Have you been looking for a pair of supportive, sturdy, lightweight, and breathable pair of running shoes? The best running shoes for women are the ones that suit their body mechanics and provide comfort and support. In addition, your running shoes need to fit the shape of your feet perfectly, or you won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.
I believe that there are certain features that most women want their running shoes to provide:
- Lightweight
- Cushion
- Support
- Durable
- Comfortable Fit
Several shoe brands claim to manufacture some of the best running shoes for women, but I will be able to show you which are the best running shoe brands for women since I have tested and fitted hundreds of different shoe styles.
My Experience Fitting Women’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience
There are two particular running shoe brands for women that have been consistent in manufacturing the best running shoe styles for women. They manufacture supportive, lightweight and durable running shoes that are also available in different widths such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide.
I am always emphasizing to women that it doesn’t matter how narrow or wide their feet are, there is always at least one particular running shoe style out there that will fit the shape of their feet perfectly, and I will help you find it.
There is a myriad of running shoe styles out there to choose from, but certain shoe styles made from specific shoe brands tend to manufacture better shoes than others in terms of support, durability, and fit.
Let me prove this to you, let’s take a look at the shoe company Asics for example. These shoes are known for manufacturing shoes with infused gel that offers more support to the feet and legs. Among this shoe brand, certain shoe styles have more infused gel in them than others.
Why is Depth Important When it Comes to Shoes?
An added key feature that these shoe brands provide is depth. Deeper shoes will allow your feet to sit deeply inside the shoes, protecting, supporting, and preventing them from coming out of the shoes. This feature will also prevent the top part of your feet from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. Deeper shoes will also allow you to accommodate an orthotic inside the shoes.
Before I show you the best shoe brands for women and the best running shoe styles among those brands, I want to make sure that you know your exact foot size. If you are going to be ordering your shoes online, you must know your exact foot size, otherwise you will end up losing a lot of time by having to constantly return the shoes.
So, if you are not 100% sure of your exact foot size, please start by reading an article I wrote where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your foot size from home. Go to the link below:
How To Measure Your Foot Shoe Size – The Most Simple And Effective Way!
I will show you which are the best running shoe brands for women shortly, but first I want you to get familiar with what features these shoes will provide to your feet.
The 6 Most Important Features that Running Shoes Must Provide
I will list below the features that a good running shoe must provide to keep your feet and legs healthy:
1️⃣ Firm Heel Counter: This is the part of the shoes that provides ankle support. Adequate support for the heel and ankle is extremely important if you want to keep your feet healthy while running. If you wear running shoes without the proper amount of support around the heel of the shoe it can lead to a badly sprained ankle and weeks of physical therapy. Always press on the heel counter of your running shoes and make sure it feels firm and not soft. Here is where the heel counter of the shoe is located:
2️⃣ Substantial Outsole: The arch of your feet is the most important structural feature of your feet, and you must take good care of them. Choosing a shoe with a substantial outsole that offers good arch support will reduce or fully eliminate the shock that your feet receive every time they impact the ground.
3️⃣ Lightweight/Flexible: Your running shoes must be supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time to prevent your feet and legs from easily getting tired.
4️⃣ Breathable: This feature will allow your feet to breathe and prevent bacteria from building up inside your running shoes.
5️⃣ Traction: Your running shoes need to provide good traction to prevent you from slipping and falling.
6️⃣ Removable insole: Your running shoes should come with a removable insole in case you need to fit an orthotic inside them for extra support.
Now that you know what features your running shoes must provide and how to figure out your exact foot size from home, you are ready to take a look at the best running shoe brands for women. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Running Shoe Brands for Women – The 2 Most Durable and Affordable Brands!
Talking about athletic wear, my professional and personal advice for shoeing women is Asics and New Balance. Both brands provide the quality and support that is essential, whether it be getting through the day, hitting the gym, or errands with kids. Even though there are several other brands I could discuss, nothing compares to the fit of New Balance and Asics shoes.
ASICS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I believe that Asics manufactures better running shoes than other more “popular” shoe brands such as Nike or Adidas.
If you are the kind of woman who loves to run, then I definitely recommend Asics. I am a runner myself and since I have tried Asics I have never looked back. There are several different styles in Asics, but the style I am in love with is the Gel-Kayano, which I recommend not only because I know how well it fits, but I also own and swear by a pair myself. I can guarantee you that the quality and the support are superb.
Asics tends to make the most supportive, yet lightweight and flexible shoes for women. Most of their shoes come with infused gel which will help minimize the impact your feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground.
The Gel is perhaps the most prominent technology created by the brand, and almost all of Asics running shoes consist of the Gel technology as one of the features.
Asics also provides several other important features but I don’t want to get into too many technical terms. The most important thing you need to know about this shoe company is that it makes some of the most supportive, lightweight, breathable, and durable shoes for running.
