Different Types Of Running Shoes: The Quick And Easy Guide -

There are so many different types of running shoes out there–zero-drop, trail shoes, stability, neutral–it can be daunting to know which is the right shoe to choose for your style of running.

The great thing about all of that variety is it actually serves your body really well.

Utilizing different shoes through a running shoe rotation, helps to prevent injuries and let’s bet honest just provides a better reason for buying another pair when we want to.

The right type of running shoe based on the running surface, your personal preferences, and body mechanics can prevent injuries, but also simply feels better. For example, did you know that as we get older we lose the fat pads in our feet? So yes you may suddenly enjoy running in a cushioned shoe a great deal more than before.

That’s ok!

Your feet will change. Your running will change. Allow your running shoes to change.

This guide will help you understand the different types of running shoes available and help you understand how to go about selecting the right one for you.

Different Types of Running Shoes

When looking at a wall of running shoes, it’s a glorious but confusion place to be. First, we all simply have preferences based on appearance that we have to either embrace or ignore to truly get the right fit.

I cannot strongly enough recommend going in to a running store to try on shoes. RUN AROUND in them and get a feel for how your body responds to them.

Beyond that running shoes are often categorized first by surface needs and second by motion control needs.

What Type of Running Shoe Do I Need?

A number of factors go into finding the right type of running shoe for your specific needs, goals, and style of running.

There are two different categories you’ll need to pick from to help you determine the right type of shoe for you.

First, we need to look at the type of surface you’ll be running on. You absolutely want to have different shoes for different purposes and once you know the surface, then you can look in to the additional details like arch support and forefoot cushion.

Trail
Road
Track

Trail Shoes

Trail running shoes are designed to provide more traction in the mud and snow, protection from roots and rocks, and power up steep inclines.

Outsole has thicker lugs for increased traction on dirt, looking for things not to hold on to rocks
Generally stiffer than road shoes, providing support as the foot moves side to side
Often has additional waterproofing, making them less breathable
Some trail shoes have a rock plate for additional foot protection

Cross-country shoes would be a small subset of trail shoes as they have some features that help them to remain lighter and aren’t built to be quite as rugged for rocky trails.

Road Shoes

Road running shoes are designed for use on man made surfaces like pavement, multi-use paths, treadmills, track, and sidewalks.

The flatter, smoother outsole creates a level surface for the pavement. Shoes are generally more lightweight with less durability in order to keep the weight down. As a result, they’re more flexible and quicker to dry with a mess upper.

Track Shoes

You can certainly wear regular road shoes for track workouts. But if you want to compete in track meets, you may want a pair of spikes or racing flats.

Track spikes provide more traction for speed on the track and they’re super lightweight. Depending on your preferred distances, there are different spikes that are better suited for sprints vs longer races like the 1500m+.

Soles feature a set of pins, or spikes, that grip the track
Super, super lightweight shoes with almost no cushion for shock absorption
Not made for high mileage

What are the three types of running shoes?

People often think there are just three types of running shoes: neutral, stability and motion control. But that’s not really correct any longer as we start to look at things like heel drop or even the plushness of the shoe and of course the new carbon fiber shoes.

The 3 commonly known types are designed to position the foot in a neutral stance to limit injuries and increase efficiency.

Stability
Neutral
Motion Control

While others simply offer a variety of personal preferences for speed, amount of cushioning or fit. If you are getting injured frequently then it’s worth doing a running gait analysis to see if your stride is the issue or changing shoes might help!

Also remember that as shoes breakdown they will change your form. So it’s important to know how long running shoes last!

Stability Shoes

Stability shoes are designed to correct overpronation in runners. Pronation refers to the inward rolling of the ankle as it hits the ground.

Overpronators tend to run with flat feet or have week hips, which cause their feet to roll inward. Over time, the excessive pronation can lead to injuries like: Achilles tendonitis, Shin splints, IT band syndrome and Runners’ knee.

Remember ankles and feet are meant to move some, so you may prontate 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.

Stability shoes feature additional support in the midsole area, particularly under the arch in order to deter the inward tilt. There is also added cushioning in the midsole intended to maintain neutral alignment of the foot.

