Two kinds of published review count: runner reviews on RunningRecs and first-hand comments quoted from around the web, each linked to its source. Each one is read as positive, mixed or negative. A runner review's star rating decides it (4–5 positive, 3 mixed, 1–2 negative); quoted comments are judged when they are moderated, and ones nobody has judged yet don't count. Only reviews from the last 3 years count.
The % positive on each shoe is its share of positive reviews, with mixed ones counting as half.
The order rewards shoes that are both well liked and widely discussed: we count how many more positive reviews a shoe has than an average shoe with the same number of reviews would have. A shoe with 33 positive reviews out of 43 therefore ranks above one with 15 out of 17, which is why the order doesn't always follow the % positive.
This list only takes shoes where at least 20% of reviews tag it “great for long runs” or “great cushioning”. How often reviewers use those tags, counted the same way (mentions above the site average for that many reviews), is added to the order.
A shoe needs at least 10 reviews and at least 60% positive to be listed. We never pad a list: only 8 shoes qualify right now, so that's how many you see.
The list re-ranks itself as new reviews are published. There are no sponsored placements, affiliate links or paid rankings.