The Best Women's Running Shoes

Whether you’re an amateur or competitive runner, this guide is for you. Finding the right shoes builds the foundation of a comfortable, rewarding pastime. Bad-for-you shoes can bring on blisters, bruised toenails, or worse. The shoes in this guide are go-to shoes for everyday running, whether you’re a competitive runner looking for a workhorse shoe for easy or recovery runs, or a recreational runner whose runs are mostly the same distance and intensity. These shoes are not necessarily meant for long runs of more than an hour (where more cushioning might be appreciated) or for racing or speed work (where light weight and responsiveness are important). That isn’t to say you couldn’t use these shoes for either or both—many of our testers happily used our picks for both marathon training and at the track. The shoes in this guide would also be fine choices for people who walk for fitness. They may not be ideal for use at the gym, though, where you’ll likely prefer shoes that are flatter (for weightlifting) or that have less side-to-side support (for easier movement in every direction, say, for an aerobics or boot camp class). In most cases, the men’s and women’s versions of the same shoe model are virtually the same, apart from the widths, lengths, and colors. There are a few female-specific shoes available but they are extremely expensive. For most people, those aren't really worth it.