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Long gone are the days of clunky, rigid, stability running shoes. With new designs and cushioning materials, supportive running shoes for overpronators and runners with flat feet Mild rocker profile promotes smooth ride.
Just over 50% of runners overpronate, so a large number of the best running shoes are built as stability and support shoes. Previously, tech built into the shoes' midsoles on the medial of the shoe, called 'medial posts' or 'rails', helped to steer the foot, mitigating the risk of injury caused by excessive inward-rolling. In recent years, however, brands have started moving away from traditional medial posts and started to rely on geometry to provide stability. Stability shoes also tend to have a higher density foam on the inside of the midsole to provide extra structure, as well as support near the big toe, under the ball of the foot and on the inside of the heel.
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Who should wear overpronation running shoes?
Everyone has their own running style, but these tend to be categorised according to three types of pronation:
- Supination: When the landing foot rolls to the outer edge
- Overpronation: When the landing foot rolls inward
- Neutral: When no significant rolling occurs
Trainers built with overpronation support are most suitable for runners who roll their feet inwards 'excessively' during running, and push off with their big toe. A level of natural pronation is normal, but excessive pronation is typically associated with a roll angle of more than 15 degrees, explains Emily Codd, validation sport scientist and product analyst at INCUS Performance.
Firm underfoot feeling?
Research by Asics has found that over a third of UK runners do not know their running style, despite running at least 2km per week, with 68% of 5,000 respondents having never had a gait analysis.
Seeing a running specialist to get a gait analysis is an easy process – you'll simply run on a treadmill while being filmed, so that the footage can be replayed in slow motion to analyse your footfall and the interaction with the ground.
Runners who overpronate will typically see wear on the sole at the ball of the foot and on the inside of the foot near the toes.
What to look for
So, what's important to consider in a stability running shoe? We've broken it down for you below, before you go hitting 'add to basket'.
g M, 260g W
All of our selections below have been rigorously put through their paces by the Runner’s World editors and our wider team of wear testers. Our testing process includes exhaustive market research, analysis of user feedback, and consultations with industry experts.
The final line up was selected by our e-commerce editor Ali Ball, combining feedback from the Runner’s World editors and wear testing team with her personal experience in this comprehensive guide to the best overpronation running shoes for every kind of runner.
Why trust us?
Runner’s World UK has been vetting and reviewing running gear and tech since 1983. Our essential recommendations, including all kinds of running shoes, are selected based on data and insights gathered by our editors, who put the latest and greatest running shoes and gear through their paces day in and day out. In 2025, the Runner’s World test team is led by e-commerce editor Ali Ball, a 12-time marathoner and ultramarathoner who has over seven years experience testing fitness gear and tech.
The best overpronation running shoes in 2025
Read our full Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24 review
If you run day in and day out, it pays off to keep a solid daily trainer like the Adrenaline GTS 24 in your arsenal. This workhorse of a shoe can pound the pavement, racking up miles while keeping your feet comfortable. And the latest version is softer, lighter, and more responsive than its predecessor thanks to a new DNA Loft v3 midsole.
Brooks’s secret ingredient to add stability to its shoes is the GuideRail feature, which adds denser pieces of foam on the medial and lateral sides to lessen erratic knee movement starting from the foot up. In addition, the Adrenaline features a wide base to create a stable platform that keeps your feet in line, even on the longest of runs. Underfoot, its ride skews firm, but not in a bad way. As one tester noted, they have a good balance of being stable and supportive but without feeling too firm or clunky.
The only gripe our testers had was around the sizing, with Brooks' shoes often boasting a narrow toebox. They weren't sure if this was a sizing issue or a construction change.
Otherwise, a reliable workhorse that fulfils most requirements, except for the faster stuff.
Read our full Hoka Arahi 8 review
The new and improved Arahi 8 feels softer and has a more accommodating fit than the Arahi 7, which testers felt was a little lackluster in energy return, due to the firm, stiff cushioning. They also desired more toe room, feeling the fit was too narrow. The Arahi 8 remedies these issues with an extra 3mm of foam in the heel (raising the heel-to-toe drop from 5mm to 8mm), a new last with a more streamlined silhouette, and a brand new upper.
