Neutral daily trainer for an orthotic

Saucony Ride 17

Removing the Ride 17’s chunky Pwrrun+ footbed creates the space you need for an orthotic.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Saucony Ride 17 here.

There’s nothing wrong with the Ride 17’s stock footbed. It’s a thick, molded insole made of Pwrrun+ foam – the same as the midsole. It provides excellent cushioning and complements the versatile character of the midsole.

The Ride 17’s versatility is why it’s our favorite everyday trainer of the year.

The Ride 17's insole is made of Pwrrun+ E-TPU foam. It's thick enough to be replaced by a stability Orthotic.

The Ride 17's insole is made of Pwrrun+ E-TPU foam. It's thick enough to be replaced by a stability Orthotic.

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But if you decide to customize the ride quality by adding an orthotic, removing the thick insole leaves enough space to do so. The Ride 17 will take most orthotics, provided the incoming insole matches the outline of the Pwrrun+ footbed.

Also, be mindful of the stack heights of the custom orthotic, as it can change the default heel-to-toe drop of the shoe.

Neutral daily trainer for an orthotic

Brooks Ghost 16

The Ghost uses an EVA foam insole of standard thickness, making the shoe orthotic-compatible.

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The Ghost 16 uses a standard insole with a molded profile and average thickness.

That makes the shoe a good candidate for a replacement insole. Be it a pair of stock Superfeet or custom orthotics, most runners won’t have a problem fitting them in.

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In its stock form, the Ghost 16 is a reliable everyday trainer with a familiar ride. Sure, the midsole has changed, but the Ghost 16 isn’t far removed from the Ghost 15. The only difference is the slightly bouncier quality of the new DNA Loft V3 foam.

The snug upper doesn’t have a gusset, making it easier to insert an insole. Should you need more room, the snug and comfortable upper is sold in multiple widths.

Supportive daily trainer for an orthotic

Saucony Guide 17

The Guide 17 has the same (thick) Pwrrun+ footbed as the Ride 17 which can be removed to make way for an orthotic.

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Unlike the Ride 17, the Guide 17 doesn’t have a midsole made of Pwrrun+ (expanded PU) foam. But do you what the Guide 17 has?

It has the same Pwrrun+ footbed that’s inside the Ride. That means removing it creates enough space to fit an orthotic, be it an off-the-shelf Superfeet or a custom-made orthoses.

The Guide 17 doesn’t have gait-management features as the Kayano or GT-2000 13 do. However, what it has in spades is true stability – thanks to its ultra-wide midsole and firm EVA-foam midsole.

While not as soft and responsive as the Ride, the Saucony Guide is a supportive everyday trainer with plenty of ride comfort.

Pronation control trainer for an orthotic

Asics Kayano 31

Overpronators can make the Kayano 31 even more supportive with an orthotic.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Asics Kayano 31 here.

Overpronating runners who want an orthotic-friendly shoe may want to consider the Asics Kayano 31.

The latest iteration of this popular motion-control shoe has a brand-new Flytefoam Blast+ midsole that’s peppier than the last version.

Three different features on the midsole minimize excessive inwards foot roll. The inner midsole is more supportive than the outer side, and the wide groove under the heel slopes towards the outer side. In theory, the Kayano counters overpronation by redirecting the pronation away from the inner midsole.

The Asics Kayano 31 is also available in a wide and extra-wide.

The Asics Flytefoam last - cushioned, yet firm and supportive.

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There’s a fair bit of step-in softness due to the removable footbed made of blown foam. You can change that with a custom orthotic or an aftermarket sockliner to improve the stability or increase the stiffness.

Regardless of the insole, the Flytefoam Blast+ has lots of ride comfort for everyday training or long runs alike.

Max-cushioned trainer for an orthotic

Brooks Ghost Max 2

This soft recovery run trainer has a removable footbed, so it’s compatible with an aftermarket insole.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Brooks Ghost Max 2 here.

The Ghost Max 2 is our top ‘recovery run’ pick.

The wide and tall DNA Loft midsole brings soft comfort to all runs, long and short. It’s not versatile though, but that’s the point. The soft cushioning favors slower running speeds, making the G-Max perfect for easier days rather than more aggressive workouts.

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Brooks uses a similar insole for this shoe as the Glycerin and Ghost. It’s a smooth EVA footbed with raised edges, and removing it creates room for an orthotic.

A stiffer insole might actually go quite well with the soft DNA Loft cushioning and give the Ghost Max 2 better stability.

The plush and true-to-size upper is also sold in a 2E (wide) size.

Max-cushioned trainer for an orthotic

Saucony Triumph 22

Removing the cushy Ortholite footbed will make room for a custom insole.

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Here’s another max-cushioned shoe that’s slightly more versatile than the Ghost Max 2. The Triumph 22 now uses a taller midsole made of Pwrrun PB – the same material that the Endorphin Pro and Speed use.

There’s a lot more foam under the foot than on the previous Triumph versions, so to say that the ride character has evolved would be an understatement.

The cushioning has more depth, and the midsole is noticeably softer. Much has changed on the Triumph 22 since the Triumph 21.

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The taller Pwrrun PB midsole makes the T-22 an excellent trainer for high-mileage runs. While soft, the rocker forefoot helps with forward rolls and prevents the ride from getting mushy.

Unlike the Ride 17, there’s no Pwrrun+ footbed inside. The Ortholite insole is sufficiently thick to be replaced by another orthotic or insole.