The only time when I don’t recommend Asics running shoes is if you have extra wide feet. Asics will fit a woman with narrow, medium, and wide feet, but it won’t fit a woman with extra wide feet. Below you can find a selection of the best running shoes made by Asics:
- Fits women with narrow, medium, or wide feet
- Rearfoot and Forefoot GEL Technology Cushioning System helps attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phases
- DuoMax system enhances stability and support
- Engineered mesh upper improves breathability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- Rearfoot and Forefoot GEL Technology Cushioning System helps attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phases
- DuoMax system enhances stability and support
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow, medium, or wide feet
- Rearfoot and Forefoot GEL Technology Cushioning System helps attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phases
- DuoMax system enhances stability and support
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- Seamless upper design helps reduce the likelihood of irritation
- Plush tongue and collar for added comfort
- DUOMAX® Support System is a dual-density midsole positioned to enhance support and stability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- AmpliFoam midsole is engineered to maintain durability at softer densities, providing better flexibility, comfort, and platform adaptability ideal for natural running
- Engineered mesh upper improves breathability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- Soft, lightweight Jacquard mesh upper delivers excellent airflow, keeping your feet cool and fresh throughout your run.
- Laminate mid-foot cage provides structural support
- Padded tongue and collar
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
NEW BALANCE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
New Balance is also known for providing supportive shoes for women who are serious about running. What makes these shoes top of the line? It’s not just the support that they provide, but the fact that they are deep and come in all different width sizes ( narrow, medium, wide and extra wide), making these shoes the first choice when it comes to a “complicated foot”.
For example, if you are a woman with an extra wide foot and a high instep, New Balance shoes styles are always the way to go.
One of the greatest advantages of New Balance running shoes is that you will be able to fit any type of insert or orthotic inside the shoes. New Balance tends to make the deepest and widest shoes, that is what makes them our go-to shoes for children, women, or men who wear orthotics.
There are other awesome shoe brands such as Saucony, Brooks, and Asics that are also available in wide and extra wide widths, but one of the reasons why I recommend New Balance is because they make the deepest and widest running shoes.
New Balance will fit a woman with medium, wide, or extra wide feet, but it won’t fit a woman with narrow feet. Below you can find a selection of the best running shoe styles by New Balance:
- Available in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodate high insteps
- An ENCAP midsole combines lightweight foam with a durable polyurethane rim to deliver all-day support
- Dual-density collar foam that offers support and comfort for your heels and ankles
- Suede and mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Medial post helps control pronation
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Medial post helps control pronation
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Soft midsole for comfort
- Rubber outsole for durability and traction
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- FuelCell foam midsole delivers a propulsive feel to help drive you forward
- Medial post helps control pronation
- Ground contact IMEVA cushioning provides ample comfort without adding extra weight
- Mesh upper for a lightweight, comfortable fit and feel with an electric print.
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodate high insteps
- ACTEVA midsole cushioning delivers versatile, flexible support
- Lightweight synthetic upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
Take a look at the description below the shoes that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order.
Now that you know which are the best running shoe brands for women and the best styles among those brands, you are ready to make the most informed decision.
I also wrote an article where I describe the best shoe brands for children. If you want to find out which are the most durable and affordable shoe styles for children go to the link below:
The Best Shoe Brands for Kids- The 5 Most Durable and Affordable Brands
The Best Running Socks for Women – Keep Your Feet Healthy!
Don’t underestimate the importance of wearing socks, since they are meant to protect the feet and act as a barrier against irritation and infection. Even if your feet are not prone to sweating excessively, moisture on the skin can create myriad problems, such as blisters, the growth of odor-causing bacteria, and fungus, such as Athlete’s Foot.
Moisture on the skin is also a problem during cold weather, as moisture pulls heat away from the skin at a significantly higher rate than air.
Certain running socks provide cushion to targeted areas of your feet. Here you can find a selection of the best running socks for women:
- 80% Bamboo 17% Polyamide 3% Elastane
- Made of high-quality bamboo fiber which is softer and more comfortable than cotton
- Machine washable
- 97% Polyester, 2% Spandex, 1% Other
- Breathable lightweight construction with mesh panels for ventilation
- X-Temp technology adapts to your body temperature for all day comfort
- Moisture Wicking Cool Comfort fabric keeps you cool and dry
- Made from high-end moisture control and quick dry CoolMax fiber
- Anti-blister cushioning and compressive arch support
- Mesh ventilation construction on instep makes the socks breathable
- Breathable mesh panels allow ventilation
- Plush heel and toe cushioning provides all day comfort
- Machine washable
Thank you for reading! We hope you found helpful this post on the best running shoe brands for women. Please feel free to share this post with your community on social media as well as your experiences in the comments section below. If you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact us via e-mail and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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