The updated fit was instantly noticeably, with a wider toe box preventing any form of hotspot or blister on the feet or toes. In fact, you forget the Arahi 8 is a stability shoe because of how streamlined the design looks: it’s sleek and a compliment magnet.
The shoe feels soft underfoot, too, without being mushy. One tester noted that it felt like the stability equivalent of the neutral Clifton 10 Credit: Thomas Hengee.
Another major update: Hoka replaced its J-Frame — denser foam that begins on the medial edge of the shoe and wraps around the heel in the shape of a J — with the H-Frame. The H-Frame is firmer H-shaped foam embedded into the midsole of the Arahi 8 to counter excessive overpronation. Instead of making the shoe feel rigid and heavy, the H-Frame promotes smooth turnover in a relatively lightweight package — especially for a stability trainer.
All in all, an excellent daily trainer that proves you can have support in a fairly lightweight and nimble package.
A running shoe that's truly withstood the test of time, the Asics Gel-Kayano has long been considered the go-to stability shoe for distance runners in need of comfort, cushioning and all-important pronation control. The latest version features a few key tweaks that make it lighter and a bit more cushioned, but it’s built with the same support tech as before.
For the 32nd iteration, Asics added 2mm of cushioning in the forefoot, which reduces the drop from 10mm to 8mm and helps promote a gentler transition from landing to toe-off. Despite the added foam, this shoe is actually lighter than the 31. Like its predecessor, the Gel-Kayano 32 features FlyteFoam Blast+ midsole foam paired with a layer of Pure Gel in the heel. These materials absorb impacts well, but in this shoe they create a firmer ride than Asics’s other cushioned shoes, like the Gel-Nimbus.
The Gel-Kayano is built with Asics’s 4D Guidance System, a holistic set of stability design features: a layer of supportive, bouncy foam under the arch, high foam sidewalls that cradle your foot, and a wide, full-contact sole with a rocker shape for smooth transitions. These features resist overpronation without aggressively poking upward into your arch. Instead, they gently guide your foot, keeping it properly aligned within the shoe as you run.
Overall, the shoe serves up a comfortable, planted feel, and the support features work together well to keep your feet properly oriented. If you struggle with overpronation or just want a stable, confidence-inducing ride, the Gel-Kayano is the shoe to try.
If you're looking for a reliable workhorse, designed for munching up daily miles, Saucony's Guide 18 fits the bill. Fron the v16 to 17, the shoe saw a complete re-design, with no more medial guide post, a new midsole geometry and an upgraded PWRUN foam. The Guide 18, on the other hand, keeps things much the same.
That starts with the a smooth and effortless ride. The rocker geometry is subtle, but it eases you gently through your stride, while the midsole foam feels adequately balanced between offering enough cushioning and rebound. This makes it perfect for easy runs and long runs.
There's plenty of structure alongside the plushy interior, too. The Guide 18 uses the same Centre Path Technology as the Guide 17; a combination of raised sidewalls, a wider base, a rockered design and internal geometry to guide the foot.
Our tester found themselves reaching for this when they wanted a trusty stability shoe for the bulk of their miles. They reported a 'slipper-like comfort' as soon as you put them on – and they 'remain just as comfy from the first mile to the last'.
Read our full Saucony Tempus 2 review
Saucony’s latest stability offering proves that if you’re an overpronator who requires extra support in your running shoes – or even a neutral gait runner looking for a more supportive daily trainer – you can absolutely still get a quick, versatile ride without compromising on those stability features.
The shoe fits slightly narrower in the forefoot than the first iteration, though our tester still found it to be sufficiently spacious and about average in terms of wiggle room around the toes and at the sides of the feet. Saucony has also introduced a more substantial upper made of engineered mesh which wraps the feet nicely, giving a supportive, locked-in feel that doesn’t feel overly cushioned or restrictive. That said, it's not the most breathable.
