Everyday trainer for heel strikers

Saucony Ride 18

The just-right cushioning of the Ride 18 is ideal for runners who land heel first.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Saucony Ride 18 here.

The Saucony Ride 18 reminds us of vintage adidas trainers like the Energy Boost and Supernova Glide. The Pwrrun+ foam used for the Ride 18’s midsole is based on expanded PU foam – the same material that adidas Boost is made of.

For this year’s model, Saucony has updated the Pwrrun+ formula. The lower-density foam makes the shoe softer and lighter than before.

Like the last time, the thick footbed is made of the same material as the midsole. Together, they create a cushioned ride for heel strikers that feels supportive and efficient.

With an 8 mm drop, most of the cushioning is packed under the heel. It has generous stack heights too; the heel and forefoot are 35 mm and 27 mm thick respectively.

Rocker assist is unavailable on the Saucony Ride 18.

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The cushioning depth makes everyday runs comfortable for up to a half-marathon.

The Ride 18 doesn’t feel slow; the mild rocker effect makes the ride efficient. While the Ride 18 isn’t a great tempo shoe, it’s versatile enough for most levels of run intensity and experience levels.

In short, if you had to distill all your running needs into just one shoe, the Ride 18 gets many things right.

The comfortable and true-to-size upper has nearly no flaws; an optional 2E is also available.

Runners who are upgrading from the Ride 17 should know that the Ride 18 has less space in the front of the toes. You can blame the thicker heel padding for that – it shifts the foot forward by a few mm.

In return, you get a plusher upper because of the increased foam padding and softer mesh.

If you like your daily trainer to be even softer and lightweight, consider the next shoe on this guide – the Asics Cumulus 26.

Lightest daily trainer for heel strikers

Asics Cumulus 27

The Cumulus 27’s tall and wide midsole cushions rearfoot landings.

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With stack heights of 32 mm (forefoot) and 40 mm (heel), heel strikers benefit from cushioned landings. The under-heel cavity adds a trampoline effect for stability and increased use of cushioning.

The Cumulus 27 is lighter than other neutral trainers because it lacks a rubber outsole. Instead, its outsole is firm EVA foam with a softer FlyteFoam layer on top. Like most trainers in this category, this type of cushioning favors heel strikers. The Cumulus 27 makes more sense than the Ride 18 if you prefer a lighter everyday trainer.

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Not having a rubber outsole has its drawbacks, such as reduced performance on smooth surfaces and slushy sidewalks. In return, the Cumulus 27 delivers weight savings. At 265 grams or 9.3 ounces, this is a lightweight everyday trainer with plenty of comfort for up to a half-marathon distance.

The Cumulus 27’s true-to-size upper has comfortable interiors with a broad toe-box. Additional widths (wide and extra-wide) are available for purchase.

Versatile cushioning for heel strikers

Nike Vomero 18

The Vomero reinvents itself with a 44 mm tall midsole. That’s enough cushioning for all the rearfoot strikers in town.

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For any running shoe to be heel strike-friendly, it must meet three conditions. First, there must be ample stack heights to absorb the landing impact. Second, the midsole should be supportive and not throw the runner around. Three, the shoe should have a beveled heel for smooth landings.

The Vomero 18 meets all three conditions, and then some. Nike goes bold with the stack heights; the heel and forefoot are 44 mm and 34 mm tall.

The midsole composition also makes the heel supportive. Sure, there’s a softer layer of ZoomX on top. However, most of the midsole uses the firmer and supportive React X foam. The midsole sidewalls lack a compression groove, so both sides are supportive and neutral.

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The nuanced ride quality of the ZoomX + ReactX midsole makes the Vomero 18 fun for heel strikers. A sense of deep cushioning is accented with a bouncy feel – thanks to the inherent qualities of the ZoomX and React X foam. The deep transition groove under the heel adds a trampoline effect.

The beveled design prevents the heel from catching and makes the transitions smoother.

The padded heel collar and counter secure the foot during landings. As for the rest of the upper, heel strikers will discover a plush interior with a true-to-size fit.

Best for overpronating heel strikers

New Balance Fresh Foam 860V14

The 860V14’s ‘stability plane’ plate favors heel strikers more than it does forefoot strikers.

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New Balance sells two popular gait-correction shoes – the Vongo V6 and 860V14. Out of the two, the 860V14 is a better fit for heel strikers.

