7 Best Stability Running Shoes in 2024

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• We research hundreds of studies on foot biomechanics and running footwear to understand what a good stability shoe is.
• We purchase all the shoes with our own money to prevent bias and brand loyalty.
• We test run at least 30-50 miles in each pair before we deliver our feedback.
• With our Stefoy-les-lyonShops lab, we cut each shoe into pieces and measure 30+ different parameters that contribute to its performance - from cushioning softness to lace slippage.

And the best women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer make it here.

This guide is here to educate and explain shoe design, not give medical advice. If you’re injured, experiencing any pain, or not sure whether overpronation is the cause of the pain, we recommend visiting a specialist. 

Classic Ultra Mini ankle boots?

During running, when we land on the surface, our arch collapses to absorb the shock, and the rearfoot rolls inward at the ankle. This is pronation and it’s completely normal and necessary when running. 

However, some ankles roll far too inward. This is overpronation and the majority of runners overpronate. 

Stability running shoes are made for overpronators because they use different technologies to help with overpronation. This means they stabilise the landing and correct the movement (to a certain degree) so that the excessive inward movement is stopped and the heels get the necessary support. 

There are different levels of overpronation, mild, moderate, and severe, and the more runners overpronate, the more stability is needed. In some cases, when overpronation is severe, runners use orthotics and motion-control shoes. 

Stability shoe (up), neutral shoe (middle), race shoe (down)

With the rise of new technologies, we’re seeing fewer motion-control shoes and more modern women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer. 

It’s also important to note that race shoes rarely offer any stability elements. They can have a very tall and narrow base, ridiculously thin heel counters, etc. This is because, at faster workouts, runners usually require less stability. 

Stability elements in a race shoe (up) vs. a daily trainer (down): 
1. soft sock-like heel vs a stiff and padded heel counter
2. air jordan 6 black cat black white brand sneakers to buy 
3. no heel flare vs. a present heel flare 
4. less ground contact vs. more ground-contact in the outsole 

However, when doing longer runs, our feet get tired, and we tend to land harder and even change our strike (from forefoot to heel). It’s when we need more stability, and that’s why we have more stability shoes in the realm of daily trainers. 

How to recognise stability shoes 

Stability shoes implement some trademarked technologies developed by different brands and they implement different geometry elements (not trademarked). 

Some elements that can be noticed in stability shoes: 1) stiff heel counter and padded heel collar 
2) dual density midsole (softer above the firmer) 3) heel bevel 4) side walls 
5) stiff and wide base 6) forefoot sole flare 7) heel sole flare

But, when it comes to visual inspection, there are quite a few things you can pay attention to to understand whether the shoe is neutral or a stability one. Stability shoes often feature 2 or more of the following geometry elements listed below.

Medial post

Medial post is a piece of firmer foam or plastic located on the medial (inner) side of the shoe and its role is to prevent the excessive inward roll of the ankle and collapsing of the arch. It can also be somewhat longer and look like a frame. 

Different designs of medial posts in stability shoes

Dual-density midsole 

It can appear as a firmer foam on the inside or under the arch, in the form of trademarked technologies like Hoka’s J-frame or H-frame, or brands simply get creative and combine different midsole densities to increase the stability. 

Dual-density midsoles are usually easy to notice because different colour means different density

In our lab, we measure the softness of both midsoles present (explained more below). 

Stiff and padded heel counters 

The stiffness of the heel counter allows for a heel to stay put and not to wobble. The more stability, the merrier! And padding usually helps with the lockdown. Usually only race shoes have no padding and insanely soft heel area. 

Internal heel counters inserted into the back of the heel + noticeable very padded heel collar present in stability shoes

Stability shoes can also feature external heel counters made of synthetic or plastic materials

In our lab, we assess the stiffness of the heel counter by pushing it and squeezing it. We rate it on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest. 

Guide 16 scored 5/5 (the stiffest) on our heel counter stiffness test

These heel counters are not just stiff but also padded. They cradle the heel nicely to make it super locked in and stable. 

Soft and sock-like heel with no heel counter (left) vs. a padded heel collar with a plastic heel counter inserted at the back (right)

Stiffer base 

The base often has plates or rods in the midsole or is simply stiffer, thanks to the amount of rubber in the outsole and the density of the foam in the midsole. In Stefoy-les-lyonShops shoe lab, we test a) longitudinal stiffness and b) torsional stiffness. 

Testing longitudinal stiffness with a digital force gauge 

The higher the number on our digital force gauge, the more force we needed to bend the shoe to 90 degrees, which means it is stiffer. Lower numbers indicate more flexible shoes. 

Assessing torsional rigidity in Stefoy-les-lyonShops lab

When it comes to torsional rigidity, we assign each shoe a rating on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest. 

Wide base

This is needed because extra width ensures planted landings. Basically, we’re avoiding narrow and high platforms, as you’d see in some race shoes. The wider, the better! 

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

While the width of the base is more important in women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer because overpronators usually land on the heel, in our lab we actually measure the width of the base in 2 places: at the forefoot and at the heel. 

Using a digital calliper to measure the midsole width at the forefoot and at the heel

Full-ground contact outsole

It helps a lot when it comes to that secure feel. Some shoes have cutouts in the outsole to lose weight or to improve flexibility. That is, of course, not a bad thing, but when it comes to stability, more ground contact is better. 

