As running coaches, we’re never going to tell you that you have to change your foot strike to become a better runner. What we will share are the tools, like the right running shoes, that support your natural movement and make running feel a little easier. If you’re someone who tends to run more up on your toes (raises hand, guilty!), then you’ll want to check out this list of the best forefoot running shoes. best forefoot running shoes

Runners who have a forefoot strike tend to land on the ball of their foot or further forward on their toes. As folks have often pointed out to me mid-run, it sometimes looks like I’m running in high heels, or like a dancer on the move.

When running like this, it may feel light and fast, which is great if you’re going for short distances. However, for distance runners this is where we start to get in to trouble.

If you’re landing on the balls of your feet or up on your toes, it means that your calf muscles and Achilles are being engaged constantly. This leads to muscle cramps because they’re being overworked.forefoot running shoes

The good news is that the right shoes can make a big difference in reducing calf and Achilles strains for forefoot runners. Rather than trying to change your natural stride, it’s all about finding a shoe that works with it.

Most of the shoes below will have a heel drop lower than 10mm, plenty of cushioning, and often a carbon plate for added responsiveness.

Yes, we know, we’ve talked before about why you shouldn’t run in a carbon plate shoe all the time. But if you’re a forefoot or even midfoot striker, you’ll actually get to take full advantage of the plate and the extra spring it provides.

We’ll touch more on foot strike and running form later, but for now, let’s take a look at the best forefoot running shoes.

10 Best Forefoot Running Shoes

We know there are a ton of reviews to sift through to find the best forefoot running shoes. So we did the hard work for you and pulled together a list of some of our team’s favorites.

Our testers cover all kinds of paces, goals, and backgrounds, so you’re getting honest reviews from front, middle, and back-of-the-pack runners.

Training for a marathon? Hoping to run a fast 5k? Just running because it makes you feel good? There’s probably a shoe on this list that’ll work for you.

Best Cushioned Trainer – Asics Novablast 5

Our team loves this shoe, and you’ve probably noticed it on a lot of our lists….because it’s a great daily trainer!

It’s a max cushioned shoe that you’re going to want to keep by your door to grab each time you head out for a run. You don’t feel like you’re sinking in, and there’s still a nice energy return!

This shoe from Asics features a midsole with a full-length FF Blast Max from the previous FF Blast+ ECO. Which basically means that even though it’s considered a max cushion shoe, this firmer foam is going to give you a nice snappy feeling underfoot.

Novablast 5 ReviewThe forefoot geometry helps you push off from the front of your foot, but with enough cushioning so that you’re not tiring out your calf muscles and Achilles.

Best Lightweight Trainer – Hoka Mach 6

One of the things we really like about this shoe is that it’s not JUST a speed shoe. It’s honestly a great daily trainer and we’ve logged as many easy days in it as we have interval or tempo runs.

The Mach features a lightweight foam midsole that provides a quick, lively feel, while the meta-rocker design helps to encourage a more natural gait.

You’ll find a 5mm heel drop here, meaning that it’s going to favor landing more toward your mid or forefoot rather than heel striking. You’re still going to have a nice amount of cushion so that when you go to push off, it’s not going to feel super flat or close to the ground.

Sorta of like a natural roll forward thanks to that rocker-type geometry. hoka mach 6 review

This shoe is best for middle of the pack runners who are looking for a fast and responsive shoe to take on long-distance races or interval training.

Best for Speedier Paces – Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo

A shoe absolutely designed for the forefoot striker! It’s very different from the Metaspeed Edge which is designed more for heel strikers.

I honestly really love this shoe, especially as someone who naturally runs up on her toes. They’re super lightweight and very bouncy! While these are speedy shoes, if you’re going to wear them on race day, we do think they’re suited more towards those aiming for 7:30/mile and faster paces.