While both models use a similar approach to managing pronation, the ‘stability plane’ plate inside the 860V14 is designed differently than the Vongo. And what is the ‘stability plane’ plate?

This plate is sandwiched between two layers of the Fresh Foam midsole. On the inner (arch) side, the plate has a solid structure. On the outer side, the plate has small windows cut into it.

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This variance makes the plate on the outer side more flexible. That way, the ‘stability plane’ plate makes the arch side supportive and directs the loading or tilt towards the outer side. That is the principle behind most pronation-control (stability) running shoes, and both the Vongo and 860v14 manage this well.

Except that the plate on the outer side (of the 860V14) isn’t full-length like the Vongo. It’s available only under the heel area, so rearfoot strikers stand to benefit more than forefoot strikers. Also, this being an 8 mm drop shoe, heel strikers will land on the most cushioned part of the shoe.

This is the softest 860 model to date, so the ride comfort works for everyday mileage up to a 21K distance. The upper fit and feel is excellent, and no other stability shoe offers the range of widths that the 860 does.

Marathon racer for heel strikers

Nike Zoom Fly 6

The wide midsole and SR-02 foam base makes the Zoom Fly heelstrike-friendly.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Nike Zoom Fly 6 here.

There are a few reasons why most Carbon-plated racers don’t work very well for rearfoot strikers.

A typical racer heel is slim and soft to keep the weight low and enhance the ‘springboard effect’ of the plate. While deliberate, this design isn’t stable enough for heel strikers. The soft midsole deforms during rearfoot landings to produce a negative heel drop.

Outsole rubber is used sparingly, so the durability and traction is lacking for rearfoot strikers.

The Zoom Fly 6 works around these shortcomings with a wider and supportive midsole. In relative terms, the heel midsole is wider than the Nike Vaporfly or Asics Metaspeed.

The midsole base uses the firmer SR-02 foam to stabilize heel landings. The wide midfoot waist and open groove keeps the weight centered. There’s grippy outsole rubber on the heel crash pad.

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If the Zoom Fly 6 is so different than most super-shoes, how does it perform on the road? More importantly, is it quick enough for race day?

The short answer is yes. The Carbon plate works with the forefoot rocker to produce fast miles on demand. Unlike the Zoom Fly 5 or even the Nike Vaporfly 3, the upper is fully sleeved. The snug upper secures the foot for efficient power delivery to the midsole.

The toned-down feature set also makes the Zoom Fly 6 more versatile than high-end racers.

The dual-density midsole has decent durability, and the padded upper has lots of comfort. It’s as much a pre-race trainer as it is a race day shoe.

Max-cushioned shoe for recovery runs

Brooks Ghost Max 2

Heel strikers can make their recovery runs more enjoyable with the highly cushioned Ghost Max 2.

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

On some days, all ones wants is an ultra-cushioned shoe that makes slow, recovery jogs comfortable and pleasant. Just being soft isn’t good enough; it needs to be un-boring too.

If this article was written a month ago, we would have recommended the Nike Invincible 3 or New Balance 1080V13. Both are very soft, very comfortable, and easily available.

Then the Brooks Ghost Max 2 showed up. By no means is it a lightweight shoe; the G-Max 2 weighs nearly 11 ounces or 306 grams. But it’s important to look past the specs and focus on the larger picture.

For this year, the Ghost Max 2 uses a brand-new DNA Loft V3 foam with a notable upside in bounciness. Prior versions of the DNA Loft V3 – including that on the Glycerin 20 – felt flat and not at all soft or bouncy. That has changed for 2024, as evident from the softer Glycerin 21 and max-cushioned Ghost Max 2.

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This 6 mm drop shoe has a ridiculous amount of cushioning, both under the heel and forefoot. What’s more, the midsole is ultra-wide so the cushioning is delivered in a neutral and supportive manner. So when the foot loads on the heel, the soft midsole compresses downwards to keep the foot centered.

The Nitrogen-infused DNA Loft V3 is not just soft. It feels bouncy in a way no other Brooks shoe has felt before. However, this is a ‘slow’ shoe, meaning that it struggles at more aggressive paces. It feels best at speeds slower than 5:30 min/km (8:50 min/mile).

The cushioned midsole is matched with a plush and spacious upper. There’s a lot more room inside the forefoot when compared to the Glycerin 21 and Ghost 16.

Tempo trainer for heel strikers

New Balance Fuelcell Rebel V4

The Rebel V4 gets a 10 mm wider base and a 34 mm heel stack, and that’s good news for heel strikers.

