Versatile trainer for forefoot strikers

Asics Novablast 5

The cushioned forefoot makes the Novablast 5 excellent for midfoot striking.

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Don’t let the 8 mm heel drop scare you; the Novablast 5 is a capable midfoot striker’s shoe.

A beveled heel and deep transition channel prevent the heel from catching the ground.

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The Novablast 5 is a tall shoe with generous ride comfort. At 33.5 mm, not only is the forefoot tall, but it is also wide enough for planted midfoot landings.

The rocker shape ‘tips’ the foot forward for quicker transitions. The snug upper connects the forefoot with the midsole for efficient power transfers.

The Flytefoam Blast Max midsole makes the Novablast excellent for everyday runs and marathon training. The cushioning works equally well at an easy 6:00 min/km (9:40 mile/min) pace as it does during a 4:30 min/km (7:00 min/mile) tempo run.

If you’re trading your Novablast 4 for the 5, know that the midsole is noticeably softer. This affects the stability and rocker effect, so heavy runners should be mindful.

Daily trainer for midfoot strikers

Saucony Ride 18

The improved Pwrrun+ midsole has the cushioning, grip, and support that forefoot strikers need.

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The everyday trainer category is very competitive, but the Saucony Ride has held up over the years. Now in its 18th year, the brand-new midsole features improved Pwrrun+ foam – a material similar to what the adidas Ultraboost 5X uses.

By improved, we refer to the softer ride and lower weight of the latest model. The Ride 18 achieves this by switching to a lower-density version of Pwrrun+ foam.

This gives the Ride 18 an edge over the Ride 17 in ride comfort. The new midsole is more responsive during foot-strikes and transition.

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At the core of the Ride 18 is a character that appeals to runners of all experience classes and footstrike patterns. The 8 mm heel drop midsole has plenty of cushioning, no matter where you land. Half-marathons are easily doable, and the midsole is durable enough for everyday mileage.

The wide forefoot is 27 mm tall with a greater share of the outsole rubber coverage. The heel midsole doesn’t stick out too far, and is beveled for gradual landings.

The comfortable upper is true-to-size with smooth interiors. The upper has a snug fit, so Saucony offers the Ride 18 in an optional 2E (wide) sizing as well.

It’s worth pointing out that the new upper has less room in front of the toes. The heel collar gets more foam, so the foot’s position shifts forward by a few mm.

Saucony makes up for the short sizing with a plusher upper – the tongue and heel have more foam padding. Also, the mesh has changed to a spacer kind with a spongy feel. The tighter fit also improves the quality of lockdown.

Stability trainer for forefoot strikers

Saucony Tempus V2

The Tempus’s PEBA midsole and firm EVA frame adds cushioning and stability for mid and forefoot strikers.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Saucony Tempus here.

First things first. If you have the original Tempus and loved its spacious and breathable upper, you might not like the Tempus 2.

The Tempus V2’s upper is narrower in the forefoot, tighter over the tongue, and snugger in the heel. The reflective strip over the toebox has also been removed.

The V2’s forefoot uses a thicker mesh with less ‘give’, so that decreases the interior space. The soft and thin tongue has been replaced with a thicker kind. The heel switches to a different mesh with more padding within.

To sum things up – the Tempus V2’s upper isn’t as comfortable as the V1, nor does it breath as well.

Both the Tempus share the midsole, so nothing has changed from a ride standpoint.

The 8 mm heel offset is derived from a 28.5 mm forefoot and 36.5 mm heel. So regardless of which part of the shoe you land on, there’s plenty of cushioning to manage the footstrike.

The forefoot gets a cushy PEBA foam stack and most of the outsole rubber, so full-contact landings are supported with a transition-friendly design. The wide midsole base translates into a high level of stability.

Speaking of stability, the Tempus is a unique running shoe that blends a firmer EVA frame with a softer Pwrrun PB (PEBA foam) core.

So this lightweight (8.9-ounce) stability trainer is cushioned, supportive, and extremely versatile – whether you’re using it as an everyday trainer, long-distance cruiser, or tempo trainer at 4:30 min/km speeds.

Marathon racer for forefoot strikers

Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris

When compared to the Edge, the Metaspeed Sky’s softer forefoot offers greater comfort when landing forefoot first.

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Some readers may be surprised to see the Nike Alphafly 3 left out of this guide. By all accounts, it’s an excellent racer for landing forefoot first.