The FF Leap on the bottom adjusts to how you land to get the most from the foam.Asics Metaspeed Sky tokyoYou’ll also notice the outsole has a slightly different cut out towards the forefoot. This is again a very specific design choice to allow the foam to move and expand based on where you are placing the most weight in your stride.

Best Daily Trainer – Puma Velocity Nitro

The Velocity Nitro has earned its place as one of Puma’s go-to daily trainers, offering just the right amount of cushion to keep you logging miles comfortably. If you’ve been a fan since the early models, you know that Puma is keeping things consistent.

The Velocity Nitro has enough stability to also keep you feeling good on moderately long runs. This is going to work as a great city trail to road shoes or hitting wet roads and having no fear of sliding.Puma Velocity Nitro 4 Review

The dual-layer foam setup gives you a soft, comfortable feel up top with a bit of pop underneath, striking that nice balance between everyday comfort and a touch of speed if you want to pick up the pace.

The fit is going to be narrow, so keep that in mind when picking your size.

Best Max Cushioned Shoe – New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v14

This is going to fall under the category of a max cushioned trainer that can take you for many miles.

Whether you need a shoe for long walks, long runs or days on your feet we like this one. It hits that sweet spot with cushion of feeling really great without being overly squishy.

In comparision to older models, NB changed the foam here so it’s a little firmer and won’t leave you feeling like you’re sinking into the ground. This is going to help forefoot runners feel more supported and stable when landing and pushing off with each stride.

Plus, like many shoes on this list, it has the rocker geometry so that forward roll feels more natural than forced.new balance 1080 v14 reviewThis is a great cushioned daily trainer that can go for miles. It’s a solid long-run shoe pick for runners who enjoy a more max cushion feel.

Can you run a marathon in these shoes? 100%. Is it a fast shoe for speed work, tempos, or hitting a sub 3:30? No.

Best Carbon Plate Shoe – On Cloudboom Strike

After seeing Helen Obiri win Boston, a lot of runners stood up to take notice of what On was doing with carbon fiber. It’s a very different type of shoe than Nike and for a lot of runners, that’s a good thing.

Forefoot runners, you’re going to love this one. The Cloudboom Strike combines a full-length carbon Speedboard plate with On’s Helion HF foma and a drop-in Bounceboad layer. Together, they deliver a responsive, energetic feel underfoot.

Basicall,y meaning that you’re going to feel supported as your foot lands and propels you forward!Cloudboom Strike ReviewThis was a race day shoe we fell in love with immediately and are excited to see where it goes. While it’s absolutely considered a top end carbon plated racing shoe, a lot of runners are going to have fun with hitting some speed in it.

Best Cushioned Shoe with a Carbon Plate – Skechers Aero Burst

Despite being a max cushioned shoe, the Aero Burst feels really responsive and has a fair amount of energy return (hello carbon plate).

It’s not a full carbon plate like you might see in front of the pack super shoes, but this plate is an H-shaped piece within the midsole that adds some subtle energy return and firmness to the forefoot when you’re picking up the pace.

The Aero Burst features the Skechers HYPER BURST ICE™ midsole. This midsole is a dual-density foam, meaning it’s extra soft yet still provides stability without your heel sinking into the foam.

The combo of the foam and H-shaped plate is a forefoot runner’s dream! Sketchers Aero Burst Overview

While our team liked these best for longer, easier runs, they never felt clunky when testing them for speed. The lightweight foam and the added bounce from the carbon-infused midsole kept these shoes smoothly turning over during faster workouts.

Best Zero Drop Shoe – Altra Lone Peak

This is a shoe that Coach Laura swears by and has worn for many, many miles.

If you’re looking for a zero-drop shoe or even a shoe for wider feet, this is it!

Underfoot, it’s definitely not your max cushioned shoe; it’s middle of the road, medium-cushion, which is great for better ground feel! Altra updated the midsole EGO foa,m making it lighter and more comfortable underfoot.

