If you have supination, also called underpronation, running and walking can be uncomfortable and even lead to injuries if you often jog or walk for exercise. Wearing the right kind of shoes can help tremendously by supporting your feet properly and keeping them positioned and stable.
To help you better understand supination and what shoes are best for the condition, some of the top products were reviewed and analyzed here in this handy guide. Use them to get a basic idea of what shoes for supination should offer. They can then be used as a basis of comparison as you shop for your own pair of shoes.
What Is Supination?
While it may sound complicated, supination is simply when your foot naturally rolls outwards as your run. It’s sometimes called underpronation. In general, supination isn’t a big health concern for most people. However, if you’re an avid runner, underpronation can cause problems including injuries like runner’s knee and shin splints to name a few.
Thankfully, with proper care and preventative measures, you can lower your risk of injury from supination and even reverse the effects of it with the right shoe. You don’t have to give up running just to avoid problems; you just need to equip yourself with the best shoes for supination.
Top 10 Best Running Shoes For Supination
Review | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Brooks Ghost 11 | Best overall | ||
#2 | New Balance Fresh Foam | Great for durability | ||
#3 | Hoka One Clilfton 5 | Best for speed | ||
#4 | ASICS Gel Nimbus 20 | Great for high arches | ||
#5 | Mizuno Wave Rider 22 | Good cushioning | ||
#6 | Brooks Glycerin 16 | Ideal for marathon running | ||
#7 | Saucony Triumph ISO 4 | Good for medium arches | ||
#8 | ASICS Gel-Cumulus 19 | Perfect for heavy heels | ||
#9 | Nike Zoom Vomero 13 | Great for long-distance | ||
#10 | Adidas Ultra Boost | All-rounder for running and cross-training |
To start you off as you search for the top shoes for supination for yourself, some of the top-rated shoes on the market were analyzed and reviewed here. Use these to find the shoe you want to buy or use their reviews as a basis of comparison while you continue to shop.
#1 – Brooks Ghost 11
The Brooks Ghost 11 is the best options for those who supinate. One of the most trusted brands on the market, Brooks makes quality shoes for serious runners. They create shoes for every kind of foot including underpronation. This particular model features rubber soles and is made to properly transfer energy for a comfortable run through the patented DNA AMP cushioning.
The shoe also features a soft knit upper for a comfortable feel and better breathability. It has a mid-high arch to properly support your feet and help improve your supination. There is also an Achilles guard that comes up high in the back to protect your Achilles tendon better than other shoes. The outers are made of strong rubber for improved durability so they won’t wear out as easily as other lower quality shoes.
While these shoes are one of the more popular shoes for supination, consider the pros and cons before deciding on them.
Pros:
- Good for wide feet
- Heel support good for long runs
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons:
- Less support than previous Ghost models
- Reports about them falling apart too quickly
- Complaints about the ventilation
#2 – New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v7
These New Balance running shoes are made of synthetic and mesh with a full rubber sole. They use foam to provide a plush but stable feel while you run. The mesh upper offers ventilation and comfort while the structured midfoot provides support and stability to help distribute pressure evenly.
They are specifically designed with neutral feet or underpronation while also being made strong enough to withstand high-mileage runs. It also comes highly recommended by orthopedists that treat supination.
Here are some pros and cons to consider before deciding to purchase the 1090v7 shoe.
Pros:
- More cushioning than similar shoes for supination
- Wide options fit true to size for people with wide feet
- Users report that they offer superior help for supination pain
Cons:
- Foam is too hard for some people
- Caused blisters on the insides of some users’ feet
- Complaints about pain and discomfort for some
#3 – HOKA ONE ONE Clifton 5
Featuring a mesh upper, foam cushioning, and a sturdy rubber sole, the HOKA ONE ONE is made for running. They have higher than normal arches making them great for supination. In fact, people with plantar fasciitis report that the typical pain they feel when running long distances decreased when wearing these shoes.
The HOKA ONE ONE also offers strong breathability so your feet won’t get as hot as they may get in other shoes. Couple that with the full cushion and you get a supportive and comfortable shoe that will last you a long time when compared to similar shoes.
Before making a decision to buy these, consider some of the pros and cons reported by actual users.
Pros:
- Provides smooth transitions from heel to toe strike
- Available in a variety of colors and styles
- Great for warm weather due to good ventilation
Cons:
- Some claim toe box is too narrow
- Shoe feels heavier from added cushioning
- Some say they don’t run true to size
#4 – ASICS GEL-Nimbus 20 Running Shoe
Offering a smooth and comfortable run, this ASICS shoe features the brand’s FlyteFoam technology for exceptional responsiveness through the use of organic super fibers. This design is meant to provide superior cushioning that won’t pack out. More so, the FluidRide midsole makes it great for neutral and underpronated runners who need proper support. Finally, the FluidFit upper conforms to your foot’s natural movements for better comfort from multi-directional stretch mesh making the shoes fit your foot in an almost customized way.
