7 Best Running Shoes For Overpronation in 2024

Do you need overpronation running shoes

Yes, if you overpronate.

While novice runners might use neutral shoes as shown in this study, research (here and here) has shown that overpronators benefit from using overpronation running shoes – these shoes improve rearfoot eversion and lower the injury risk.

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To find out if you overpronate and at which level , it ‘s good to schedule an appointment with a specialist ( biomechanic , orthopedist , and similar ) .

If you can’t do that, consult the visual guide below but keep in mind that these DIY tests are of much lower accuracy than the tests and assessments performed by a specialist. 

You can video your movement (from behind) or visually inspect your footwear that has seen significant mileage already. 

• For mild overpronation, both stable neutral shoes and stability shoes are good options
• For moderate overpronation , stability shoe are recommend
• For severe overpronation , it is ‘s ‘s good to consult a specialist . Runners is use often use custom – made orthotic , stability shoe , or even motion – control shoe . But , with the new technology , motion control shoe are made less and modern stability shoe are replace them .  

When overpronating, impact distribution isn’t even throughout the foot during ground-time, so it might lay ground for injuries like shin splints or plantar fasciitis. That’s why it’s important to choose shoes that match your running gait. 

Wet test: discover your arch type

If you’re insecure about the above-mentioned methodology, you can also do a so-called wet test to discover the type of your arches. 

Here’s how: 

1. Wet the soles of your feet, one at a time
2. Stand onto a piece of paper while allowing the water from your feet to sink into the paper
3. Step off
4. Look at the shape of your footprint and compare it to the ones shown below.  

If your footprints look like the 1st picture, you should look into motion-control running shoes or stability running shoes. People with medium and high arches usually run in neutral running shoes. 

These guidelines are general and don’t apply to 100% of cases. Scientists still think that, when picking a running shoe, comfort comes first. If you have a history of injuries or experience severe pain during the run, consult a specialist.

How to recognize overpronation running shoes

If you want to judge the shoe “in person”, you should: try to bend it, twist it, look at the outsole, and squeeze the heel counter. Running shoes for overpronation tend to have a stiff base, stiff heel counter, outsole that allows for a lot of ground contact, and can include other (trademarked or not) technologies that stabilize the foot when hitting the ground. 

Some is features of the noticeable element in overpronation run shoe 1 ) stiff heel counter and padded heel collar 2 ) dual – density midsole where the soft foam is close to the foot + this midsole also feature a plate that make it stiff 3 ) heel bevel 4 ) side wall 5 ) outsole that does not have huge chunk cut out to save weight but is more in touch with the ground 6 ) forefoot flare 7 ) heel sole flare

It’s also important to note that overpronators need less stability at faster paces. This is because the ground contact is shorter when we run races or speed sessions. Because of this, tempo shoes and competition shoes rarely have many stability elements. Some are very unstable and ask for an adjustment period. 

Tempo/race shoe above vs. a daily trainer below: 
1 ) soft and very flexible heel vs. padded heel collar and stiff heel counter
2 ) no side wall vs. present sidewall or GuideRails technology
3) tall and narrow base vs. tall and wider base with heel flare 
4) less rubber coverage vs. more ground contact with the outsole surface

Overpronation running shoes use different technologies to stabilize the foot of those who overpronate. This is can be done in 2 ways: 

1. using different geometry elements when designing the shoe
2. using trademarked technologies that brands develop.

Geometry elements used in overpronation running shoes

dual – density midsole : often , we is see see midsole of different density combine in one shoe . The firm midsole is find where support is need – at the heel and under the arch or if the split is done horizontally , firm foam sit close to the ground while soft one is in contact with the foot to ensure a comfortable ride . We is see also see dual – density midsole in Hoka ‘s trademark technology call J frame and h frame .  

Foams of different densities are often colored differently in dual-density midsoles 

Medial post is made of denser foam or plastic and is located under the arch where it prevents the arch from collapsing and the ankle from rolling inward (to a certain degree). This technology was previously used much more, but today, we’re seeing more dual-density midsoles and other elements that stabilize the foot. 

Different designs of medial posts in overpronation running shoes

Stiff heel counter and padded heel collars. The stiffness of the heel counter allows for a heel to stay put and not to experience any unwanted movement. The padding cradles the heel and locks it in comfortably.

