The 6 Best Running Shoes for High Arches
Not many shoes are specifically marketed as good for high arches. But these neutral, cushioned trainers and racing kicks will give your stiff feet some relief.
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us?
Do you have high arches? If so, there’s a chance you’re running into problems with your feet when you run. You might be underpronating, you might have some issues with plantar fasciitis, or you might just want a cushier ride that combats the low flexibility in your feet, among other issues. Whatever your discomfort, now’s as good a time as any to start looking for some kicks that are kinder to your legs.
High arches present an interesting quandary for runners: There aren’t many shoes explicitly made to accommodate them. But the good news is that plenty of our editors’ favorites do the trick just fine. Some of the best options out there are simple, affordable, neutral trainers that you can find in most running shoe stores. And we can vouch for all of them from personal experience and testing.
The Best Running Shoes for High Arches
- Best Daily Trainer: Asics Novablast 4
- Best Value: Nike Winflo 11
- Best for Interval Training: Saucony Endorphin Speed 4
- Best for Race Day: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
- Best for Trail Running: Hoka Speedgoat 5
What to Consider
How To Tell If You Have High Arches
High arches stand out from flatter arches because they prevent a considerable section of your midfoot from touching the ground. This isn’t always the easiest thing to see from the your vantage point when looking down, but there’s a straightforward analysis you can perform at home to analyze your arch: the Wet Test.
In essence, get your feet wet, either by dunking them in a tub or after you’ve had a shower. Then, step with both feet on a piece of heavy paper (heavy enough that it won’t rip apart when you step off) or a bath mat that gets visibly wet. When you lift your feet off, there will be footprints there—take a look at how much the gaps between the heels and balls of your feet are filled in. If there’s little to no visible connection between the two on the paper, then you likely have high arches.
Neutral Support and High Cushion
One of the main risks you can encounter with high arches is underpronation, or an outward tilt of your ankles when your feet strike the ground. To mitigate this, doctors (and our editors) suggest looking for a neutral, support-free shoe that allows as much pronation—inward ankle rotation—as possible. In theory, your high arch supports itself well enough that any extra stability only gets in the way of a healthy stride.
Ample cushioning is also ideal for high arches, because a high arch most often comes from an inflexible plantar fascia, the ligament that connects the heel and ball of your foot. Normally, this ligament absorbs some shock from your initial impact with the ground. But if it isn’t flexing, you’ll want some extra cushion to take pressure off your relatively stiff feet.
How We Selected
To determine the shoe specs most beneficial to runners with high arches, we talked to John Vasudevan, M.D., a sports medicine director at Penn Medicine, about the mechanics of various arch types. At its foundation, according to Vasudevan, a good running shoe for high arches tends to be neutral, allowing plenty of foot pronation to avoid supination. It’s also abundantly cushioned for impact relief—your high arch’s natural compressibility is limited, so it’ll need some help.
Once we knew where to start, we dug through our database of the best running shoes we’ve tested to weed out which options are too stiff or have too many stability features. From there, we looked for shoes with a variety of intended uses, from daily workhorses to trail shoes to carbon-plated race shoes. Our picks all have stellar energy return, plush cushioning, outsoles that are contoured to guide your stride in the right direction, and prices that are appropriate for what you’re getting. When applicable, we also looked at updated versions of shoes we’ve tested to see what has changed regarding fit, weight, and geometry.
Now, before you read on, we strongly recommend talking to a physician if your high arches are causing considerable pain or discomfort. We also recommend trying any shoes you plan to buy in person at a running shoe store—your feet aren’t shaped the same as ours, and they could rub against an awkward spot in the upper while ours don’t. There’s no guarantee a shoe will work for you, but we’re here to guide you in the right direction to start.
Adam Schram is an Assistant Editor of Commerce at Runner's World, though you might see his byline on Bicycling and Popular Mechanics, too. A lover of all things outdoors, Adam's writing career comes after six years as a bike mechanic in his hometown of State College, PA. His journalism experience is steeped in cycling and running gear reviews, and he's also a published creative nonfiction and satire author. When he's not writing, riding, or running, you can catch Adam at home mixing cocktails, watching Star Wars, or trying in vain to do the Sunday crossword. You can check out his latest work below.
Watch Next
![Video player poster image preview for HDM All Sections Playlist - Runners World US](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vidthumb/images/gettyimages-2148747805-669fb4ff43ea3.jpg?crop=1xw:0.8433382137628112xh;center,top&resize=1200:*)
![a closeup of a treadmill screen, and a man running on a treadmill inside a closeup of a treadmill screen, and a man running on a treadmill inside](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/treadmill-labor-day-sale-2024-66c8ca678b9e3.png?crop=0.502xw:1.00xh;0.498xw,0&resize=360:*)
The Best Labor Day Deals on Treadmills
![a man working out on a treadmill a man working out on a treadmill](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/horizon-treadmill-0059-6674814811e67.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.244xw,0&resize=360:*)
The 7 Best Treadmills for Runners
![running headphones, running earbuds running headphones, running earbuds](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/running-headphones-2024-002-66c63775830b8.jpg?crop=0.484xw:0.727xh;0.188xw,0.135xh&resize=360:*)
The 7 Best Wireless Headphones for Running
![ua velociti 4 ua velociti 4](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/ua-velociti-44321-preview-maxwidth-3000-maxheight-3000-ppi-300-quality-80-66b24273bce6c.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.167xw,0&resize=360:*)
Tested and Reviewed Under Armour Velociti 4