I have found overpronation and narrow feet to be among the greatest challenges to many runners. For sure, how your foot makes contact with the ground matters a lot, especially if you are a runner. Getting the best running shoes for overpronation and narrow feet is also not an easy task.
Overpronation and narrow feet brings with them several other issues. This can be complicated further if as a runner you fail to have the right shoes.
If you are a runner, how your foot steps on the surface is critical to the success of your running career. Unfortunately, your foot bears the more significant burden of supporting your body weight. Therefore you must have the right shoe.
I am going to inform you more about the issues of overpronation and narrow feet here. I will also tell you what to consider when buying the best running shoe for overpronation and narrow feet.
Besides, I will also look at the issue of narrow foot and how to choose the right shoe size for your foot.
Quick comparison
What is Overpronation?
To understand overpronation, you first have to know pronation.
Pronation refers to how your foot flattens when you step on a flat surface. Your foot’s impact distribution makes your feet roll inward to absorb shock for a comfortable and natural movement.
Besides, each step you make when walking or running results in side-to-side inward roll movement of your foot.
Therefore, overpronation refers to the overly flattening of your feet when you step on a flat surface. The outer edge of your heel hits the ground first; your foot then rolls inwards onto the arch.
Infarct, people with overpronation experience strains in the foot muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Moreover, it is common for such people to suffer injuries such as
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ankle sprains
- Achilles tendonitis
- Heel spurs
- Shin splints
How to Know if You Overpronate
There are two easy ways of telling whether you overpronate or not.
First, to tell if you overpronate, look at the bottom part of your shoes for signs of wear and tear. This is referred to as a wear test.
You can determine your level of pronation through the Wear Test. Get a running shoe that you have used for a while and use the table below to determine your pronation.
| Overpronation | There is much wear from the ball of thefoot of the shoe. Also much wear toward the big toe and along the inner edge |
| Supination | There is much wear on the outer, toe side of the foot |
| Neutral | There is much wear in the center of the shoe |
Also, take a closer look at your barefoot; if you notice that your foot makes a flat contact with the surface and no visible arch is left, you are overpronating.
Besides the above signs, other health indicators will tell you if you overpronate when walking or running. These signs include
- heel or arch pain
- flat feet
- corns or calluses
- knee, hip, or back pain
- hammer toes
Lastly, you can determine that you overpronate when the foot bone that runs from the knee to your big toe tends to curve inward.
Features of Good Running Shoes for Overpronation
Several shoes exist in the market to help people with overpronation. However, identifying the best running shoes for overpronation may become a problem if you are a starter.
The good news is that an ideal shoe offers extra support on the medial side to provide anatomical arch support. In addition, such shoes prevent your foot from inward roll and flattening, thus aligning the foot and limbs to a neutral position.
Therefore, to determine the best running shoes for overpronation, consider the following features
- For increased stability and support, consider a shoe with a firm heel in its design
- The shoe should have a broader outsole to enhance motion stability,
- To shield against injury caused by inward roll, consider a shoe that is straight or semi-curved.
- Consider a shoe with extra internal cushioning to offer support to your arch.
- Consider shoes with lighter soles. It alleviates the strain put on muscles and joints by having softer steps and motion
- Shoes recommended by the doctor have orthotic insoles that offer anatomical support to your arch.
What is a Narrow foot
A narrow foot is the one that fits the length of the shoes but leaves extra spaces on the sides of the shoes. This makes one uncomfortable because the shoes do not fit properly.
To take up the extra spaces, one can buy sole inserts or consider a properly fitting shoe available in the market.
To ensure you have the best running shoe for your narrow feet, look for the following
- A shoe with a foot width of 3 1/16 or size 7 is the best fit for a narrow foot.
- A shoe with a width of 3 3/8 or size nine will fit your narrow foot.
Moreover, the narrow shoes for both men and women vary, each having different sizes marked.
For women, the shoes have letters A marked on them. However, for extra narrow, you will have 2A or AA indicated on them. Similarly, the men’s narrow shoes have the letter B indicated on them.
Remember, running shoes with a narrow fit feature 1/ 4 inch smaller than medium-fitting shoes. They are also 1/ 2 inch smaller than wide shoes.
The Right Shoes for Narrow Feet
One easy way to determine the best running shoe for the narrow foot is to try them when buying.
