The reason for this is, on top of the amount your foot is over-pronating within the shoe, additional over-pronation to your foot is being added by the shoe itself, essentially compounding the problem. On the other hand, if your shoes are excessively compressing and/or breaking down on the lateral side when you wear them, you would need shoes with less stability features and more neutral in design. This means your foot is “under-pronating” or “supinating” in the shoe.

Most lightweight shoes, racing shoes, and running shoes, in general, are neutral running shoes simply because neutral runners occupy at least half of the market. The neutral category covers a very broad spectrum of shoes though and there may be small differences in stability shoes between neutral shoes depending on what runner they’re being worn by. For example, someone with a narrow foot may be less stable in a wider fitting neutral shoe than a narrower fitting one. With the exception of a few, the majority of road running shoes have some form of support. That is because the primary purpose of a running shoe is to help you run.

This is relatively harmless, especially if you don’t have problems walking or running. On the other hand, if you have overpronation, stability shoes, or motion control shoes could be more beneficial. Here is a guide on how we can differentiate neon womens running shoes between neutral shoes, stability shoes, and motion control shoes. The biggest factor is understanding how much or how little stability you can handle. The amount of stability you can handle may have both a low and high end.

This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to learn about neutral and stability shoes. Technical jargon has flooded the footwear industry for decades with different styles of running shoes promising to be the panacea of speed, injury avoidance and comfort. If you have never bought a good quality pair of running shoes (and sometimes even if you have!) you may not really know what you are looking for in a shoe. Buying the right kind of shoes is as important as buying a good quality pair of shoes. Typically, people with higher arches prefer a neutral running shoe.

You also have that classic rocker geometry which isn’t dramatic here, but present. You have a firmer base, you have the midline, and then there’s the speedboard that runs through the shoe. The upper on the Cloudswift locks you down incredibly well too boot. There’s also still flexibility in the forefoot that’s pretty nice to have despite all the components. I was surprised that you can actually take off one this shoe really well.

Perform a heel raise, walk, and a jog with the shoe to make sure it is comfortable and offers the support you need. If your shoe wear shows excessive wear on the outer soles, you are an underpronator and probably have a high arch. If your shoe shows even wear, you have a neutral arch and are a normal pronator. Neutral arch typically causes the foot to roll to a healthy spot. You can do individual research on what kind of shoe is best for your feet and what kind of pronator you are until the cows come home, but if a shoe is not comfortable you won’t wear them .

Anyone who follows Doctors of Running knows we talk about stability an awful lot. Stability shoes – and runners – often get lumped into one category. We have worked really hard to dispel that and talk about the different elements of shoes that can help runners match their needs. Stability in particular has changed in recent years with shoe brands innovating new strategies and implementations.

Before we dive into specific models, let us take a second to define the most common running and walking shoe categories! Pronation is the natural movement of the foot when it lands on the ground. Pronation is often described by footwear brands as the foot rolling inwards when it lands, in order to absorb the shock. Your foot can move, flex, and turn without restriction when wearing a neutral shoe.

When you put your foot in a shoe, it should feel comfortable and stable. The best bet is to head to a local running store and work with the many experienced experts there. They can help guide you through this process, which can take some practice to understand. Be patient with your self as this process involves some learning and experimentation. The main difference between neutral shoes and stability shoes are that stability shoes have additional features that reduce how much a foot will pronate and help align the leg more. So, how much your feet pronate will be an important factor in determining the right shoe for you.