Until relatively recently, the common approach from sportswear companies towards women’s running shoes was the now sarcastic motto “shrink ‘em and pink ‘em”, as womens running shoes were no more than a mens shoe in feminine colours.Nowadays, sports company understood the huge market potential represented by female runners and they are starting approaching the design and engineering of running shoes for women in a different way.It is a fact that womens are bio-mechanically very different from men and by focusing on those differences and addressing specific issues is now the main driver by those companies who consider female runners as an important chunk of their market.
Why do womens running shoes need to be different from mens running shoes?
There are a few, significant differences between mens and womens when it comes to their running bio-mechanics. Let’s review a list of the most important and the solutions running companies are implementing to address them.
- Women have a wider Q-Angle.
- Women’s Body Mass is Lower.
- Women’s Feet Have a Different Shape.
Determining the Q Angle
The Q-Angle is the angle of incidence of the quadriceps muscle relative to the patella (see picture).Women have usually larger hips rather than men. This means a wider Q-Angle. As a consequence of the wider angle, women tend to pronate more than men.For this reason it is very important that while engineering a womens running shoe, the designers and developers take this into consideration and work on addressing this by having a different midsole/outsole on the womens version, a combination of shapes and materials that can offer women the extra support they need.
Statistically, women have approximately 15% less body mass than men with the same foot size. This means that when designers calculate how much bouncy the foam material in the midsole (for example) needs to be, they have to take into account the fact that for the same shoe size, the womens version should be lower and/or softer, as it would have to sustain 15% less of the impact.
For the same reason the flex grooves, which are the carved lines in the forefoot outsole that help during the toe-off, need to be more accentuated in the women shoe, as the lower body mass makes it more difficult to flex the foam material of the midsole and needs to be aided.
Men have broader and longer feet than women of their stature. Results show that women’s feet have different shape characteristics than men’s, especially in the arch, the first toe, the lateral side and the ball of the foot. This should should be considered when designing sports shoes for women.
While the previous points had impacts on the way a shoe’s sole unit had to be built, this point is about the upper.
The last of a shoe is the shape around which the upper of the shoe is constructed. They are characteristic of each brand and are very crucial to the final fit of the shoe around the foot. Usually a women shoe is just a smaller version that the mens one, and the last used is the same.
Lasts are very expensive (the research to get the right one is) and using women specific lasts is a great commitment by a company towards their female running consumers.
We highlighted the three main differences between mens and womens running bio-mechanics and the characteristics that a proper women running shoe should have to accommodate them. Here below we are recommending a few shoes that we believe were built with an eye towards female runners.
As usual, let us know your opinion in the comments!
Choose The Best Women’s Running Shoes
(If you don’t know the difference between cushioning and stability running shoes, you can find all the info in our article “3 types of running shoes for 3 types of feet“.)
The 3 best cushioning running shoes for women
Cushioning (Neutral) running shoes for women should be soft, with deeply carved flex grooves, with some inerent stability (ie. with the addition of a TPU bridge). The ones we are recommending below, have specific women’s construction.
Nike Zoom Vomero 7 |  Nike Zoom Vomero 7 – Lateral and Outsole |
| The Nike Zoom Vomero 7 is most likely the most cushioned running shoe in the market. It comes in a women specific version that has sole and upper engineered for women and different from the mens’ version. Despite being so soft, it also offer a good degree of protection, thanks to a wrapping upper and a stability bridge. | |
| Nike Zoom Vomero 7 Full Review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
Asics Gel Cumulus 14 |  Asics Cumulus 14 – Top |
| The Cumulus is the shoe that fight the Vomero for the title of most cushioned running shoe. It’s an excellent high-mileage trainer with plenty of shock absorption and support. It is less flexible than the Nike, therefore indicated for slightly heavier female runners. | |
| Asics Gel Cumulus 14 review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
Brooks Ghost 5 |  Brooks Ghost 5 main |
| The Ghost entered the market only 5 years ago but soon gathered a lot of fans. Great cushioning and flexibility make it a shoe that works well both on short and fast workouts and long races. | |
| Brooks Ghost 5 review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
The 3 best stability running shoes for women
Stability (Support) running shoes for women should offer at the same time a decent amount of cushioning and support. Choose among these three if your ankle rolls inwards excessively while you run. These are listed from the least to the most supportive. It is not a good-better-best, but simply a matter of preference.
