g | 8mm | Standard / wide |
| Nike Pegasus 42 | From JPY 17,600 | About 287g | 10mm | Regular, Wide |
| Mizuno Wave Rider 30 | JPY 18,700 | About 265g | 8mm | 2E equivalent, 4E equivalent |
| PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 | JPY 16,500 | About 240g | 8mm | 2E equivalent, 3E equivalent |
| Brooks Ghost 18 | JPY 19,800 | 290g | 10mm | D, 2E |
No. 1 ASICS GT-2000 15: A Stable First Pair
Why it ranks here: it meets all 3 criteria at the lowest price. JPY 16,500 for 252g. It comes in standard and wide, and the men's goes from 24.5cm to 32.0cm.
It's built for people whose feet roll inward on landing, and the 3D GUIDANCE SYSTEM, shaped into the sole, takes the roll. The sole is about 2mm thicker than the previous generation, and it's about 20g lighter.
Watch out for: the sole is about 38mm, so it doesn't feel as soft as a max-cushion shoe. If softness comes first, No. 2 suits you better.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS GT-2000 15
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 11,550 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 19,800. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaHow I think about stability is in the GT-2000 15 review.
No. 2 ASICS NOVABLAST 6: Light, With Some Bounce
Why it ranks here: it's light at 253g, and of the shoes with the bouncy FF TURBO SQUARED foam in the forefoot, it has the lowest price. The stack is about 41.5mm with an 8mm drop. Both men's and women's come in wide.
Watch out for: the bouncy foam goes only into the forefoot, where you push off. The landing side is the same foam as the previous generation.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS NOVABLAST 6
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 13,200 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 22,000. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaThe difference between the GEL-KAYANO 33 and the NOVABLAST 6 is also written up.
No. 3 Nike Pegasus 42: A Long-Running Staple
Why it ranks here: it comes in Regular and Wide, and there's a rain-ready GORE-TEX version too. From the 41, Nike added 3mm of cushioning under the toes and widened the last. The drop is 10mm.
Watch out for: at about 287g (27cm), it's on the heavy side of the six. It's close to 300g, so if weight comes first, No. 1 or No. 2 suits you better.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Nike Pegasus 42
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 20,240 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 64,100. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaNike's new releases are collected in Nike's 2026 new shoes article.
No. 4 Mizuno WAVE RIDER 30: A Wide Standard Fit for Japanese Feet
Why it ranks here: the standard width is 2E equivalent, and you can go up to a 4E-equivalent Super Wide. The drop went from 10mm down to 8mm, with the forefoot 6mm thicker and the heel 4mm thicker. It weighs the same as the previous generation, about 265g.
Watch out for: the Super Wide comes in 25.0–29.0cm. If your feet are big, check the size first.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Mizuno Wave Rider 30
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 11,900 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 19,800. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaNo. 5 PUMA Velocity Nitro 5: The Lightest of the Six
Why it ranks here: at about 240g, it's the lightest of the six. It's 10g lighter than the previous model and the price stays at JPY 16,500. The stack is 35mm / 27mm, and moving 1mm from the heel to the front took the drop from 10mm to 8mm. The men's version comes in 2E-equivalent and 3E-equivalent widths.
Watch out for: the stack is on the thin side of the six. If cushioning comes first, No. 1 through No. 4 suit you better.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 11,938 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 16,500. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaNo. 6 Brooks Ghost 18: Pick by Width and Weather
Why it ranks here: from the start, it comes in three variants besides the standard: Wide (2E), Slim, and a waterproof GORE-TEX. The sole material and thickness are unchanged from the previous model. Only three parts changed: the insole, the tongue and the upper fabric.
Watch out for: at 290g (27cm), it's the heaviest of the 6 pairs. At JPY 19,800, it's also on the high side of the 6.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Brooks Ghost 18
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 15,840 (as of 10/20). Some shops ask up to JPY 19,800. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaThe HOKA Clifton 11 also has a wide choice of widths, at JPY 19,800. How to pick a width is in the wide-fit running shoes article.
Quick Guide: Which of the 6 Pairs?
| If you are | Pick |
|---|---|
| You can't decide, and you worry about your foot rolling in | ASICS GT-2000 15 |
| Light, with a bit of bounce | ASICS NOVABLAST 6 |
| A staple shoe that you also run in the rain | Nike Pegasus 42 |
| The wide fit common among Japanese feet is tight | Mizuno Wave Rider 30 |
| You want the lightest shoe, at a low price | PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 |
| You want to re-pick width and weather later | Brooks Ghost 18 |
Price and where to buy
Rakuten Ichiba prices vary by color, size and width. Older generations sometimes remain at lower prices, so check the number in the product name before you buy.
| Shoe | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| ASICS GT-2000 15 | JPY 16,500 | JPY 11,550–19,800 |
| ASICS NOVABLAST 6 | JPY 17,600 | JPY 13,200–22,000 |
| Nike Pegasus 42 | From JPY 17,600 | JPY 20,240–64,100 |
| Mizuno Wave Rider 30 | JPY 18,700 | JPY 11,900–19,800 |
| PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 | JPY 16,500 | JPY 11,938–16,500 |
| Brooks Ghost 18 | JPY 19,800 | JPY 15,840–19,800 |
Who is it for?
- Good fit: people about to start running, and people planning to run for 30 minutes to an hour two or three times a week.
If you already log a lot of distance and want to run faster, there are other ways to choose: light and bouncy. Start with the by-use sections of Best Running Shoes: 10 Pairs.
FAQ
How much should a beginner spend on running shoes?
The 6 pairs here run from JPY 16,500 to JPY 19,800. If you're starting with 1 pair, anything under JPY 20,000 is enough. The cheapest are the GT-2000 15 and the Velocity Nitro 5 at JPY 16,500.
Are running shoes in the JPY 10,000 range enough for a beginner?
Yes. In the upper end of the JPY 10,000 range, there are shoes from 240g to 290g. All six here are in that range.
How should a beginner choose a size?
Match the length to your usual shoes. If the fit is tight, choose the wide before you go up in length. Mizuno and ASICS both have separate model numbers for different widths.
Should a beginner pick a shoe with a carbon plate?
Not for a first pair. A carbon plate is a part for faster runners, and it raises the price. None of the six here has a carbon plate. The wave-shaped plate in the WAVE RIDER 30 is a part that steadies the forefoot.