We chose to do so for two reasons. First, the insole placement inside the Alphafly is a roll of the dice, and a few unlucky runners may get blisters. Secondly, the Alphafly 3’s forefoot is much firmer than the heel, so the midsole tends to negative drop during mid-stance. You need near-perfect form and speed for the Alphafly to be on its best behavior.

So in its place is the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris – an excellent update by Asics to last year’s shoe by the same name. And why have we recommended the Metaspeed Sky over the Metaspeed Edge?

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The Edge has the forefoot plate closer to the ground. On the other hand, the Metaspeed Sky plate is separated by a thicker layer of Flytefoam Turbo. The outsole is also softer due to the exposed windows. Thus, forefoot strikers will benefit from cushioned landings, but without the speed trade-off. The Sky also happens to be the lighter of the two Metaspeeds.

The Carbon plate makes the loading quick and efficient, and the Flytefoam Turbo midsole is sufficiently comfortable for marathons.

Mated to the midsole is a lightweight, breathable, and true-to-size upper.

Versatile cushioned shoe for forefoot strikers

Asics Superblast 2

The Superblast 2 is a high-tech version of the Novablast 4. That makes it ideal for mid and forefoot landing.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Asics Superblast 2 here.

The Asics Superblast V2 is proof that a higher heel drop – in this case, 8 mm – doesn’t decide whether a shoe is forefoot-striking friendly or not.

The Superblast is a premium, softer, and more responsive version of the Novablast – a versatile trainer with a cushioned ride and rocker midsole.

The rocker effect of the midsole is toned down by the less-than-ideal fit and softer Flytefoam Turbo.

The lightweight and uber-cushioned Superblast 2 is missing two things that contributed to the Superblast 1's success.

The midsole stability is excellent relative to its stack height and deep cushioning.

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The Superblast 2 has a rocker forefoot for smoother transitions during toe-offs, and the 37 mm thick forefoot provides a lot of padding during full-contact landings.

The midsole blends the Flytefoam Turbo foam over a firmer base, thus balancing long-distance comfort with decent levels of stability. The Superblast V2’s redesigned outsole comes with improved forefoot grip over the Superblast V1.

Having said that, the SB2’s looser forefoot upper and softer ride negatively affects its speed-friendliness. It’s more breathable, but ‘relaxed’ version of the SB1. The shoe fits true to size.

Max-cushioning for forefoot strikers

New Balance 1080V14

The 1080V14 is excellent for forefoot strikers who prefer soft landings.

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1. Read our detailed review of the New Balance 1080v14 here.

On a high-stack shoe like the 1080V14, mileage-friendly cushioning is available no matter how or where you land. The 6 – 8 mm heel offset is the perfect middle ground too.

The 1080 V14 is the ideal long-distance cruiser for forefoot and midfoot strikers. It’s also an excellent daily trainer for speeds up to 4:30 min/km (7:00 min/mile).

The midsole rocker makes the transitions and push-offs smoother; the soft-blown rubber under the forefoot muffles the landings and delivers dependable traction.

There are a couple of important updates to the ride quality. Unlike the 1080v13’s segmented outsole that allows the rubber lugs to flex together with the soft midsole, the v14’s larger and thicker lugs offer greater resistance.

So while the thicker outsole makes the rocker effect more pronounced, you don’t get the ground feel (proprioception) of the v13. The latest 1080 is better for quicker runs, but loses some of the feedback in the process.

The v14's 'heel spring' or bevel is higher than the norm, so there's not enough real estate available during heel landings.

The 1080v14 has a stronger 'rocker' effect.

The larger and stiffer outsole lugs alter the 1080's ride dynamics.

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The tweaked Fresh FoamX midsole delivers a more engaging ride experience than before. The cushioning is bouncier, and the tighter upper does a better job of extracting the responsive cushioning. The upper is now mildly elastic over the toe-box.

The snugger upper also improves stability by keeping the foot locked down over the midsole.

Tempo trainer for forefoot strikers

Hoka Mach 6

The Hoka Mach 6’s new midsole architecture makes forefoot landings better than before.

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1. Read our detailed review of the Hoka Mach 6 here.

Hoka positions the Mach 6 as a speed shoe, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s very different from the Mach 5; the new midsole is more resilient, responsive, and has a rocker that was missing on the previous model.

Consider the Mach 6 for your faster runs.

This 5 mm heel drop trainer has stack heights of 35 mm (heel) and 30 mm (forefoot). That’s enough cushioning for everyday runs and half-marathons, yet doesn’t get in the way of tempo efforts. The new foam has a smooth, bouncier ride than before, and the rocker promotes a roll-forward effect.