Asics Gel Kayano 18 |  Asics Gel Kayano 18 |
| The Asics Kayano 18 is a luxury shoe. It’s not (just) the price, but the plush feeling of its upper and cushioning. It is a stability shoe, but we recommend it for light stability needs and the preference for a soft, sweet run. | |
| Asics Gel Kayano 18 Full Review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
Nike Zoom Structure Triax 15 |  Nike Structure Triax 15 |
| The Structure Triax is a safe bet. If you are in need of support you should try it and chances are that it will fit you perfectly. We like the fit, the amazing support even on very long runs (perfect for marathon training) and the trademark Nike Zoom cushioning, that ensures a soft – but not sloppy – landing. Comes in a womens’ specific version. | |
| Nike Zoom Structure 15 Full Review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 |  Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 |
| The Adrenaline is the most supportive of the three. It is Brooks’ best selling shoe and it has a GREAT forefoot flexibility compared to all shoes in this stability class. | |
| Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 Full Review, including PROS/CONS, readers’ votes and price comparison! |
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The stability shoes that you have listed structurally test in different parameters.Our structural testing puts the NB769 in the level of a neutral to light stability shoe, it tested to have a torsional control index of 42.4 inch pounds(midfoot stability) and a vertical compression index of 6.75 mm(cushion and rear foot stability).The Mizuno Nirvana tested to be on the high stability category it tested to have a torsional control index of 60.8 inch pounds providing substantially more midfoot stability than the NB 769.The Nirvana tested to have a vertical compression index of 5.59 mm providing a firmer midsole and subbsantially more rearfoot control than the NB769.
Answer from admin
Craig, thank you for your comment. We agree with you the Nirvana is a much more stable shoe than the NB 769. In this article we tried and explain which key elements to look for in a women running shoe and – at the end – we listed a few shoes that have been engineered according to one of more of these elements. Once you actually read the individual reviews, we also stress the high degree of stability of the Mizuno Nirvana 5.
Thank you again for your comment and hope to read more of them on our website!
Great article guys, enjoyed reading it. While you listed the key structural differences women exhibit in running, it’s good to also take the role of hormonal difference into account.
ASICS are unique in that they have worked closely with sports scientists on this aspect and have developed a special Gender Specific Space Trusstic in the midfoot (Nimbus 11) to allow for the changing elasticity of the soft tissue in the foot during the female menstrual cycle.
More info can be found here: http://bit.ly/47BKpQ. All ASICS top line female shoes for Spring next year will have this unique technology.
Keep up the great work on this site, I love it!
Is that why my mid foot feels different during “that time of the month?” OMG, I thought it was just me. I have found great cushioning and comfort from my K-Swiss Tubes. Not sure how others feel about them, but I love them!
This is a good advise for running shoes…especially for women because we have different bone structure from men. I will keep i mind those advise to get much better running shoes for next time…
Thank you for this informative article.
I would love if you could appraise the K-swiss K-Ona for women, as I do believe this is a very good shoe for tri-athletes.
Thanks
Hi, what would you recommend for a woman with size 3 feet. I can’t get anything to fit…. I bought some adiddas trainers but they are too big really. Apartently they come up small compared to other brands.
Any help welcome!!!
I too am cursed with a small foot although I wear a size 2.5 kids or 4 womens. Asics womens size 5 typically runs quite small but not sure they’d be small enough for you.
I wear a women’s size 3.5 or 4 if it runs small. I am desperate for a good athletic shoe for working out. What have you found? I tired a Brooks Children’s’ running shoe in a size 2, but it just does not have the support I need. Ecco used to make a size 4 that I wore with 2 socks. i wore that one for years but it is no longer manufactured. Help!!
I had surgery for a torn meniscus in march on left knee. Didn’t really work. Right leg has had a dropped foot, and right knee has been broken. I need the proper shoe to help, not harm further, the knee recovery. I also have a hammer toe on the right foot, so I have gone to size 10.5, and obviously, because of this, need a fairly wide toe box. Thew shoe needs to be cost effective, as there will be incremental changes during therapy, and I need to rotate or change them every three months. Thanks in advance.
Asics Gel Kayano 18 is a great shoe for running. Even though it’s quite expensive but it definitely deserves the price. Would highly recommend it for woman runners!
I would recomment the Mizuno Wave Inspire for a supportive everyday trainer. I’ve worn it for 5 years running and it’s the only support shoe I can find that is reasonably priced and doesn’t feel heavy or stiff!
Thanks.
I had surgery on the ball of my left foot several years ago. As a result I have some discomfort and a stubborn callous on the ball of that foot. My cardio routine includes brisk walking; sometimes on a treadmill, sometimes on pavement. I have been looking exhaustively over the years for a running shoe that will provide cushion for the ball of the foot and have not found the right shoe yet. Please tell me you have a recommendation for me.
Thanks so much,
Angela