Fitness
How to choose running shoes without relying on a gait-analysis myth
The old advice to match shoes to arch type has been quietly dropped by much of the sports-science community. Here is what current guidance suggests instead.
Best running shoes
Fit, durability and cost per mile, assessed across multiple testers and distances.
Research in progressPublished rankings appear only after testing is complete.
When you buy through links on THRYV we may earn a commission. This never affects our testing or rankings. How this works.
Our picks
Nothing published until testing is finished.
A running shoe that suits one runner can injure another, so a single reviewer's verdict is close to useless. We put every model on several testers with different gaits and weekly mileages, run each pair to at least a few hundred kilometres, and report cost per kilometre alongside where the midsole gave out.
No picks published yet
This guide is in the research stage. We will not list a "best" product before the testing round behind it is complete — an unranked page is more useful than a ranked guess. When picks go live, each one will state which sources we weighed, what it is good at, and who should buy something else instead.
What we score, and why
Written down before any product is considered.
- Multiple testers across gait types and weekly mileage
- Midsole durability measured to a set distance
- Upper fit, volume and known sizing deviations
- Grip on wet road and measured weight
- Cost per kilometre at end of test life
- Consistency with the previous model version
How we will decide
- 01
Criteria before candidates
We write down what would make a product the right pick — and how each criterion is measured — before we look at what is on sale.
- 02
Documented specifications only
Anything we state about a product comes from our own testing or from the manufacturer's published documentation, linked on the page.
- 03
Real-world testing
We rate each category against published criteria using manufacturer data, independent test reports, user reviews and price data. We do not claim our own hands-on tests.
- 04
Pricing checked, not quoted
We do not print a price we have not verified, and we do not treat an RRP as evidence of a discount.
- 05
Commercial relationships disclosed
Affiliate links, if present, are labelled on the page. No partner can buy a placement, a rank or a verdict.
The full process is documented in our review methodology and testing process.
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