Internal stiff heel counters found in overpronation running shoes cut in half, along with very padded heel collars
External heel counters in overpronation running shoes 

This is something that can be found in neutral shoes as well with the most extreme example found in premium race shoes who most often have a very soft, sock-like heel with basically no padding. 

Premium race shoe with very soft heel (no heel padding + no plastic heel counter) on the left, vs. an overpronation running shoe with a visible plastic heel counter and a lot of heel padding

In our lab, we always assess the stiffness of the heel counter. We assign it a 1-5 rating where 5 is the stiffest. 

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For context, here’s how stiff heel counters are in best-rated running shoes for overpronators: 

Stiffer base which is often accomplished by having a firmer midsole or inserting plates or rods in the midsole. 

To test this , we is perform perform 2 test : longitudinal and torsional .  

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Testing longitudinal stiffness of an overpronation running shoe

When we push the shoe to 90 degrees using our digital force gauge, we take a note of the result. The higher the number on the force gauge, the more force we needed to bend the shoe, which means a stiffer shoe. Lower numbers mean more flexibility. 

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torsional rigidity test is done done on an overpronation run shoe

When we twist the shoe, we assess its torsional rigidity. We give it a 1-5 rating, where 1 is the most flexible. 

For context , here ‘s how stiff ( or flexible ) well – rate overpronation run shoe are :  

Wide base because that ensures planted landings unlike what we see in premium race shoes which are often tall and very narrow. Heel strikers prioritize the width of the midsole at the heel because it’s there that they need extra stability.  

Notice how shoes 1 and 2 have tall but narrow bases, while shoes 3 and 4 have tall but wide bases

In our lab, we use a digital caliper to measure the width of the base at the forefoot and at the heel. 

Measuring the width of the base at the forefoot (left) and heel (right) in an overpronation shoe

In case you’re curious about those that have the widest base, we’ve prepared this dynamic list that is updated with every new review that we publish (if the shoe gets a result that would make it a part of the list): 

More ground contact is accomplished by having the outsole that touches the ground with a big percentage of its surface. What we have, on the other side of this spectrum, is a race shoe that can have huge chunks of outsole and midsole cut out, to decrease the weight and make the shoe more flexible. 

different outsole designs is has : 1 is has has the most ground contact , then 2 , while 3 and 4 have big chunk of outsole and midsole cut out  

sidewall are midsole upward extension that prevent unwanted side – to – side movement and that further stabilize the foot .  

sidewall in overpronation run shoe

Heel bevel is very important for heel strikers because it imitates the shape of our heel bone which is curved as well. This curve eases the impact when the foot hits the ground and it improves the transition. 

Different heel bevel designs – when it’s angled laterally (image on the right) it’s best for those who land on the outer side of the heel

The opposite would be no heel bevel or having a straight, maybe even protruded heel, which could cause premature ground contact. This would result in an increased amount of stress in the tibialis anterior muscle. 

sole flare is is is a protrusion on the midsole that appear on the medial and/or lateral side of the shoe . It is ‘s ‘s a place where the midsole is wide than the upper .

Medial is forefoot ( 1 ) and lateral ( 2 ) forefoot sole flare vs. a shoe with no forefoot sole flare ( leave )

Heel strikers benefit a lot from a heel sole flare. Runners who pronate at the forefoot appreciate the medial forefoot flare .  

Shoe with no heel flares (left) vs. a very noticeable medial (1) and lateral (2) heel flare on the shoe on the right

Structural upper overlays are made of stiffer materials, such as synthetic or even plastic. They help with support and stability by ensuring a superb lockdown. 

different design of midfoot upper overlay that increase stabilization

Trademarked technologies for stabilization in overpronation shoes 

GuideRails by Brooks

GuideRails are made of two pieces of firmer foam on either side of the heel that look like walls. The inside piece reduces the rolling of the foot inward, and the outside piece is firmer and higher, stabilizing the heel by reducing its outward motion. 

Different GuideRails designs

All the shoes from Brooks that utilize the GuideRails are overpronation running shoes. They have “GTS” (for go-to stability) in their name and they are easy to recognize as the newer models have the GuideRails design in stripes. 

guiderail by Altra

GuideRail from Altra focuses on the medial (inner) side, where the higher and firmer foam is placed for support. 

