As someone who writes about shoes for a living, I'm constantly asking people about their favorite sneakers. Whether it's podiatrists, friends, members of my local run club or my coworkers, I love hearing about the styles and brands that people depend on, whether they're running marathons or running errands.

And two brands that come up time and time again are Hoka and Asics. Both companies have become well-known for their comfortable shoes that are great for logging miles at any speed. So I tried two popular everyday options from the brands: Asics' Gel-Kayano 31 sneakers and the Hoka Clifton 9 Running Shoes.

I wore both sneakers for a range of activities, including runs, walks and workouts in the gym to see how they stack up. I am an avid runner who has completed both half marathons and a marathon. I am also starting to train for a marathon and used both of these shoes for some of my training runs, which are a mix of long and short runs. On days when I’m not running, I typically walk between two to five miles, so I wore the sneakers on some of these walks as well as for occasional strength training workouts.

What we like

Stability features

4D guidance system

Something to note

Not enough cushioning for some

Sizes: 5-13 | Fit: Narrow, regular, wide | Colors: 25 | Weight: 9.3 ounces | Heel Stack Height: 39 mm | Forefront Stack Height: 29 mm