Underpronation isn’t a very common issue, but if you do happen to be a part of the percentage of the population that suffers from it, then you could be at risk of having some very nasty things happen to your feet and legs.
Thankfully, a good pair of running shoes can be very helpful when it comes to dealing with underpronation.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the best running shoes for underpronation. Every shoe that we have reviewed is available for both men and women. If you want our opinion on the best running shoe, we recommend the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 13 Running Shoes.
A Spotlight On Some of The Best Running Shoes For Underpronation 2020










Best Running Shoes For Underpronation Reviews:
Brooks Ghost 11
We mentioned it in our intro, but we should say again that every shoe that is being reviewed on our best running shoes for underpronation review list has both a men’s and a women’s version. With that being said, let’s review the first entry on our list of the best running shoes for underpronation, the Brooks Ghost 11. Everything we mention in this review will apply to both versions of the shoe.
Firstly, we have to mention how well the outside of this shoe is made. Much like many of the other really high-quality shoes that you will encounter on our best running shoes for underpronation list, the Brooks uses the highest quality imported fabric.
The end result of this is a pair of shoes that are both very comfortable and very strong. That last part is very important in particular because let’s face it, everyone hates when running shoes wear out quickly. So, the fact that these will be a staple of your daily run for years is great.
How well do these shoes do when it comes to helping with underpronation? Quite well, actually. They have an extra cushioned sole and heel, both of which help to absorb the shock that would normally be transferred directly to your ankle and foot. The overall tightness and form-fitting aspect of the shoe also help a lot to prevent underpronation as well.
So, to sum it all up, you get a really nice, form-fitting shoe that absorbs a lot of impact, which leads to a smoother running experience. In other words, what’s not to love?
- Really durable.
- Soft heel and sole help to absorb the shock from running.
- Made with high-quality materials.
- Fits really nicely.
- Plenty of colors and designs.
- Toe area is a bit tight.
Mizuno Wave Rider 22 Running Shoe
For the next shoe on our best running shoes for underpronation review list, we have the Mizuno Wave Rider 22 Running Shoe. This shoe is available in both a men’s and a women’s version (with a variety of colors to choose from for each type). This is an incredibly high-quality running shoe that will help you with your underpronation.
First off, the shoe is very well-made. The exterior is made from soft, yet strong imported fabric. This provides a durable exterior for the shoe that ensures that you will get quite a few years of use out of your pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 22 Running Shoes.
Now, given the topic of this article, the main thing that you all want to know is how it helps to avoid the effects of or mitigate the effects of underpronation. The shoes do a few different things on this front. First off, they come with a really high-quality rubber sole, to help absorb some of the initial impact generated by stepping on the ground.
Secondly, both the men’s and women’s version of the shoe has what Mizuno calls the “articulated heel zone.” This is just their way of saying that the heels of the shoe are designed in such a way to help facilitate the proper rolling of your heel and ankle when running. It also helps prevent too much of the shock from being directly transferred to your heel and ankle.
Finally, the shoes have specially designed mesh that is designed to fit very snuggly on your feet. As we will talk about later on in our buying guide, poorly fitting shoes, especially running shoes, is one of the main causes of underpronation.
So, the fact that these shoes are designed to adaptively fit onto your feet can be really helpful. However, some may dislike the really “snug” feeling of the shoes.
- Specially designed heel absorbs impact.
- Shoe helps ankle to rotate correctly.
- Designed to fit adaptively over your feet.
- Soft rubber sole helps to cushion feet.
- Lots of colors and designs to pick from (for both men and women).
- Has a really snug feel.
Nike Air Zoom Vomero 13 Running Shoes
Nike is a brand that needs absolutely no introduction. It also goes without saying that they have earned that reputation by making some pretty good pairs of running shoes. So, with all this being said, the next pair of shoes that we want to take a look at are the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 13 Running Shoes. You can find these shoes in both men’s and women’s version, as well as in a dozen or so different colors.
As you might expect from a brand like Nike, these are some absolutely well-made shoes that are definitely deserving of being featured on this list of the best running shoes for underpronation. Why are they so good? Well for starters, they make use of some unique features found only in Nike shoes. A good example of this is the flywire cables used in the shoe.
What these cables do is keep your feet secure and prevent foot slipping when running. This not only makes for a more comfortable running experience, but it also helps with underpronation.
It also features a very well-made foam sole. The foam is extremely soft and provides really great cushioning for you when running. The shock absorption that this shoe provides is almost unparalleled. You can run for hours in these shoes and you will barely feel any discomfort. The bottom of the shoes also really gives you good traction, which helps to ease the impact on your feet as well.
The major issue with these Nike shoes is their cost. Depending on your own personal budget, it may not end up being that big of a deal, but for some, it may be an issue. The price is not only because of the quality of the shoe but also because of the famous brand name, which is something that we haven’t seen yet on this best running shoes for underpronation list.
- Special flywire cables keep your feet from slipping in the shoes.
- Exceptionally well-crafted.
- Uses very soft, cushioning foam.
- Offers great shock absorption.
- Pricey.
Hoka One One Clifton 5 Running Shoes
Moving on with our list of the best running shoes for underpronation, we want to draw your attention to the Hoka One One Women’s Clifton 5 Running Shoes. Regardless of whether you go with the men’s or women’s version, you are going to be getting a really high-quality running shoe that really helps with underpronation.
The main draw of these running shoes is how lightweight they are. They are made using a strong, but still very light synthetic material. This makes running a lot easier on you if you suffer from either underpronation or overpronation. It gets to the point where the shoes are so light, that you actually struggle to remember that you are even wearing a shoe at all when running. They are that light and unobtrusive.
