Men's Health names 2026 sneaker awards

Men’s Health published its 2026 Sneaker Awards on Wednesday, adding a new annual-style gear package to its footwear coverage. The list names editor-tested picks across running, training, trail, basketball and everyday categories, according to the magazine’s site. (menshealth.com) Men’s Health described the project in its latest-content feed as a search for “the year’s best footwear” after testing shoes on roads, trails, courts and office floors. The package was posted on the publication’s website on August 5. ### Which shoe categories did Men’s Health include this year? Men’s Health grouped the awards around five broad use cases: running, training, trail, basketball and everyday wear, according to the article listing and the site’s latest-content feed. (menshealth.com) The framing matches the publication’s broader gear coverage, which regularly separates shoes by sport, workout type and casual use. The August 5 package appears to be a roundup rather than a single-review post. Men’s Health said the awards recognize editor-tested picks and include product-specific notes for shoppers comparing options across multiple kinds of use. (menshealth.com) ### How did Men’s Health say it tested the shoes? Men’s Health said it “pounded pavement, trails, courts, and office floors” to identify the winners. That wording, published in the site’s feed, indicates the editors tested shoes in the environments tied to each category rather than limiting the awards to brand submissions or lab-style specs. (menshealth.com) Luke Chamberlain, Men’s Health UK’s ecommerce editor, is described on his author page as someone who compiles expert-led buying guides and in-depth product reviews across gym wear and related gear. While the available search results do not show the full byline block for the U.S. awards page, Men’s Health’s footwear coverage elsewhere in 2026 has leaned heavily on editor testing and reviewer notes. (menshealth.com) ### What makes this list more than a simple winner board? The Men’s Health package includes buying notes and pros-and-cons alongside the selections, according to the story context and the article page reference. (menshealth.com) That means the awards function as a shopping guide as well as a rankings feature, giving readers a reason each shoe won and a sense of where it may fall short. Men’s Health has used the same service format in other 2026 footwear guides. Its running-shoe roundup and gym-trainer guide both pair category labels with short reviews, intended use cases and tester observations, suggesting the Sneaker Awards follow a similar editorial template. (menshealth.com) ### How does the awards list fit into Men’s Health’s broader gear coverage? Men’s Health has expanded its product-led editorial packages in 2026 across training and wellness categories. The publication has already published tested guides for running shoes, cross-training shoes and HYROX shoes, and it released Sports Nutrition Awards earlier in the year. (menshealth.com) The August 5 sneaker awards bring those strands into a single umbrella list. Instead of focusing on one sport or one type of training, the package pulls together shoes for road work, gym sessions, trail use, basketball and casual daily wear in one place. (menshealth.com) ### Where can readers find the winners and what comes next? The full 2026 Sneaker Awards package is posted on Men’s Health’s website under the style section. The site’s latest-content feed lists the article among Wednesday’s new stories, and the page link points readers to the complete set of winners and shopping notes. (menshealth.com) August 5 is the publication date attached to the awards rollout, and readers looking for updates or follow-on testing can track Men’s Health’s footwear coverage through its running, training and gear guides already published in 2026. (menshealth.com 1) (menshealth.com 2)