Finding the right running shoes for overpronation can be tricky with so many different brands. And of course determining if you even need a shoe for stability. Let’s look at the top models and what you need to know before selecting one.
Everyone has some pronation while running, that’s natural and necessary. So if you hop on the treadmill at your running store and they tell you that you need a stability shoe, first ask yourself if you’ve been having any pain or issues while running?
They aren’t looking at your full leg movement, which could include a hip drop that’s causing your knee and foot to roll inward. In which case a stability shoe isn’t going to resolve the issue.
What is Pronation in Running?
As noted EVERYONE has some pronation to their foot and this is a good thing. According to Podatrists, the average person should have about 15% or a little less pronation to their step.
In order to absorb the shock of hitting the ground, your ankle and arch will slightly collapse in to the ground. During this your foot will roll from heel to forefoot so that you end up with more of your weight on the big toe. Your big toe is actually a powerful driver in your quick push-off the ground.
The degree to which you roll inward or outward determines the type of pronation that you have and will help guide you to making any necessary changes.
- Overpronation is when your foot rolls inward too far.
- Neutral pronation is when you don’t have excessive rolling inward or outward of the foot upon landing.
- Underpronation, also known as supination, is where your foot does not roll inward enough when you run or actually rolls outward.
Do You Need Running Shoes for Overpronation?
How to know if you need a stability shoe is an important topic!
One of the things that lead to injury for many runners is overpronation, which is when the arch falls in causing the ankle to roll in as well and sending strain up to the knee and hip.
An old rule was to look at the wear on your shoes. But we now know this isn’t really accurate.
A better way to tell is to visit a Physical Therapists and have them look at your stride. This will ensure that you don’t get a shoe to correct pronation which is actually caused by weak hips allowing your knee and ankle to collapse inward.
You can also try to video yourself in slow motion, but if you don’t know what to look for you may still miss the cause.
As always, my first recommendation is learning exercises that will strengthen your weak hips, glutes and core, instead of relying on the shoe to fix things for you.
If you don’t then over time you’ll create new areas of weakness and only mask issues for a little while.
With a foot strike that rolls too far outward or lacks enough mobility we are open to a lot of issues due to the excessive force placed on joints, tendons and overworked muscles. So if you are experiencing any of these issues, then it’s time to strengthen and grab a shoe for overpronation.
In fact, one 2019 study in Frontiers in Physiology showed that elite runners have more foot stability. This could point to why they are better able to prevent running injuries based on what we are now understanding about the power of your foot in the kinetic chain.
What Does a Stability Running Shoe Do?
- Remember ankles and feet are meant to move some, so you may pronate a little, but not need a stability shoe
- Stability shoes often feel firmer and lack that cushioned feeling
- Stability shoes are often over-recommended to runners who actually need to work on hip and glute strength
- Try alternating a neutral shoe with a stability shoe when you are working on strength and moving away from a shoe correcting your imbalances.
Although stability shoes and neutral running shoes share some characteristics, they also differ from one another. These shoes have supportive features built into the midsole, such as a medial post or guide rails.
The medial post is made of denser EVA foam which is a harder foam than that used to cushion the shoe. It is intended to provide support while slowing the rate of overpronation during your gait cycle. For decades, it has been the traditional method of adding support to shoes.
These supportive features help keep your foot in a neutral position. For runners with mild to moderate overpronation, stability shoes with this design are a great option. However, the drawback of these shoes is that they are slightly heavier.
7 Best Running Shoes for Overpronation
Having noted that I want you to first find and fix the cause, we can now move on to some shoe recommendations!! I’m going to give you some traditional running stability shoes and some that will help with running overprontation, but aren’t forcing a correction.
Asics Gel-Kayano – Most Popular Stability Running Shoe
I recently did a full review of the Asics GEL Kayano and here it is again as a long-standing winner. It’s a favorite marathon training shoe and one that will help to provide you with the extra support your foot needs.
The Asics Gel Kayano 29 is known for its supportive, multi-density midsole and firmer foam through the arch. They’re one of the best motion-control shoes with firmer medial (inner) and softer lateral (outer) midsole sidewalls.
Its DuoMax Support System is the perfect fit for you if you overpronate since the firm sponge layer in the midsole helps your foot land in a more neutral position.
If in the past you’ve found the Gel Kayanos to be bulky, then the 28th version is here to change your mind. It has a redesigned, three-layer midsole that feels soft, bouncy, and supportive but also lightweight at the same time.
The shoe has been designed to be a stability shoe for overpronators, but it’s highly popular for high-mileage neutral runners as well.
- 29 is the newest model, but if you find an older one on sale go for it
- 10 mm heel drop
- 9.3 oz women’s, 10.8 oz men’s
- DuoMax® Support System doesn’t add weight, but does add support
See current prices at Dick’s Sporting Goods (last years model is like $60 cheaper and fabulous) >>
Checkout REI pricing (probably the most liberal return policy ever, you could take them back after 100 miles) >>
NIke Air Zoom Structure (and Infinity Run)
Nike doesn’t make a lot of stability shoes, but they do have the Infinity React Run and Zoom Structure. As someone who is on my 7th pair of the Epic React Flyknit, I can say without a doubt that the cushion in these is amazing.
The Nike Air Zoom Structure 24 has ditched the medial post that the 23 had, but is a support-oriented running shoe with a wide midsole and a snug-fitting upper.
