Warmer temperatures mean ditching the treadmill and finally feeling the sun on your face, and for runners it also means ensuring you have the best running shoes for women in your closet ready to go. If you switched from running gear to skiing gear over the winter months and are digging out last year’s running shoes as the snow melts, those old shoes might be ready for a replacement.
Pounding pavement or trails is in fact, pounding, and doing that on worn-out shoes puts more strain on your body (your knees especially) and forces your soft tissues to absorb more of that surface impact. Instead, you want a quality shoe that’s supportive, fits well, feels good on your feet, and isn’t completely falling apart at the seams. That being said, there are a lot of shoes that check those boxes. Short of going into multiple running shoe shops and spending hours trying on every single shoe, it can be hard to know which running shoe is best for you.
If you can hit up your local running shop, we definitely recommend trying on a few pairs to see what feels good on your feet. However, if you can’t make it in person or just want to start your search on the right foot (pun intended), we’ve gathered a handful of top-notch running shoes for women, from our own dependable favorites to new innovations and recommendations from other long-term expert runners and trainers. Shop the best running shoes from Nike, Hoka, On, and more.
Whether you’re a long-time runner or a soon-to-be runner, your running shoes will be ready to keep up with the extra miles. And if you’re looking for tips on becoming a better runner, joining a runners club, or training for your first 5K, check out our SELF Guide to Running.
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