ASICS also created an external heel-clutching system for additional support great for those looking to lock down their foot from all angles while running. These shoes make sure your feet land properly and pronate inward so the shoe can absorb shock properly while also supporting your body weight through even distribution across the soles of your feet.
Consider the pros and cons before deciding what to buy:
Pros:
- More comfortable than other brands
- Strong arch supports
- Provides protection for runners
Cons:
- Sole too stiff for some
- Higher price than similar shoes
- Outsoles wore out quickly for some
#5 – Mizuno Wave Rider 22
Mizuno takes pride in creating a great running shoe for strong athletes looking for superior quality shoes. The company has been around over a century and is known for creating quality shoes through cutting-edge technology. This can be seen in the Wave Rider 22 through their CloudWave cushioning technology to create a softer experience for runners while also providing better responsiveness.
The Wave Rider 22s also have a stretchable mesh upper for an adaptive fit and breathability. They also feature an articulated heel structure to make better transitions from heel to toe while you run. This makes the shoe great for long distance running on various surfaces including off-road trails.
While these shoes are great, consider the pros and cons before making a purchase decision.
Pros:
- Snug fit locks down your feet
- Long lasting durability after frequent use
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons:
- Seem to run small for most especially in terms of width
- Issues reported with breathability
#6 – Brooks Glycerin 16
Featuring maximum cushioning, the Glycerin 16 is made for distance running and provides flexibility, durability, and great responsiveness. The mesh upper provides breathability while also offering a secure fit through its 3D-printed overlay while the interior bootie of the shoe provides additional comfort and stability. The shoe rounds out nicely with a padded tongue and collar along with a secure centralized lace system.
For superior comfort, Brooks also uses pressure zones to help distribute impact evenly and absorb shock as you run. The transition zones also make moving from heel to toe effortless and smooth. While these are great for supination on their own, they also have a removable insole so you can use your favorite insert for better comfort and support if you’re concerned. To add to this, Brooks also used a durable rubber outsole to create strong traction making them great to use on all running surfaces. With all of this underfoot support, you can be confident in every step you take.
These shoes are quite popular with runners including those with supination, but there are still pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- Decreased pain in soles of feet for some
- Cushions provide superior comfort
- Recommended by orthopedists
Cons:
- Tighter than other Brooks models especially width-wise
- Mesh upper absorbs too much water making them heavy
- Designs aren’t the best on the market
#7 – Saucony Triumph ISO 4
Featuring the brand’s full-length Everun midsole, these Saucony shoes offer ultimate cushioning for a comfortable run. They also provide a secure fit through the brand’s ISOFIT upper. This material stretches more than the typical upper to give you a comfortable, yet secure fit that conforms to your foot.
Saucony is one of the more popular brands for running shoes. They’re known for quality shoes and innovative designs based on biomechanics studies of top athletes and their performances. By doing this, they’ve been able to come up with great designs like sole-based stability patterns and improved cushioning systems to keep wears comfortable and safeguarded against injuries and pain.
Users seem to be quite satisfied with the Triumph ISO 4 but there are still pros and cons that should be noted.
Pros:
- More affordable than other top brands
- Strong traction from soles
- Comfortable soft cushioning
Cons:
- A bit too heavy and clunky
- Made more for walking than running
- Tongue thick and cumbersome
#8 – ASICS Gel-Cumulus 19
Featuring the popular gel-based technology that ASICS is known for, these shoes offer good shock absorption and comfort for people with supination. More so, the Impact Guidance System helps you make smooth transitions from heel to toe strike based on your natural gait. All of this makes for a comfortable and easy run. The shoe is also made with a seamless design that is meant to decrease friction and irritation that can be caused by the typical stitches in other shoes. This means you can run for longer periods of time without fear of blisters or similar irritation.
Made for neutral to underpronation feet, ASICS used their FluidRide midsole design to give the Gel-Cumulus 19 better bounce back and improved cushioning to make running more comfortable and to improve the durability of the shoes. Similarly, the ASICS gel in the cushioning distributes impact evenly and acts as a crash pad to help limit pain and soreness from running on hard surfaces. To round out the shoe, ASICS uses their Guidance Trusstic System technology along with their Guidance Line Midsole technology to work with your gait naturally in order to help with your feet’s structural integrity and enhance your normal stride.
Note that many users recommend buying a full size or at least a half size larger than what you normally wear because these seem to run consistently small. If possible, go to a store to try on these shoes before purchasing them online. Also, consider the pros and cons noted by verified users to make a more informed purchase decision.