It’s considered a supportive-neutral running shoe and is best for runners that have flexible flat feet. When you want some support, but don’t want to opt for stability or motion-control shoe.
The Nike React Infinity Run is an alternative to the Zoom Structure line-up and includes Nike’s new guide rail system, which is very similar to the one Brooks has. My personal preference is towards a stability shoe that’s softer like this.
It features midsoles with triple the density of most running shoes and provides runners with insole foam midfoot and a sturdy foam wedge at the heel. All this while still ensuring breathable mesh uppers.
It ensures that the feet are cool and dry, while still ensuring a secure fit. It includes Nike’s waffle texture, which provides runners with solid traction on any running surface.
The React Infinity Run has a movement-responsive structuring of the front which provides flexibility in speed as well as comfortable cushioning without excess bulk.
- 8mm drop
- 9.2 oz women’s
- They do run more narrow, so not ideal for a wide foot
- Again more stability in the Zoom Structure
- Available on Nike.com for $160
Nike has a great return policy, so I like to buy direct. Then you can go for a few runs and return if it feels awful.
Saucony Guide – Great for Cushion and Support
In this model, Saucony not only paid attention to the support below, but uses the upper for additional stability. It wraps around your foot, helping you feel more secure in the shoe.
The Guide 16 is the most recent model, but still feels like a very classic running shoe.
It’s not overly built up, no massive stack height, no crazy cushioning. Just a solid daily trainer that is going to provide you with some nice cushion and decent support.
And as noted the stability is there, but without being aggressive so you aren’t feeling it…it’s just doing the job. Plus, the ride still feels cushioned which was something that many traditional stability shoes lacked. That’s my kind of shoe.
In fact, I have run in the Guide quite a bit and found it to be a great overall trainer. I wasn’t put off by any hard pieces or overcorrection.
- 8mm drop
- 8.4 oz women’s (really light for stability), 9.5 oz men’s
- Higher level of cushion
- Available on Saucony.com for $140
New Balance 860 – Broader Widths and Good Cushion
The New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v13 has a dual-density medial post in the midsole that helps with overpronation, which will stabilize your foot strike and help to keep you in better alignment.
A combination of hard and soft rubbers on the outsole of the Fresh Foam 860 imparts grip, while the firm midsole is useful at runs of a higher pace.
Their latest V12 delivers an identical ride to its V11 counterpart, with great improvements to its upper. It’s now made of a single-piece mesh that’s also embroidered for visual as well as functional effect.
The breathable mesh upper keeps your feet cool and secure, and the cushioning is second to none.
It’s a stability running shoe that’s surprisingly light. It has a stretchy, spacious forefoot and toe box which feels comfortable and not too loose or sloppy.
- 10 mm heel drop
- 8.6 oz women’s, 10.9 oz men’s
- Good cushioned feeling
- Review: “ have low arches on my feet so I tend to overpronate when I walk/run. With these shoes, my over-pronation is much less noticeable and makes my workouts a lot more enjoyable.”
- Available on NewBalance.com for $150
There are A LOT Of fresh foam numbered shoes, so note that the 880 is neutral cushion. The 860 is the stability option. Personally, I quite like the Fresh Foam which provides just the right amount of cushion for my runs from 3 to 20 miles.
HOKA Clifton – Lightest Stability Shoe
I’ve talked about this particular shoe in so many running shoe reviews, that you probably aren’t surprised to see it show up on a list for running shoes for overpronation!!
While the Clifton is not a stability shoe, HOKA’s are designed to provide more stability. The wider shoe base simply creates that effect naturally and thus often feels better than a shoe with a first post down the middle.
HOKA Clifton 9 is the most recent model, but once again not quite yet released at the time of publication. So we’ll be dealing with the facts of the 8. Having run in multiple models, I can say they aren’t changing in big ways from 6 onward.
This is probably the lightest option because it doesn’t contain any posts or other support structures.
- 5mm heel drop
- 7.2 oz women’s, 8.90 oz men’s
- Better for wide feet
- Moderate cushion
- See the HOKA Clifton models and colors >>
Once again, I’m telling ya…the older models are cheaper and great. Especially if you aren’t yet sure you like a maximal shoe.
Altra Provision 7 – Zero Drop Option, Widest Toe Box
When I received the Provision I didn’t realize it was a stability shoe. But after wearing it alongside a few other models of Altra’s, that became much more apparent.
To me that’s a good sign! It means I didn’t feel the shoe changing anything when first using it, but upon comparison realized that it was limiting extra pronation.
By default your foot having a wider base and ability to spread-out should help with overpronation, IF you’re doing the foot strength work alongside the other pieces we discussed
I’d say this was right in the middle in terms of cushion. I chose to keep running in it over the Escalante with less cushion and the Olympus with a lot more.
- zero drop shoe
- 8.2 oz women’s, 9/6 oz men’s
- Moderate cushion
- Better for wide feet
- Available on Altrarunning.com for $140
All right that gives you a great place to start with running shoes for overpronation. And if you’re determined to make sure you fix the total issue, a few more reads:
- 13 Best Hip Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Best Ankle Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Should You Use Running Insoles or Orthotics
- Best Ankle Supports for Running
- How to Lace Running Shoes for More Support
- What is Heel Toe Drop in Running Shoes
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