Lightweight tempo trainer for an orthotic

New Balance Fuelcell Rebel V4

After removing the stock footbed, the Rebel’s spacious upper has room to accommodate a custom insole.

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1. Read our detailed review of the New Balance Rebel V4 here.

Not many lightweight trainers are capable of accommodating an aftermarket footbed. Most running shoes in this category have a super narrow fit that makes adding orthotics difficult.

To get a higher level of ‘bounce’ and responsiveness, simply swap the thin footbed with a thicker one.

The New Balance Rebel V4 is different. With more upper room than the previous version, the Rebel can take an aftermarket insole, provided it isn’t very thick. We say this because the stock footbed is thin, so that leaves a lower margin of error.

This lightweight trainer gets a brand-new Fuelcell midsole that’s wider and softer than before. While not as bouncy as the Rebel 3, the Rebel 4 compensates with increased ride comfort and durability.

Best stability trainer for an orthotic

Saucony Echelon 9

If you want to use an orthotic with your running shoe, the Saucony Echelon 9 is a safe bet.

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The Echelon is a stability shoe, but not the traditional kind. There’s no ‘stability’ feature like a medial post or raised midsole edges.

Nonetheless, the Echelon 9 is a very supportive running shoe. An ultra-wide outsole footprint produces a very stable ride, and the Pwrrun foam midsole adds cushioning comfort for everyday runs.

Also included is a thick PU sockliner that adds a layer of step-in softness. This footbed is thick enough to be replaced with an aftermarket or custom orthotic.

The Saucony Echelon 9 looks nothing like the Echelon 8. The V9 leaves the old-school design behind and adopts a visual language that’s similar to other Saucony shoes.

Best supportive trainer for an orthotic

Brooks Addiction GTS 15

This ultra-supportive running shoe also has the room to fit a custom footbed.

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What is the Addiction GTS 15? It’s a supportive shoe with an ultra-wide midsole and outsole, but minus a medial post. The midsole uses raised sidewalls – aka the Guiderails – to cup the foot on both sides.

That’s all good, but there’s a reason why the Addiction GTS features here. Its spacious upper can comfortably fit an orthotic once the stock insole is removed.

The roomy upper means that the fit performance isn’t adversely affected after inserting an aftermarket insole.

How we selected: What to look for

As if buying running shoes wasn’t complicated enough, here’s another fun thing to do – finding a pair that can accommodate a custom orthotic or aftermarket insole.

There are hundreds of running shoe models in the market. So how do we find a spacious shoe to accommodate a thick insert without severely affecting the fit and ride dynamics?

The shoe-insole compatibility also depends on whether we’re talking about an all-foam orthotic or structured insole with a rigid frame.

So what happens if an overly cushioned or structured insole is inserted into just any running shoe?

If the existing (stock) insole is thinner than the incoming orthotic, then the upper fit changes for the worse.

The Novavblast 3’s insole is thinner than the structured insoles such as the Superfeet Green and Superfeet Blue. So inserting an orthotic will make the upper fit tighter.

A thicker insert will push the feet upwards to create a tighter and uncomfortable fit. The foot will also sit higher inside the shoe, potentially resulting in heel slippage and a tighter fit over the instep.

Off-the-shelf and custom insoles can be loosely classified into three groups. The first kind is a cushioned orthotic made of foam or foam+gel.

These insoles are designed to provide additional cushioning with optional arch support. A Spenco RX Comfort insole, or the Spenco Arch Cushion would be examples of this construction.

The second kind is a cushioned-support insole. Here, a soft foam base is layered over a supportive frame that’s usually situated under the midfoot and heel. This category forms the majority of aftermarket orthoses, with the Spenco Total Support being an example.

Corrective insoles are the third kind. If you’re familiar with the uber-popular Superfeet Green, then you know what we’re talking about.

Here, a rigid frame made from Nylon or TPE cups the foam layer. Technically speaking, even the first two insole categories can be ‘corrective’ from a functional standpoint. Having said that, rigid molded frames are less pliable than their counterparts made of foam or Gel-Foam hybrids.

An orthotic can be either thick or thin in any of the said categories. For instance, the Superfeet Carbon is a ‘corrective’ insert by our definition but its thinness allows it to be placed inside most running shoes.

A few things need to be considered when matching a shoe with orthoses. With the rare exception, most stock insoles provided with running shoes do not have a heel-to-toe offset. The insole thickness stays the same throughout its length; insoles are ‘zero drop’ components.

The same thing can’t be said of custom or aftermarket insoles. Many inserts have a higher heel, thus adding thickness to the overall rearfoot stack and altering the heel-to-toe drop.

Let’s say that we have a running shoe with a 4 mm heel-to-toe offset. However, if the aftermarket orthotic has a 4 mm heel drop, the combined heel drop will be twice the original stack. That’s worth keeping in mind when purchasing or custom building an orthotic.

An insert usually affects the collar fit, so the last lacing row – also called the heel-lock lacing or runner’s loop – should be utilized for an optimal fit experience.

The stock insoles of most $100+ shoes are thick enough to be replaced by foam-based cushioned orthotics or slim corrective insoles.

The Ride 17’s insole is made of Pwrrun+ E-TPU foam. It’s thick enough to be replaced by a stability Orthotic.

A recent development has suddenly turned some Saucony models into orthotic-friendly running shoes. Instead of the earlier set-up of a ‘Topsole’ and insole, models like the Ride 17’s and Guide 17’s insoles are made of expanded PU foam that Saucony calls Pwrrun+.

These new footbeds are thick enough (around 8 mm) to be substituted with an orthotic.