Besides, the right shoes should be designed to fit narrow feet. Above all, consider brands in the market that design shoes for people with narrow feet.
However, if you cannot find a narrow shoe for your feet, consider ways to be comfortable when wearing the shoes. Ways such as
- Using insoles and inserts that will cushion your narrow foot. Ensure that the inserts offer support by lifting your feet to take up the extra space.
- Buy insoles that offer extra arch support.
- Ensure you reinforce your shoes with shoelaces to guarantee the firm fitting of your foot in the running shoe.
Features of a Good Shoe for Narrow feet?
For best running shoe for narrow feet, it should have the following features
- The shoe must offer arch support to minimize injuries while on the track
- It should have more inner sole cushioning to give proper fit and comfortable wear.
- The shoe should have a narrow design meant for a narrow foot.
- Also, consider different brands that offer a variety of narrow shoes.
Review of the Best Shoes for Overpronation and Narrow Feet
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21 – Best Overall
Are you after a smooth-riding, comfortable trainer with extra stability in every stride? If yes, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21 fits the bill. Besides a softer ride, it delivers more adaptable support.
The shoe doesn’t differ much from the GTS 20. However, it does include minor upgrades. It features a new supportive and airy upper. You will hence enjoy long runs with your feet staying fresh the whole time.
The upper also offers structure and solidity to the midfoot. It stretches slightly to provide room for movement without altering its shape. Thanks to its unique lacing system, the GTS 21 holds your foot intact.
It then boasts an old-school look with no pointless decorations. As such, the GTS 21 is slightly lighter than prior models.
Like the GTS 20, it also includes the Brooks’ Guide Rail support system. This includes two guide rails on each side of the foot. Just like bumpers in bowling, these rails help balance your foot while running.
The shoe’s outsole uses Blown rubber, which assures durability. On the outsole are well-placed Omega flex grooves that enhance the GTS 21’s flexibility.
Working closely with the grooves are segmented crash pads. They both ensure a smooth transition between your midfoot strike and the toe-off. You’ll therefore enjoy excellent shoe flexibility as you run.
As for the midsole, the Adrenaline GTS 21 employs a dual-form design. It uses DNA Loft as the primary foam together with BioMoGo DNA. With such materials, the midsole delivers a solid yet responsive ride.
HOKA ONE ONE Arahi 5 – Best Sole Unit
Hoka One One has two stability running shoes which are significant players in the stability world. And Arahi 5 is one of them. It is slightly lighter than the prior Arahi 4. Even with maximum cushioning, this trainer will not weigh you down.
Judging by first impressions, it’s clear the Arahi 5 has a lot of soul in it. The shoe’s outsole uses a lightweight, durable rubber.
Not only is the material hard to touch, but it also delivers excellent grip. The tread pattern gives excellent control and is practical in all conditions.
Its midsole then incorporates a soft compound. The material offers enough cushioning while remaining lightweight at the same time.
The Arahi 5 employs a dual-density foam style. The firmer foam makes a J-frame by wrapping around the shoe.
By doing so, this trainer achieves a more dynamic point of view to stability. When running, you can feel the J-frame guiding your foot into proper landing. This approach achieves better stability than other rivals using a medial post.
It then features Hoka One One’s Early-Stage Meta-Rocker Geometry. This feature help rock the trainer forward.
The upper includes a standard mesh. It helps the shoe provide a snug fit while facilitating ventilation. As such, even during long runs, your feet remain dry.
There is also plenty of toe box room that best suits runners with narrow feet. The elf ear flared heel doesn’t bring about blistering, as you’d assume. It’s, in fact, very helpful in locking your heel in for an excellent fit.
With such features, this trainer cuts it among the best running shoes for overpronation and narrow feet.
New Balance Fresh Foam 860 V11 – Best Versatility
Next, we have the New Balance Fresh Foam 860 V11. It is a reliable trainer with impressive stability and substantial comfort.
Its versatility is exceptional as well. Not only is the trainer ideal for long runs but also short sprints and regular high-mileage training.
The trainer uses the same heel collar like that of the 1080v10. Besides looking cool, it is functional to boot.
The collar acts as a pull tab facilitating quick putting on of the shoe. It also eliminates hot spots and rubbing on your Achilles while abating heel slippage.
