18 best women’s running shoes to clock up the miles, tried and tested
Running shoes can make or break your running career – get it wrong and you’re likely to experience all manner of niggles and even injuries over time. There’s no denying that they can be expensive but take the time to find the right pair for you and they should last you for 500 miles.
Comfort is absolutely key – a shoe that feels not quite perfect when you put it on will feel wrong after a few miles so think substance over style. Make sure that they’re not pressing in on the sides of your feet and aim for a thumb’s width of space at the end of the shoe – your feet expand as they get hotter and you’ll also find your toes banging into the end of the shoes if you have any less space, especially on downhills.
The other vital consideration is your gait – a gait analysis at a running shop is a wise time investment as it will establish whether you’re an overpronator (where your foot rolls excessively inwards) or a neutral runner (your foot lands centrally and doesn’t roll). Good shops can also advise on the best brands for your foot shape and frame.
Last but not least, consider what its usage will be. Shoes designed for everyday runs, long miles of training or speed training/racing differ from one another.
How we tested
We ran at least 10K in each shoe (apart from the Kalenji, which is not designed for distance) and were assessing whether a shoe delivered on its promises – comfort, cushioning, energy return, durability (although, of course, you’d need to run hundreds of miles in a shoe to test this fully) and stability if they were billed as such.
Obviously, biomechanics, foot shape and personal preferences such as level of cushioning and heel-to-toe drop (the difference in height between the top of the cushioning at the heel and at the forefoot) differ from runner to runner, but we still tried to be as objective as possible.
The best running shoes for women for 2024 are:
- Best running shoe overall – Saucony women’s tempus: £170, Saucony.com
