Types of Running Shoes

Determining your foot type

Determining your gait and foot type is the most important aspect of buying a running shoe. Choosing the right shoe can help prevent sports injuries and keep you running pain-free. A podiatrist can determine your gait and foot type, but you can figure it out yourself pretty reliably.

A wet test will quickly tell you what type of arch you have: normal (neutral), flat or high. All you need to do is wet the bottom of your foot, then step on a piece of paper. Take a look at your footprint. Neutral feet make a classic-looking print, with a gently sloping line along the inside of the foot, from behind the inside ball to the front of the heel. Those with flat arches won't see much of a curve at all on the side of the footprint, while those with high arches won't even see a continuous footprint -- rather you'll see a print at the ball and another at the heel (Fig. 1).

If you have normal arches:

Your arch type gives you a clue about your pronation tendencies. Pronation is the rolling of the foot from heel to toe through the foot strike. People with neutral arches also tend to be normal pronators, hitting the outside of the heel and up to ball of the foot evenly across the front, with a bit of inward roll to absorb the stress of impact. Those with a normal arch and even gait can wear pretty much any running shoe. Experts, including those at Runner's World, say that neutral runners should look for a stability shoe, which gives good arch support.

For those with flat arches:

Those with flat arches tend to overpronate -- meaning that the foot tends to roll inward too much when it strikes the ground. So you need a shoe that prevents your foot from overpronating, which can cause running injuries. If your foot is mainly normal but tends to roll inward a bit, a stability shoe with extra arch support is a good choice. For severe overpronators, or for those who are heavier or taller than average, a motion control shoe is the best place to start.

If you have high arches:

The least common arch type is a high arch; those with high arches tend to underpronate, meaning the foot doesn't roll inward naturally to act as a shock absorber. Rather, there's too much stress on the outside of the foot, which can travel up the leg. In this case, fitness experts say you want a neutral cushioning shoe, which doesn't have any added support that could impede your foot from pronating. Rather, a neutral cushioning shoe should encourage your foot to roll inward naturally.

You can examine an old pair of running shoes to confirm your gait type. An overpronator will wear the midsoles of their shoes faster on the inside. Their used shoes will, more often than not, lean toward the inside. The reverse is true of an underpronator. Don't confuse yourself looking at the actual sole of the shoe. Most people wear out the sole on the outside of the heel, but this does not necessarily mean that they are an underpronator.

Trail runners are in a class on their own. We cover this type of shoe in a separate report on trail-running shoes, which some hikers also prefer. Trail-running shoes have a sturdier toebox and sometimes an extended sole to repel dirt and rocks. They have a chunkier tread to help grip the trail and a stiffer midsole to provide more stability. Trail runners are bulkier than road-running shoes, but they are not as cushioned.

From all this discussion of foot and gait types, it should be evident that recommending the best running shoe for everyone is impossible. An overpronator cannot wear the same running shoes as an underpronator. And until you try them on and take a test run, it's impossible to guess which shoe might work best for you. For our report, we've focused on running shoes that get consistent recommendations. These aren't the only shoes you should consider, but they are a good place to start.

In all our research, the consideration for choosing a women's shoe was exactly the same as choosing a men's shoe. All running shoes, regardless of gender, are designed to give the feet control, stability and cushioning. Except for a few specialty manufacturers, all the better models come in both men's and women's versions. The end result is that women's versions of the shoe tend to be softer and more flexible because women are generally lighter in weight than men.