Despite being lightweight, these are still a very cushioned shoe. There is enough cushioning to absorb the impact created by you running on hard surfaces. So, you don’t have to worry about things like sore feet or ankles.
- Very lightweight.
- Made using solid synthetic material.
- Surprisingly durable and long-lasting.
- Takes a while to break in.
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v7 Running Shoe
To end off this list looking at the best running shoes for underpronation, we wanted to do a review of the New Balance Women’s Fresh Foam 1080v7 Running Shoe. While this brand isn’t as well-known as something like Nike, they have still made a good shoe that has versions for both genders.
This is just an all-around great running shoe. The interior of the shoe has some really great cushioning (especially around the heel area), which really helps to deal with many of the issues caused by underpronation. By using these shoes, you will be significantly reducing your chances of suffering physical injuries while running.
It is also a very well-made shoe, as you would expect given that this is a best running shoes for underpronation list. It doesn’t rip or tear easily. It also doesn’t wear out quickly, even if you go running every day, the shoes should hold up quite nicely.
- Great cushioning.
- Fairly affordable.
- Well-made exterior and interior.
- Will last for a fairly long time.
- A bit too wide for some.
Running Shoes For Underpronation Buying Guide
There’s a lot of confusing, contradictory, and hard to understand information out there about underpronation. This includes what it is, what its causes are, and why a good pair of running shoes can help with it. So, to help combat all the information floating around, we wanted to include this buying guide alongside the reviews that we did above.
The idea is that in addition to showing you some of the best running shoes for underpronation, we also wanted to make sure that everyone reading this article is on the same wavelength when it comes to underpronation.
What Is Underpronation?
To first understand underpronation, you have to be familiar with what is referred to as the “gait cycle.” See, the gait cycle is the technical term for the basic act of walking or running; in other words, it refers to the way that we physically propel ourselves forward.
During the gait cycle, there is a step called “pronation.” During this stage, your ankle rolls slightly inward to help absorb impact and get your body ready to properly forward. Pronation sounds bad, but it is a necessary step for walking or running.
Now that you know what pronation is, you can probably guess what underpronation is. Medically, if your ankle rolls inward less than 15%, you suffer from underpronation. Likewise, even though this article is dedicated to looking at the best running shoes for underpronation, we should also mention that there is a thing called overpronation. As you can probably guess, this is when the ankle rolls too much when it lands.
What Are The Dangers Of Underpronation
A lot of people may suffer from underpronation and never realize it because the dangers of it aren’t immediately apparent. It isn’t like you take a step and suddenly your leg hurts. A person could run a marathon with underpronation and possibly never end up knowing it. However, underpronation can cause some pretty significant problems if left untreated, especially if the person in question is starting to age.
First off, underpronation can lead to a variety of physical injuries, ranging from minor things like rolled ankles, swollen ankles, and general soreness in the foot and ankle area, to more major injuries like sprained ankles, torn ligaments, torn muscles, and much more.
Secondly, underpronation can also be responsible for a number of long-term conditions that can plague a person for years, if not longer. For example, untreated underpronation can lead to a person developing plantar fasciitis, a very serious issue that impacts the main ligament in the foot.
Other major issues that can arise from untreated underpronation include things like bone spurs, heel spurs, bunions, and hammertoes (deformed toes).
So, as you can see, you really do need a pair of the best running shoes for underpronation because the effects of leaving underpronation untreated are quite severe.
What Causes Underpronation?
So, given that you now know both what the effects of underpronation are and what the condition actually is, your next question is likely what the causes are of this issue. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this. Underpronation can have a variety of causes, ranging from things that are completely within your control to things that you can’t do anything about.
Improper Footwear
One of the most common causes of underpronation is badly fitting footwear. This may include shoes that are too tight, not tight enough, the wrong size, or ones that don’t offer enough arch support.
This is why it is so important to buy quality shoes for things like running, because if you are planning on doing something that puts a lot of stress on your ankles, then you need footwear that can help absorb the impact of running. This is also why we emphasized the importance of shock absorption when doing our best running shoes for underpronation list.
Poor Running Form
Another common cause of underpronation can be poor running form. A lot of people run incorrectly simply because they have never been taught the proper way of doing so. Thankfully, it actually isn’t a particularly difficult thing to fix. A quick look online and some practice sessions should have you running properly in no time.
When combined with a pair of the best running shoes for underpronation, and you should be at a significantly reduced risk of developing the condition.
Genetics
Another one of the more common causes of underpronation is sadly not fixable. Genetics play a big role in just about everything, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it can also cause underpronation. Some people just have longer legs, which makes underpronation or overpronation a lot more common. If you are on the taller side, you definitely want to be careful as you could be suffering from one condition or the other.
While genetics can’t be fixed, you can help to reduce your chances of suffering from the negative effects of underpronation. As you might have guessed, one of those ways is by using one of the pairs of shoes on our best running shoes for underpronation review list.
Picking Out Shoes For Underpronation
To end off the buying guide, we wanted to tackle what you as a consumer should look for if you are trying to pick out your own pair of the best running shoes for underpronation. Obviously, you want to consider all the usual things that you would consider when shopping for other running shoes.
Is the shoe made of really good material that is going to hold up? Does the shoe feel comfortable? Does the shoe provide enough space for my feet? These are all important factors to consider and you should make sure to keep them in mind.
However, when trying to find running shoes specifically to help with underpronation, the main thing that you want to focus on is shock absorption. As we said at the beginning of the buying guide, the main danger of underpronation comes from the fact that it reduces your ankles’ ability to absorb shock.
So, getting running shoes that really help to pick up the slack when it comes to absorbing shock and impact can make your life a lot easier going forward.
Conclusion
If you still have some questions regarding our best running shoes for underpronation review list, we would heavily encourage you to make use of our comment section.