Neutral Shoes

Neutral shoes feature softer midsole support for runners who have minimal to no pronation.

For neutral arches, there is nothing to correct. Therefore neutral shoes don’t include the motion control features of corrective shoes. This can make them a bit lighter.

In general, neutral running shoes contain more cushioning in the heel, compared to the arch because weight is distributed more evenly.

This is the type of shoe we recommend for MOST runners
You’ll have a wider variety of options with neutral shoes
Here you’ll start to look at heel drop (12mm is great for Achilles issues, while 8mm is better for most runners)
Now you can also start to evaluate whether you like a lot or a little cushion

Motion Control Shoes

Motion control, or high-stability shoes, are designed to provide extra support for runners with flat feet that weigh over 180 pounds.

They are the most stable running shoe for severe overpronation and are fitted with a dense foam and reinforcement in the arch.

Only go to this type of shoe if you’ve had consistent injuries, have a specific foot or leg abnormality that is altering your gait.
The heel will be relatively stiff and the shoe pretty straight in shape.
The outsole has a wide base to provide more stability for heavier runners.
Motion control shoes tend to weigh more than other running shoes.

These are the least common type of shoe as more and more manufacturers are moving towards neutral shoes.

Which type of shoe is best for running?

I’ve already told you we prefer neutral running shoes, but from there we more different types of running shoes to breakdown in your selection.

Cushioned
Maximal
Minimal and Zero Drop
Carbon Fiber

Cushioned Shoes

A cushioned shoe can run the gamut from a light foam to plush like you are walking on a pillow (the Hoka Bondi!).

The level of cushioning really becomes a personal preference. But there are some benefits to runners who may supinate.

Supination means a runner lands on the outside of their feet and might be someone running with high arches, which can cause injuries such as ankle sprains, shin splints, calluses, and bunions.

Super plush shoes are great for recovery runs
Something too plush can lead to low back pain if it causes you to relax your form too much
Most shoe models will have an indicator as to what the level of cushion is compared to their other models

Maximal Shoes

Thanks to Hoka One One many brands are now creating their own version of a maximal shoe. Largely defined as a shoe with a much taller cushioned base…well they look more massive.

But in fact are generally lightweight due to that cushion.

Maximal shoes actually provide more stability due to the larger base
They are not by default super cushioned, they still have levels of cushion
Most have a lower heel to to drop, which we also recommend (10mm-6mm)
The stack height is what makes them taller, not a bigger heel to to toe drop (great example by Run Repeat below)

I’ve seen no evidence that these shoes breakdown faster, which I saw reported elsewhere. Most have the standard roughly 500 mile running lifespan that most shoes do.

Minimal and Zero-Drop Shoes

Made popular a decade ago after the release of Born to Run low and zero drop shoes feature a 0mm to a very small 4mm drop from the heel to the toe of the shoe.

Zero-drop means the shoe is flat and is often compared to running barefoot. A shoe with a 4mm drop means the heel is elevated 4mm above the heel. Traditional running shoes can have a drop of 12mm.

The concept is that with less cushioning between your foot and the ground, you have more awareness, which improves balance, strengthens the feet, and prevents heel striking.

Beloved by many runners, but causes injuries for tons of runners
Don’t make a 100% switch to this type of shoe, do it gradually
Larger foot shape allows the toes to splay naturally, reducing foot injuries and deformities
Very little cushioning in the true barefoot styles like Vibram Five Fingers
Altra Running and TOPO shoes are a great option to go low,while still getting the cushion.

They aren’t right for everyone and they require a transition period to avoid injury.

Carbon Fiber Shoes

Newest to the market, these have actually been in development for quite some time. This video gives you a good explanation of how carbon fiber shoes work and why they should not be your every day running shoe.

Can any shoe be a running shoe?

Yes. But should it is the real question and the answer to that is often no.

We want the support, the cushion and the wicking provided by a true running shoe. It’s going to keep our knees happier and prevent blisters.

Part 2: How To Tell if a Running Shoe Fits Properly? Understanding things like width, toebox and feel.

Looking for more running shoe guides?

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Different Types Of Running Shoes: The Quick And Easy Guide