The low heel-to-toe offset (5 mm) and support midsole make the Mach 6 ideal for forefoot and midfoot striking.

The racer-like upper complements the lightweight midsole. The true-to-size interior combines comfort-oriented features like a padded heel with the minimalist design of a road racer. Though the Mach 6 has a narrow forefoot fit, there’s an optional wide sizing for sale.

5K and 10K racer for forefoot strikers

adidas Takumi Sen 10

During short races, forefoot strikers will love the Lightstrike Pro cushioning, Energy rods, and Continental outsole.

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1. Read our detailed review of the adidas Takumi 10 here.

If our review didn’t make it obvious, we loved the Takumi Sen 10. But you should know what you’re buying it for; this is a shoe that works best during short races – like a 5K, for example.

We’d limit the Takumi to a 10K though – the midsole lacks the comfort for longer distances. The upper also fits super tight, so it’s going to get uncomfortable over a long run.

But if you want to go fast during a shorter race, the Takumi has a lot to offer than comparable racing flats like the Hoka Cielo Road and Nike Streakfly.

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The low-profile midsole made of Lightstrike Pro has a nice bouncy feel to it; it also keeps the foot protected during a 5K – 10K race. The upper fits narrow, as it should for a shoe of this category. The tight upper creates a seamless bond between the foot and the midsole for smooth power transfer.

What makes the Takumi Sen 10 special is the Energy Rod setup inside the midsole. These stiff tubes carry the foot over the midsole efficiently and add a nice snap during push-offs. Unlike a solid plate, the foot can work through fork-like Energy rods. However, a brief break-in period is necessary.

Forefoot strikers will get the dependable grip of the Continental rubber outsole as well.

How we selected: What to look for

If you’ve been around for a while and have tracked the evolution of running footwear, you’d agree that as recently as the mid-2000s, shoes were purposely designed for rearfoot striking.

For example, most of the cushioning tech was crammed under the heel. Moreover, running shoes with a low heel-to-toe offset did not become popular until the barefoot running boom of the late 2000s.

The thought of altering the footstrike also didn’t occur to most runners, so the market didn’t exist.

Today, we have a slew of balanced choices. There’s something for everyone, no matter what your preferences or running mechanics are.

Do you want maximal cushioning, or for that matter, a shoe with a low heel-to-toe offset? Or do you want both in one shoe? Many products meet these criteria.

Runners who prefer to make full-contact landings are called midfoot/forefoot strikers. Having said that, if you currently land rearfoot and are injury-free, there’s no reason to alter the technique just because the internet tells you to.

While there is plenty of anecdotal support for forefoot striking – we also feel that full-contact landings are more efficient – there’s scant scientific evidence proving that forefoot striking is biomechanically more efficient or leads to fewer injuries.

There are so many components of a good running form, and the foot-strike pattern is just one part of it. However, it makes sense to avoid over-striding and exaggerated dorsiflexion, a state where the toes point skywards when landing heel-first.

The Hoka Mach 6 in action during a road race.

Running shoes that are suitable for forefoot and midfoot striking need to fulfill certain qualifying factors.

Ride stability is extremely important. This criterion could be met by either a firm midsole, a wide flare or surface area, or a combination of both – along with a secure upper fit. A high midsole stack isn’t a concern as long as the other two factors add up.

The quality of transition also determines whether a shoe is compatible with full-contact landings – or not. The transition quality is the product of design choices like the foam density and formulation, the outsole geometry and grip, or the midsole shape.

Though some runners prefer a cushioned forefoot, that depends on what the shoe is being used for. Is it just a 5K run or intense interval training? Here, excessive midsole softness will impede your workout.

On the other hand, if one intends to run a marathon, then a cushioned and fast ride is desirable.

A high heel-to-toe drop is not a deal-breaker. We’re not talking about a 12 mm offset shoe here, but even 8-10 mm works as long as the heel midsole doesn’t have a long overhang. That’s the reason why the New Balance 1080 V14 and Asics Superblast feature in this guide.

Also, look for running shoes where the rear midsole edge is flush with the upper heel. A generous bevel is preferable. Here’s an example; this is what the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4’s heel looks like:

Most beveled heel designs work well for ground-contact landings. The New Balance 1080V14 isn’t exactly ‘low drop’, but it works perfectly for forefoot and midfoot strikers. So does the Novablast 4.

The bottomline is, if you get a low-drop shoe, that’s a bonus. Else, it’s a non-issue for most brands.

We cover a lot of categories here across half a dozen brands, ranging from supportive shoes like the Saucony Tempus to lightweight trainers such as the Hoka Mach 6.