There’s also a heel cup that secures your ankle in place. This feature makes the 860v11 an ideal pick for runners with ankle issues.
This trainer comes with a New Balance’s Fresh Foam midsole. In the 860v11, the foam feels firmer than that in other models. The firmness is a result of less compression of the foam to enhance the shoe’s durability.
Its outsole uses traditional blown rubber. And it also has flex grooves running in a horizontal pattern. The shoe is hence very durable, flexible, and assures decent traction.
The 860v11’s outsole then features a guidance line running vertically. There’s also a deep groove cut on the heel. Other than lessening force transfer from a heel landing into medial pronation, it also cuts down weight.
About the shoe’s upper, it incorporates an engineered mesh. This ensures a secure, snug fit while allowing smooth airflow to avoid dampness.
The trainer then includes a new Ultra Heel design to prevent rubbing the Achilles.
Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 – Best Upper
If you want a stability-enhancing daily trainer, the Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 offers just that. With each stride, this shoe delivers adaptive support and pillowy, soft cushioning.
The GTS 19 is true-to-size. It comprises a 3D Fit Print mesh upper that is stretchy and soft as well.
The flexible nature makes the trainer conform to all varying shapes or types of feet. It’s also highly breathable hence keeping your feet fresh during runs.
Its tongue brags decent padding that offers protection to the tops of your feet. You won’t fret about shoelaces causing hotspots like in some models. The tongue is also plush and adds to the shoe’s snug fit.
Again, the GTS 19 has notable cushioning. Thanks to the DNA Loft Foam in the midsole, which most running buffs like.
With such material, this trainer assures comfortable, soft, and smooth runs. The midsole, however, is less responsive and also lacks speed. I would recommend this trainer for recovery runs.
The Glycerin GTS 19 uses blown rubber for an outsole. It is softer and denser than other rubber types. As such, it facilitates the trainer’s flexibility while offering decent durability.
The shoe then includes a toe scoop alongside a 10mm drop. This helps the trainer achieve a natural rocker-like quality.
Runners who like stability trainers will appreciate Brook’s GuideRails system. They act as bumpers by balancing and engaging your feet’ movements. Unlike medial posts, you’ll only feel the GuideRails if your feet tend to turn in or out.
Asics GT-2000 9 – Best Durability
The ASICS GT-2000 9 is a reliable, stability running shoe which showcases a striking look. It feels and fits like a no-fuss, classic trainer.
The shoe includes an engineered mesh upper. It is seamless around the midfoot and toe box to avoid causing hotspots.
The upper is stretchy as well to conform to your foot’s shape, ensuring a snug fit. It’s also highly breathable to prevent dampness. You can hence enjoy long runs with your feet staying dry and fresh all along.
The GT-2000 9 then provides adequate room in the forefoot and midfoot as well. You won’t experience any excessive squeezing, which can be an issue during long runs.
On the shoe’s outsole are two materials; AHAR and AHAR+. The heel area is where the AHAR+ carbon rubber is present. The reason being, it is highly resistant to wear hence assuring durability.
In the forefoot, the outsole uses AHAR rubber. With such reliable materials, expect the GT-2000 9 to handle high mileages.
The trainer also includes flex grooves running horizontally in the forefoot. These groovers help enhance the shoe’s flexibility.
The ASICS GT-2000 9 then features Flytefoam forms the midsole. It is decently responsive and firm while being lightweight at the same time.
There is Gel cushioning in both the heel and forefoot areas. This helps soften the Flytefoam midsole’s firmness.
On the shoe’s bottom around the midfoot area is the Guidance Trusstic System. It is a rigid yet lightweight plastic plate that delivers torsional rigidity. As such, it is among the best running shoes for overpronation and narrow feet.
Asics Gel-Kayano 28 – Best Fit
The Gel-Kayano line has one of the most trusted stability trainers out there. And the Gel-Kayano 28 is no different. It boasts a few updates, which make it softer and lighter to offer a smoother ride.
Many runners would agree that the Kayano line doesn’t disappoint when coming to fit. The Gel-Kayano 28, therefore, feels like its design was specific for your feet.
This trainer is true-to-size and brags a new comfortable upper. It’s also highly breathable to facilitate excellent ventilation.
