Best Running Shoes
These reviews cover what I consider to be the best running shoes. I believe that a running shoe should not interfere with the way you run, and therefore favor the minimalist style of shoe. Minimalist running shoes tend to have less cushioning, more flexible soles, and less of a high reduction (drop) between the heel and forefoot. The shoes below vary in their characteristics, with some providing just a thin barrier between your feet and the ground, while others are an evolution of the traditional running shoe. Many of these shoes are also recommend for the Pose method of running.
Contents
1 Where to buy
I generally recommend buying shoes from RoadRunnerSports.com as they allow you to run in the shoes and still return them for an exchange. It's hard to know how a shoe works for you until you've run in it for some distance. Another good option is Zappos.com which provides free shipping both ways, which allows you to spend time wearing the shoes around the house to see how they fit, though you can't run in them and return them.
2 Shoe Modifications
With the exception of the FiveFingers, I find that all shoes benefit from cutting open the toe box. This allows the toes to spread out as you toe off, creating more natural biomechanics. It also prevents toe blisters.
3 Summary Table
| Shoe | Weight | Drop | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modified Nike Free | Varies – 5 to 6oz | Zero | Road | |
| FiveFingers KSO | 5.7oz | Zero | Road/Trail | No laces |
| FiveFingers KSO Treks | 6.7oz | Zero | Road/Trail | No laces |
| FiveFingers Bilika LS | 6.5oz | Zero | Road/Trail | |
| Saucony Hattori | 4.4oz | Zero | Road | No laces |
| NB Road Minimus | 6.4oz | Zero | Road | |
| Merrell Trail Glove | 6.2oz | Zero | Road/Trail | |
| Merrell Road Glove | 6.5oz | Zero | Road | |
| Vivo Barefoot Evo II | 9.7oz | Zero | Road | |
| Nike Free 3.0 | 6.9oz | 4mm | Road | Highly flexible |
| Mizuno Wave Universe | 3.8oz | 4mm | Road | Lightweight |
| Inov-8 F-Lite 195 | 6.8oz | 3mm | Road/Trail | |
| Inov-8 X-Talon 190 | 6.7oz | 3mm | Trail | Aggressive tread |
| NB Trail Minimus | 7.7oz | 4mm | Road/Trail | |
| Saucony Kinvara | 7.7oz | 4mm | Road |
4 Zero Drop Shoes
If you want to get as close to barefoot as you can, these are some good options.
4.1 Modified Nike Free
With modification, the Nike Free 3.0 can provide a minimalist shoe with just enough cushioning to provide good protection. I prefer the Modified Nike Free to Vibram FiveFingers, as the small amount of extra padding protects my feet much better, while the flexibility gives a surprisingly similar experience. The longevity of the Modified Nike Free is good, lasting for 2,000+ miles.
4.2 Vibram FiveFingers
FiveFingers are popular Minimalist Running shoes. They are a thin sole combined with just enough material to hold them to your foot and a separate pocket for each toe, hence the name FiveFingers. They were originally created for boating, not running, but they have become hugely popular. I would recommend either the KSO (Keep Stuff Out) or the KSO Treks. The Trek version has a leather upper and a thicker sole. The FiveFinger soles generally last a long time, but the uppers can be prone to tearing. Getting FiveFingers that fit can be tricky depending on the shape of your foot, so they don't work for everyone. The Bilika LS are slightly wider and have laces, which improves the fit for some.
4.3 Saucony Hattori
The Hattori is a lightweight (4.4oz), zero drop shoe, but the sole is less flexible than the Nike Free and the sock style upper limits the fit. Zappos has the Hattori LC which has laces instead of a sock upper.
4.4 New Balance Minimus
The Minimus is a range of minimal shoes from New Balance that has created a lot of interest in the minimalist running community as the trail shoe was designed with the help of ultrarunner Anton Krupicka. There is a Trail Minimus and a Road Minimus which share similar names, but are rather different shoes. The Trail Minimus worked well for me on mild trails, but I prefer the Modified Nike Free to the road version.
4.5 Merrell Gloves
Merrell sells a trail glove and a road glove. The trail glove has a thin forefoot plate and both are zero drop. These are a good choice if you can't find a FiveFingers shoe that fits right.
4.6 Vivo Barefoot
Terra Plana make a range of thin soled shoes under the 'Vivo Barefoot' name. Their Vivo Barefoot Evo II has a good reputation for minimalist running, with a flexible but tough sole.
5 Minimalist Shoes
These are not zero drop, but they have less drop than a traditional shoe, are lightweight and flexible.
5.1 Nike Free
Nike Free are running shoes that are light weight, with very flexible soles. Even without modification, the Nike Free 3.0 is a good minimalist running shoe and a half way house to a zero drop shoe. There is no outer sole (the hard rubber that meets the road), just a robust midsole (the cushioning part). The midsole has deep groves cut into it to allow the shoe to flex more than is possible with a traditional shoe. There are lots of different models of Nike Free, but I would recommend using the Free 3.0. (Most Frees have a number that indicates how flexible they are. The idea is that 10.0 would be a traditional shoe and 1.0 would be barefoot.)
5.2 Mizuno Wave Universe
The Mizuno Wave Universe is a racing flat that is surprisingly comfortable and remarkably light weight. I ran in these before I discovered the Nike Free and got on well with them.
5.3 Inov-8 Trail Shoes
Inov-8 produces a wide range of minimalist trail shoes. Of particular note are their X-Talon 190 for muddy conditions and their F-Lite 195 for rocky conditions. I've used a number of Inov-8 shoes and I highly recommend them, especially for the more gnarly and technical trails.
5.4 Saucony Kinvara
The Saucony Kinvara is an evolution of the traditional running shoe towards a minimalist design. It looks like a traditional running shoe, but lowers the heel and reduces the weight. To me, this shoe is on the boundary between minimalist and traditional, though others might include some of the Brooks Pure range as minimalist.
6 Run Barefoot
Running barefoot is different to minimalist running, but both fit under the general concept of 'natural running'. There are advantages and disadvantages to barefoot running. The biggest advantage is that it is cheap and easy. It is a great way of finding out what it's like to run without traditional shoes.
7 The Newton
Newton shoes focus on forefoot running by adding extra height to the forefoot of the shoe. I purchased a pair thinking they would move me closer to barefoot running. The result of the high forefoot is an unstable shoe. I believe the Newton takes a bad idea (the traditional running shoe) and makes it worse. I hated running in the Newton shoes, but I think they are a valuable lesson; Natural running requires a minimalist shoe, not a more complex one. You can get a better alternative to the Newton just by hacking the sole heel off an old pair of running shoes. (The Newton is mentioned in The 4 Hour Body as a shoe that is correlated with injuries.)