Pros:
- Available in a wide range of colors
- Cushioned specifically for neutral and supinated feet
- More affordable than similar shoes
Cons:
- Smaller toe box than previous iterations of this model
- Durability seems to be lacking for frequent runners
- Not comfortable for some people with wide feet
#9 – Nike Air Zoom Vomero 13
Nike is one of the biggest names in sports equipment and apparel. They’re known for making quality products that last for years while also using innovative designs and technology to create equipment that works for athletes in a variety of ways. These shoes are no exception. Made of synthetic, mesh, and durable rubber the Air Zoom Vomero 13 running shoes offer a comfortable fit and strong durability for the runner who is always on the road.
The shoes also feature Nike’s Flywire cables that wrap around your midfoot to offer more support by locking your feet into place once in the shoe. Perfect for supination, they also feature the Lunarlon foam midsole that provides soft cushioning while you run. Finally, the durable outsole grips surfaces well for better traction while running or walking.
Even though Nike is a popular brand with a prove history of making quality products, there are still pros and cons that are worth considering before buying these shoes.
Pros:
- Padding ideal for helping knee and leg pain
- Thick cushioning provides good arch support
- Available in a wide range of colors and styles
Cons:
- Soles wore out faster than usual on the ball of the foot for some
- More narrow than previous iterations of the shoe
- Soles are harder than other similar shoes
#10 – Adidas Men’s Ultraboost
The Adidas Ultraboost are made for comfort as well as energy return as the cushioning is responsive and soft. More so, the cushioning in these shoes claim not to pack down over time so they can last even with frequent use when compared to similar shoes.
The upper part of the shoe is a seamless knit design that limits irritation and friction while stretching better than other shoes thanks to the brand’s motion weave technology. This is not only comfortable but also locks your foot into place so you don’t move in the shoe as you run. These shoes also feature the Torsion System located between the forefoot and the heel. This innovation gives you better stability and helps your foot transition from heel to toe smoothly.
Before deciding to pick up a pair of these shoes, consider some of the notable pros and cons.
Pros:
- Responsive design helps transfer energy to your feet
- Cushioning evenly distributes impact while running
- Upper conforms to feet naturally for a secure fit
Cons:
- Knit upper reportedly rips quickly
- Not always easy to find to purchase
- Comparatively expensive
Signs of Supination
If you haven’t noticed whether or not your feet roll outward when you run but you suspect this could be the problem, consider the symptoms that commonly occur in those you suffer from underpronation.
Here are some of the signs to look out for:
- Achilles pain
- Ankle pain and frequent sprains
- Excessive wear on the outer edges of shoes
- Outer knee pain
- Pain in the bottom of your feet/heel (plantar fasciitis)
- Pain in lower legs and feet
- Severe calluses or blisters on the outside of your feet
- Shin pain or shin splints
- Swollen feet, heels, or ankles
If you don’t have any of these symptoms, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have supination. In fact, if you have high arches you’re more likely to supinate even in the absence of symptoms when compared to those with flat feet
Causes of Supination
Typically, supination or any similar structural problem is inherited. However, there are other external conditions that can cause supination when it isn’t passed on through family history.
Genetics
Since the problem is mainly inherited, you should first look there when looking for the cause of your supination. Inherited traits can lead to things like different lengths of your legs, the width of your feet, ankle stability, and the shape of your arches. Any one of these structural issues can lead to supination. In this case, there’s no escaping the condition; you can only manage it.
The Wrong Shoes
One of the most common external causes of supination is wearing the wrong kind of shoes. Your shoes should support your arch properly to protect you from injury. If you’re constantly on your feet or running on hard surfaces, this is even more important.
The two biggest problem shoes that can cause supination are rigid shoes and tight-fitting shoes. Worn out shoes or flat shoes with no arch support can also cause supination for some people. If you suspect that this might be the cause of your underpronation, getting a pair of the best shoes for underpronation can give you what you need to eliminate the misalignment and help you maintain your running schedule.
Poor Body Alignment
In some instances, misalignments in your body can lead to supination. For example, if you have bad form when working out or poor posture, in general, your body might overcompensate to make up for the misalignment by rotating your feet outward. This constant adjustment can lead to supination and cause your pain and discomfort.
Injuries
If you hurt your foot or ankle in some way, the instability and weakness caused by the injury can lead to supination. Achilles tendonitis and sprained ankles, for example, can often lead to supination as the soft tissues and bones in the ankle and feet can be permanently weakened making them prone to misalignments.