Even during long runs in humid environments, your feet remain dry and comfortable. The upper also adds to the 28’s notable structure.
The trainer is available in five varying colorways. You can hence pick one aligning with your fashion preferences.
It then comes with a newly redesigned midsole. In the forefoot is the top-tier FlyteFoam Blast which is impressive during toe-off.
There’s also a new GEL design present in the shoe’s heel. The GEL comes in handy anytime you sneak in a heel strike once or twice. And it is also helpful in absorbing shock. Both additions give the Kayano 28 an effortless and smooth ride.
As for the outsole, this trainer uses AHAR+ carbon rubber. With such a material, it achieves impressive flexibility. The outsole also delivers exceptional grip to avoid sliding and slipping during runs.
The Kayano 28 also features ASICS’ DYNAMIC DUOMAX support system. It replaces the medial post in prior models, increasing the trainer’s stability. The heel-to-toe transition in this trainer is smooth, thanks to this new system.
New Balance 940 V4 – Best Arch Support
Any runner who wants premium cushioning, stability, and support should consider the New Balance 940 v4. It is slightly costly, but yet worth every cent.
The trainer comes with a thoughtful and unique upper. It uses a breathable, engineered, synthetic mesh with no stitching at sight. As such, it prevents dampness even after lengthy runs while providing a comfortable fit.
The 940 v4 then comes with printed overlays. These overlays assure a secure and snug fit. At the rear area of the façade is thin padding which adds to the in-shoe safety.
Its laces use a lace keeper technology. Through this, the shoe’s laces remain tied and keep the tongue from unnecessary movements.
In the midsole, this trainer incorporates Abzorb foam. It’s not as good as New Balance’s Fresh Foam. However, it’s still quite impressive and delivers comfortable cushioning.
Its outsole displays the T Beam, which is present along the middle. This feature bolsters the 940 v4’s arch support and stability. It works alongside the medial post, which employs higher density foam to help correct overpronation.
It then uses the Ndurance rubber compound on high-wear regions to enhance durability. The rubber’s traction is also remarkable on different surfaces.
The forefoot area, on the contrary, consists of blown rubber. It brags a slightly spongy quality which not only enhances flexibility but also cushioning near the front area.
Buying Guide
Consider the following when buying the best running shoe for overpronation and narrow feet.
Stability
To win a race, you need to think of a shoe that offers proper stability for your body. Consider a shoe that can comfortably handle the weight of your body without giving in to pressure and strain.
For example, a shoe with more rigid foam in the midsole helps control side-to-side motion during running.
Cushioning
When buying a shoe for running, consider the one with adequate cushioning in the heel and midsole. Remember, overpronators experience muscle strain in their foot. Therefore the shoe should offer support and absorb shock during the landing impact of the foot.
Fit
A person with overpronation and narrow feet require a shoe that fits appropriately, leaving no room for sliding and slipping during gaming. Moreover, the shoes should not firmly fit your foot. Instead, leave some space between your bigger toe and the tip of your shoe.
Durability
A shoe that can hold on to the tension and stress of the sport all day is the best choice for you. Therefore consider a shoe with sturdy rubber outsoles. Such outsoles can withstand pounding during fitness and the actual race.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Overpronation?
Overpronation is where first, the outer edge of your heel hits the ground, your foot then rolls towards the arch.
How do I know if I Have Overpronation?
To determine if you overpronate, look at the bottom part of your shoes for signs of wear and tear. For example, if your shoes wear and tear more on the inside sole along the inner edge and near the big toe, you have overpronation.
What Width Size Should I Look For if I Have Narrow Feet?
Consider an “AA” width size for women and a “B” width size for men. Moreover, consider a shoe that has less space in the upper part. It will help you have a more glove-like fit and assist in preventing unnecessary movements.
Conclusion
Overpronation and narrow foot should not be a reason not to enjoy your running or walking.
However, you need to have the right shoes for overpronation and narrow feet. These will ensure you do not develop any unpleasant effects.
I have reviewed you for you seven great options for you to choose from. Based on your level of overpronation and the size of your narrow foot, you can buy the most appropriate one for you.
Ensure you buy a shoe that will offer you a smooth ride and comfort on the track. Its midsole should also be able to minimize excessive movement and strain to your foot.
Join the conversation