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

As great as the Rebel V3 was, it had one problem. The slim heel wasn’t very supportive and its cushioned bottomed out under heavy loads.

That’s far less likely for that to happen on the Rebel V4. The midsole has a 10 mm wider base under the heel and forefoot, and the heel is 34 mm thick. Runners who land heel first will find a much changed Fuelcell Rebel, one with greater cushioning depth and support.

On the other hand, the bouncy cushioning of the Rebel V2 and V3 will be missed. The new Fuelcell compound is soft but feels flatter – something that also applies to the SC Elite V4.

The upper fit has changed too, and the Rebel goes from a snug-fitting shoe to a spacious one. The tighter upper of the previous model was better at directing the power to the midsole, but the V3 is no slouch either.

Its 7.5-ounce (212-gram) weight helps it disappear over the foot during tempo runs or a 10K race. The cushioning doesn’t bottom out, and the wide rubber outsole helps the transitions through grippy push-offs.

5K and 10K racer for heel strikers

adidas Adizero EVO SL

The EVO SL has a rear stack of 34 mm, so that covers heel strikers, and then some.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Adizero EVO SL here.

As a heel strike-friendly shoe for speedwork, the adizero EVO SL checks most of the right boxes.

The 39 mm tall heel is Lightstrike Pro foam, meaning heel strikers will experience soft and springy cushioning during landings. The lack of an under-heel cavity improves the stability during heel strikes. Also, the LS Pro foam is firmer than the variant on the newest Adios Pro 4.

The abundant cushioning comfort is ideal for runs up to a half-marathon. The Lightstrike Pro midsole is more fun than comparable ZoomX (Nike) and Pwrrun PB (Saucony)-based running shoes. The quick-to-respond foam is the bounciest among all super-foams.

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Heel strikers will also benefit from the grippy dual-compound outsole. A larger Continental rubber patch assists during take-offs, and the heel has equally capable clear rubber lugs.

The EVO SL’s midsole makes going fast easy. Forefoot roll-offs are made quicker by the rocker midsole, so the foot doesn’t waste time during the gait cycle. The high-performance midsole offers speed and comfort during a 5K or 10K race.

The upper doesn’t have a tight fit as some short-distance racers do. The lightweight and airy upper leaves some breathing room for the toes without squeezing them tight.

How we selected: What to look for

Wait. Do we really need an article to tell us which shoes work for heel strikers? Doesn’t that include most running shoes?

If only things were that simple. It takes a lot more than just a cushioned heel for a running shoe to be rearfoot-friendly.

There are other overlooked aspects like the heel-to-toe offset, rearfoot stability, and a midsole design that promotes smoother landings. Just how do these factors help? Here’s a quick primer.

A high heel-to-toe offset

The ‘drop’ or offset of a shoe is defined as the thickness between the front and rear midsole heights. After reviewing shoes for over a decade, we believe that a heel-to-toe drop of between 5 mm and 10 mm is the sweet spot for heel strikers.

A high heel-to-toe offset implies that the rear is substantially thicker than the front. Not only does that result in a higher level of cushioning, but the thicker heel also promotes comfortable rearfoot landings. The opposite is also true, and that is why midfoot/forefoot strikers prefer running shoes with a lower offset.

Just know that this so-called ‘rule’ isn’t a blanket generalization, but it increases the chances of a running shoe being rearfoot friendly. For most runners, low-offset models will work just fine.

A supportive rearfoot

The wide midsole of the Cumulus 26 produces a neutral and supportive ride.

Not everything ends and begins with the midsole cushioning. If the rearfoot is the first point of contact during the gait cycle, it needs to be stable.

The midsole should have a neutral ride character with minimal cushioning bias. In other words, one side of the midsole shouldn’t be excessively softer than the other.

A supportive heel midsole makes a running shoe suitable for heel strikers.

Also, the entire heel shouldn’t be overly soft.

That’s the reason why this guide excludes models like the Nike Vaporfly. While those are excellent products, the heel isn’t stable enough for rearfoot landing.

A beveled heel edge

A heel with an angled curve (also called the heel spring) allows the foot to land gradually instead of edge striking abruptly. It helps if the outsole crash pad is segmented or split from the main outsole by a groove. Such crash pads flex during landing for gentle transitions.

Not all shoes on this guide have an articulated landing zone, but we’ve tried our best to find the ones that do.