While these are the most common causes of supination, there are other causes including:
- Limited range of motion/sedentary lifestyle
- Constant standing for long periods of time
- Continuous hard impacts on firm surfaces
- Arthritis or similar stiffness in the joints
- Too much physical exercise impacting the feet
Complications of Excess Supination
While supination might not bother you, people who suffer from it are at greater risk for localized injuries as well as more benign problems. Some of these complications are:
- Ankle pain and sprains
- Bunions
- Calluses on the outer part of the foot
- Clawed toes
- Hammertoes
- Increased risk of stress fractures in legs and feet
- IT (iliotibial) Band Syndrome (outer knee pain)
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splints/shin pain when running
- Swollen feet/ankles
- Tenderness/pain in ball of foot
- Weakness in feet or ankles when running, standing or walking
Diagnosing Supination of the Foot
In most cases, simply looking at your feet when you run, walk, or stand can be enough for your doctor to diagnose you with supination. They can do a gait analysis by asking you to walk on a special platform and observing the natural alignment and movement of your feet and make a proper diagnosis from there. If you notice pains related to supination, it might be worth asking your doctor for a gait analysis.
There are also things you can do on your own to look for signs of supination. For example, you can look at an older pair of shoes and see if they’re excessively worn out on the outer edges of the soles. When supination is present, your shoes will wear out faster in those areas than on the inner edges or bottoms.
Similarly, you can look at your wet footprints on a hard surface. Here, wet your feet completely and step sure-footed on a firm surface that will show your footprint (a brown paper bag is a great medium for this!). Look at the wet footprint and take note of the shape. If you only see half of the arch, your gait is normal but if you can’t see the arch at all or there’s only a fraction of it showing up in the footprint, you likely have supination.
Benefits of the Right Shoes for Supination
Since wearing the wrong shoes can be linked to non-genetic supination, it should be of no surprise that wearing the right shoes can help improve or even reverse supination. Some of the benefits you can expect to enjoy are:
- Even wear on your shoes and improved durability
- Lower risk for ankle sprains, pain, and fractures
- Even pressure on the soles of your feet
- Looser Achilles tendons
- Improved flexibility in the lower leg
- Less pain in the soles of your feet
- Lower risk of shin splints
- Better arch support
- Improved shock absorption
Key Factors to Look for in Shoes for Supination
When shopping for shoes for supination, it’s always best to know what factors make the best shoe. This will allow you to narrow down your options so you can find the best shoe faster and easier. By knowing what to look for you can also avoid buying subpar shoes that won’t help you and will only be a waste of money.
Support
There are many shoes that will distinguish what kind of support they offer ranging from overpronation, neutral, and supination or underpronation. Here, simply look for the shoes that are made for supination or underpronation. These may also have other designations like neutral-to-supination. Similarly, looking for shoes made for high arches or that are labeled mid-to-high arches are also good for supination.
Cushioning
Unlike Olympic weightlifting shoes, shock absorption is something that is important when it comes to supination because it’s something that people with underpronation lack. The best shoes for supination will have good cushioning to make up for the lack of shock absorption in your natural gait. The right type of cushion support will help with pain in your feet and shins. When looking at your options, choose a shoe that has extra cushioning in the midsole as well as on the outer edge of the shoe.
Strong Flexibility
The best shoes for underpronation will be more flexible than a traditional running shoe. This helps with shock absorption but will also distribute pressure evenly across the soles of your feet upon impact. A flexible shoe will also help improve your range of motion while a more rigid shoe will limit this and cause you pain and worsen supination in some cases.
Brands and Price
While everyone likes to think that shoes are created equally, this is sadly not the case. The top brands tend to have more reliable products since they typically use better quality materials and construct their shoes better than no-name brands. More so, top companies worry about their reputation in the market so they look to make quality products that will speak to their reliable reputation.
However, the top brands are usually the more expensive options. While this can be hard for people on a budget it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. The cheaper shoes may be the more economical option in the short term but since those cheap shoes tend to be made from low-quality (cheaper) material, you’ll likely have to replace them quickly or they may simply not provide you the support and comfort you need which will cause you to go and spend more money on another pair of shoes that will do the job better.
If you’re on a budget, choose the most affordable shoe from one of the top brands or look for sales and coupons to help lower the retail price of the shoe you love. All in all, if you are looking for a shoe to treat your supination, it’s worth it to invest in a quality brand.
When looking for any of these key factors, check product descriptions, read the specifications, and look at user reviews. While the description and specifications come from the manufacturer and seller, the user reviews can give you honest feedback from people who already tried the shoes. These reviews can typically give you more insight into the product in question than a product description can. Take all of the factors into account and narrow down your options until you find the best shoes for supination.
Final Thoughts
When possible, go to a store to physically examine and try on the shoes you’re considering before making a purchase online as sizes can vary sometimes dramatically from brand to brand. This will save you money on buying an ill-fitting pair of shoes and will also save you the hassle of dealing with returns and exchanges.
Hopefully, the information in this guide has shown you that there are plenty of quality options when it comes to shoes for supination. You don’t have to stop going for runs to avoid the pain and discomfort caused by underpronation, you just need the right shoe that will help support your feet in the best possible way. As you shop for your new shoes, remember to compare each pair based on the specific key factors that the best shoes for supination should have. More so, keep your own needs and preferences in mind so you get the shoe that is right for your running style.
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