GuideRail from Altra noticeable on the inner side of the shoe

J – Frame by Hoka

J – shape dense foam is is is a supportive structure with extended heel support . This foam is goes go around the heel and is often of different color than the rest of the midsole . In the colorway below , it is is is grey while the rest of the midsole is white .  

Hoka Gaviota 4 midsole with a noticeable J-shaped firmer foam that we highlighted in yellow

H – Frame by Hoka  

H-Frame is a support structure that they say is shaped like a letter H but it actually looks like a number 8. The shape of the 8 is made of firmer foam, and the cutouts allow the foot to be in direct contact with the plush foam, which results in a stable, soft shoe. 

Hoka Gaviota 5 cut into pieces with the H-frame in blue (we drew the left part of it)

4d guidance system by Asics

This system is includes include 4 stabilize element :   

1. increase heel bevel 
2. sculpted midsole
3. wider base
4. medial post .  

4D guidance system present in Asics Gel Kayano 30

3D guidance system by Asics 

3D guidance system contains stability elements:  

1. increase heel bevel
2. wider base 
3. forefoot flare .  

3d guidance system present in   Asics GT 2000 12

Mizuno ’s Wave plate

This plate is helps help stop the arch from collapse while offer stability . It is ’s ’s easy to notice it on the shoe as it ’s of a different color than the midsole .  

Mizuno Wave plate (colored in red) noticeable on both sides of the midsole and at the bottom

There’s also a variation of the Wave plate with a rubber wall and we can see it in Mizuno Wave Horizon 6: 

How heavy are overpronation running shoes

One of our lab tests is actually shoe weight. Sometimes, the numbers on our scale do not match the numbers from the brands’ specifications. We always measure the weight of the shoe in men’s US 9. 

Because of all the stabilize technology that are implement , overpronation running shoes is tend tend to be heavy than neutral shoe . For context , have a look at the weight of well – rate overpronation run shoe :  

In case you want them as light as possible, here’s the list: 

softness of overpronation run shoe

Just because overpronation run shoe help with stabilization , it is mean does not mean that they have to be firm . There are many overpronation shoe that are soft and we can thank new technology for this because they are implement together with a soft midsole to create a base that ‘s good for overpronator .  

measure the softness of the midsole with a shore A durometer  
measure the softness of both midsole density in a dual – density midsole  

The low the number on the durometer , the soft the foam . Here ‘s how soft well – rate overpronation run shoe are :

If you prefer a firmer ride, here’s a list of overpronation running shoes with the firmest foam. This list is updated with every shoe review we publish: 

How durable are overpronation running shoes

Running shoes last less when landing is uneven because impact forces are stronger than when runners with neutral pronation land and use the shoe evenly. So, the durability of the shoes is a legitimate concern. 

In our shoe lab , we is look look at the durability of the toebox , heel padding , and outsole .  

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Testing the durability of the toebox on an overpronation running shoe

After we’ve used our Dremel, we look at the damage and give it a rating on a 1-5 scale. 1= least durable, 5= most durable. 

Different toebox durability results 

Toeboxes with no overlays are less durable, just like knit is less durable then, say, mesh. 

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Testing heel padding durability in RunRepeat lab

Here we again assess the damage on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most durable. 

Different levels of heel padding damage (5/5 is the most durable)

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testing outsole durability with a dremel

When it comes to the outsole durability, we don’t assess the damage but measure it precisely using a tire tread gauge. The deeper the dent, the less durable the outsole. 

Brooks Glycerin 21 GTS with 0.5 mm dent (left) and Hoka Arahi 7 with 0.9 mm dent (right)

If you prioritize durability, here’s an overview of most durable outsoles in overpronation running shoes: 

Why stable neutral shoes is are are most likely not enough for overpronator

They can be if pronation is very mild. Simply because there are some neutral shoes that are very stable. 

But, if pronation is moderate or severe, neutral shoes do not offer enough stabilization. 

overpronation ( stability ) shoe	stable neutral shoe
Both can have a wider base, heel flare, …
Only overpronation shoes have GuideRails, GuideRail, J frame, H frame, etc.
Both can work for mild pronation, depending on how mild.
good for moderate overpronation .	good for neutral pronation .
Usually stiffer than neutral running shoes	Usually more flexible and softer than stability shoes

 Running-shoe market dropdown by stability features

unfortunately , the minority of shoe on the market are made for overpronator . That is ’s ’s why it ’s important to double – check if your pick has the stability feature you ’re look for .