Unfortunately, mainstream brands are not as good as expected lately. I had issues with Nike falling apart. Try Reebok, the Reebok Floatride Energy 5 Neutral Running Shoes usually go 50 percent off.

New Balance usually has the most reliable clearance. Unfortunately Nikes sales are not as good as expected lately, so 2026 might be the same. I had issues with Nike Pegasus 40 Road Running hurting my feet after a few miles. I usually find New Balance 880v13 Fresh Foam for under $100 on Black Friday. You could grab three pairs of New Balance 574 Core and stay under your $500 budget.

Regarding what #3 said about mainstream brands not being as good as expected lately... I have to agree. It is honestly so frustrating. I am facing the same dilemma where I need reliable footwear for city walking but everything I buy lately feels like a letdown. I had issues with my last two pairs basically disintegrating after a few months of use. Unfortunately, the construction quality is just not as good as expected anymore. If you want something that is actually built to last, you should just look at ASICS. Go with basically any of their stability shoes and you cant go wrong. They are much more consistent with their manufacturing than the big hype brands. I am also stuck waiting for the 2026 sales to hopefully find something that wont fall apart on me within a week. It is just a shame that we have to worry about this now.

Honestly, Ive been doing this dance for over a decade and if youre looking for sheer volume, Adidas is where its at. Nike gets all the hype but their sales are usually just meh compared to what they used to be. I remember one year I scored Adidas Ultraboost Light Road Running shoes for like sixty bucks because they did a stackable code on top of a 50% off sitewide sale. It was absolute madness. If youre walking NYC streets all day, you need something that wont bottom out after a month. New Balance is great but they protect their high-end 990 models pretty fiercely during sales. Adidas, though? They will dump stock to hit their end-of-year numbers. Here is what I look for to get the most mileage:

• Continental rubber outsoles because they actually last on concrete
• Torsion systems for stability since NYC sidewalks are uneven as hell
• Member-exclusive early access... sign up now, seriously I swapped to Adidas Adizero Boston 12 Training Shoes for my daily commute and the durability is lightyears ahead of the cheaper Nike stuff. Also, keep an eye on Saucony Triumph 21 Neutral Cushioning. Saucony often does buy one get one or 40% off deals during the holidays that nobody talks about. If you want 3 solid pairs on a $500 budget, that is the way to go. Nike is gonna eat that budget in two pairs if you arent careful.

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