Despite weighing in at around 315g (UK 11), the Tempus 2 feels lightweight underfoot and our tester had no issues picking up the cadence on faster efforts. The midsole consists of a combination of Saucony’s energetic PWRRUN PB foam and the more rigid, high-density, asymmetrical PWRRUN frame. This combo gives the shoe a firm and balanced underfoot feel, particularly at the forefoot, and extra support in the arches, while the stiffness and rigidity at the midfoot and forefoot is what gives the shoe its responsiveness.
As for stability, the medial arch support at the inner heels corrects overpronation and reduces that lateral role — but not overly so. The stiffness of the heel also gives structure and balance, without sacrificing too much in terms of speed. In short? This is a lightweight shoe that’s excellent for overpronators wanting to run fast.
Read our full New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v14 review
Drawing inspiration from the ever-popular New Balance Vongo v6, the Fresh Foam X 860 v14 ditches its rigid medial post for an EVA stability plate, which allows for more flexibility without sacrificing support. That creates a balanced and stable ride that serves as a perfect everyday workhorse for runners who need a lot of support. It doesn’t drastically affect the support of the shoe, but it helps make the midsole feel softer.
New for version 14, the 860’s dual-density Fresh Foam midsole now boasts four extra millimeters of padding in the forefoot and slightly less drop. The two layers – soft on top for comfort and firmer below for stability — provide a balance of cushioning and support that is a touch more forgiving than the previous iteration, without feeling squishy-soft.
Rounding out the stable base is a structured engineered mesh upper that further adds to the 860 v14’s supportive nature. The shoe comes in a narrow, standard, wide and extra wide fit, making it a great choice for both lighter and heavier runners.
Just like its predecessor, the Hurricane 25 serves up maximal cushioning and robust stability but without the bulk or rigidity that typically comes with it. In fact, it’s actually a smidgen lighter (by 27g) than the Hurricane 24 and feels much lighter than it looks.
You’ve got the same dual-density midsole foam – Saucony’s highly responsive PWRRUN superfoam paired with its dense and durable PWRRUN foam – but now with a greater proportion of the latter positioned on the medial side, offering greater pronation support. Other stability elements include raised sidewalls on either side of the shoe to gently cradle the foot and a bevelled heel and rocker profile to guide your stride from impact to toe-off. And the best bit? The tech is basically imperceptible – you hardly notice you’re wearing a stability shoe.
Our tester, who interchanges between wearing stability and neutral shoes, says: ‘I find myself reaching for these time and again for my longer runs, when I need that extra structure and support. Some stability shoes can feel clunky, cumbersome and intrusive, but I haven’t felt this way about the Hurricane 25. While it isn’t the most aggressive shoe in terms if responsiveness, the midsole foam is still energetic, and thanks to the mild rocker, it feels sprightly when transitioning from heel to toe. Above all though, it’s very comfortable to run in and the fit is spot on. I’m prone to getting bruised toenails when doing longer runs in some shoes, but as these offer plenty of headroom in the toebox, I’ve not had this issue with these shoes.’
For a stacked daily trainer offering a reliable, comfortable experience for many miles, the Hurricane 25 is it. However, those after a do-it-all shoe suitable for both faster efforts and easy miles would be better continuing their search for something a little more versatile.
Super shoes have fundamentally changed running. The combination of high-energy-return foam and a carbon fibre plate can make running fast easier and less damaging to your legs. While technically not a stability running shoe, the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 delivers the most stable ride of any race day super shoe, and we feel confident recommending it to runners with mild stability needs.
Made from a blend of Saucony’s two high-performance foams, Pwrrun HG and Pwrrun PB, the Endorphin Pro 4 delivers a ‘snappy and responsive ride’ said one tester. A full-length carbon fibre plate embedded in the midsole lends stiffness and assists in a more powerful toe-off. That, combined with extended midsole ‘flaring’ that extends outward from the upper, creates a wider base of support. That stable foundation centres you in the shoe and creates a stable platform for the foot. Faster paces just seem to come naturally in this shoe.
As with most race shoes, the upper is fairly minimalistic to reduce weight. The lightweight, breathable mesh and gusseted tongue provide excellent ventilation. If you generally wear stability shoes and you’re preparing for a competitive event, these are the ones to try.