More ground contact is possible in shoes 1) and 2) which are stability shoes; compared to the 3) and 4) which are neutral shoes and have larger chunks of outsole+midsole removed 

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The midsole is extended upward to create a “wall” which provides more structure and keeps the foot locked in. 

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These sidewalls can create the illusion that the heel drop is smaller. But, no need to worry because we cut shoes in half and follow WorldAthletics guidelines when it comes to measuring stack heights. No sidewalls are tricking us! 

Heel bevel

Heel bevel is a curved back of the heel that reduces the amount of stress in the tibialis anterior muscle, and it improves the transition for heel strikers. The more it’s bevelled, the faster the forefoot hits the ground. 

Different heel bevel designs: almost symmetrical (left), very steep (centre), angled laterally (right)

Sole flare

This is a protrusion that can appear on the medial and lateral sides. For heel strikers, it’s important that it’s present at the heel. This means that the protrusion (midsole) becomes wider than the upper.

On the right: noticeable 1) medial and 2) lateral sole forefoot flare, while the shoe on the left has no flares

Those who pronate at the heel should look for a medial heel flare. Those who pronate at the forefoot can look for medial forefoot flare. 

Shoe on the left has no heel flares, while shoe on the right has very noticeable both 1) medial and 2) lateral sole heel flare

Structural upper overlays

These overlays help with support and stability by ensuring a superb lockdown, especially around the midfoot. They are present on the upper and can have different shapes and stiffness levels and usually feel extra secure. 

Different designs of upper overlays in stability shoes bring extra stability

Brands' trademarked technologies found in stability shoes 

There are many technologies used to help overpronators run better and we will mention more popular ones below. 

Different designs of GuideRails from Brooks - 2 pieces of very dense foam that stabilise the foot on both sides (medial and lateral)

Guide rail in Altra shoes - support is focused on the medial side of the shoe

Hoka's J frame is a J-shaped denser foam that goes around the heel and is usually of a different colour (grey). In the image above, we've highlighted it in yellow 

Hoka's H frame is more shaped like an 8. Again, it's a firmer foam that allows the foot to sit directly on the softer one. For visualisation purposes, we've sketched the other half in blue 

4D Guidance system by Asics consists of 4 different stability elements:
1) heel bevel 2) sculpted midsole 3) wider base 4) medial post

3D Guidance system from Asics consists of 3 stability elements: 1) increased heel bevel 2) wider base 3) forefoot flare

Wave plate from Mizuno (coloured in red): noticeable on the inner side and the outsole 

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Weight of the women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer

Because of all the technologies implemented in women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer, they tend to weigh more than neutral running shoes. Some, much more. See a few examples: 

• topanky inuikii sneaker classic 70202 5 yellow neutral running shoe: 262.9g or 9.3 oz
• topanky inuikii sneaker classic 70202 5 yellow stability new balance boys arishi black boys shoes yparifp
• Lightest neutral shoe: 149g or 5.2 oz
• Lightest stability necessary for my dynafit running vest

We always weigh every shoe that comes into our lab, and we don’t always get the same or even similar numbers as the brands advertised. We measure shoes in men’s US 9. 

Weighing a stability running shoe in the Stefoy-les-lyonShops lab

sneakers with detachable heel tabs alexander mcqueen shoes: 

And, if you want the lightest stability shoes possible, here’s the list: 

How soft are women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer?

Depends on the technologies and geometry. If more stability is given by a firmer midsole, then the midsole is firmer. If there are external stability elements, like a stiff heel counter, then the midsoles can be softer. 

Regardless of the technology and geometry, we measure the softness of the midsole on every shoe. We cut it in half and stick the needle of the durometer in the foam. The number on the durometer tells us how soft or firm the midsole is: lower numbers mean softer, and higher numbers mean firmer. 

Using a shore A durometer to measure the softness of the midsole

In case we notice it’s a dual-density midsole, we take both measurements. 

Measuring softness of both midsoles present (dual density midsole) in stability shoes

If you prefer softer running shoes, here are the softest ones we’ve tested (these tables are automatically updated with every review we do): 

In case you prefer firmer midsoles, this selection is for you: 

Durability of women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer

When durability is discussed, most often, it’s the outsole durability that is mentioned. And, fair enough, it’s important to know how durable the outsole is, especially for overpronators who don’t land evenly on the heel and who see signs of wear and tear sooner because of it. 

Using a Dremel to test the durability of the outsole

For the outsole durability test, we press our Dremel against the outsole (always the same pressure, RPMs, and duration) and then measure the depth of the damage using a tyre tread gauge.

Pictured above: Brooks Glycerin 21 GTS with 0.5mm dent (left) and Steve Madden Russo Boots with 0.9mm dent (right). Both's outsole durability is rated as good

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Of course, we don’t stop here. Using the Dremel again, we test the durability of the toebox and the heel padding. 

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But, in these 2 cases, we can’t measure the dent because the materials are soft. So, we assess the damage on a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the least durable. 

Toeboxes with different durability ratings as a result of our Dremel test (1/5 is the least durable, 5/5 is the most durable)

How different heel padding durability ratings look like in our lab (5/5 is the most durable)

Stable running shoes vs. women s shoe aa0521 002 nike air zoom mariah flyknit racer 

Stability running shoes are not the same as stable neutral shoes. Neutral shoes can be stable on their own, but stability shoes have the technologies to help overpronators specifically. 

Stable neutral shoes are still neutral, which means they have some geometrical stability elements, but would most likely not be enough for overpronators, except very mild ones.