The zero-drop design is going to support your natural stride and not force you to change how you’re landing. If you tend to land more on your mid or forefoot, almost any pair of Altra’s is going to welcome and support that!Altra Lone Peak 9

It’s a great pick for the trail with balanced cushioning, excellent grip on loose rock and mud, and a super comfortable fit for wide feet!

Best Middle of the Pack Marathon Shoe – Nike Zoom Fly 6

This is going to be a slightly firmer super trainer than some other brands, and we actually think that might be what’s lending to the quick turnover and resulting faster paces.

Zoomfly is using their ZoomX foam which is a PEBA foam, meaning that it’s lighter and has more energy return. Traditionally PEBAX is not as durable, meaning less mileage before a shoe wears out, but they’re sandwiching the carbon fiber plate between ZoomX and an EVA foam called SR-02.

That combo is going to give the shoes more life than a traditional super shoe, hence a super trainer.Nike Zoomfly 6 Review

It’s probably not the shoe we’d turn to just to log daily training easy miles, but we would pull it out for long runs with marathon goal pace miles or tempo runs.

Based on that, we come to the idea that this could be a winning marathon shoe for a lot of runners in that 4:00-4:30 range.

Best Versatile Trainer for Longer Miles or Some Pickups – Adidas Adizero EVO SL

The Adidas EVO SL is not as bouncy as a carbon plated shoe and not as soft as a daily trainer. It’s a blend right in the middle that allows for that energy return.

This is going to be the perfect shoe to carry you through long runs, while still allowing you to pick up the pace for half and even full marathon miles.

You’re not going to find all the fancy bells and whistles packed into the midsole, just some nice foam underfoot.

The subtle forefoot rocker is going to help if you tend to land on your forefoot/toes first, making for a smoother and easier transitionAdidas Evo SL Review

While we’re not reaching for this shoe on the days we want to do 7:00min repeats, we did enjoy it on longer miles where we wanted to put in some pick ups.

In general, a lightweight shoe, with energy return on a long run is a really fabulous thing for the legs no matter the pace.

How to Determine Your Foot Strike

If you’re unsure how your foot lands when you run, you’re not alone. Most runners don’t think about it until something starts to hurt or you’re focusing on getting stronger and faster.

Luckily, there are a few easy ways to figure it out and start understanding your stride a little better.

Having this information in your running toolkit may help you:

  • Learn the best ways to improve form and efficiency
  • Evaluate injury risk
  • Determine recovery plans after an injury
  • Pick the right footwear

Beyond simply paying attention to what part of your foot is landing first when out on your next run, probably the easiest way to determine your foot strike and also evaluate your form is to take a video.

best running foot strike

If you have a treadmill, set up your phone to record your feet from behind and from the side, but don’t forget to get a full body view from different angles too. You can also easily do this outside or ask a fellow running friend to help.

One thing to remember is to continue running naturally when being filmed. Do not alter your cadence, gait, or footstrike in the moment. Maybe try to forget the filming is even happening.

I like to do a regular speed video and a slow motion video for each position to ensure we’re looking at all the details.

Remember that analyzing your gait is something professionals do, so you likely won’t pick up on everything at home.

Common Forefoot Running Challenges

Forefoot runners may see more injuries related to the ankle and Achilles tendon, or they may develop shin splints.

In fact, when runner tells me they are frequently dealing with calf cramps or pain I start by asking if they are running up on the balls of their feet. The common answer is “yes, I’m trying not to heel strike”. Unfortunately, what we know from the data is your calf muscles are then working overtime and more.

Of course there are many who say that you simply need to massage your legs and work through the pain. No, stop, this makes no sense.

If you’re running pain-free, then forcibly changing your gait and now having pain, something isn’t right.

Get off your toes, get closer to your midfoot or all your foot to simply hit naturally and work on the actual length of your stride.

So if you don’t need to change your footstrike, what can you do to ensure you’re running to the best of your abilities and remaining injury-free as much as possible?

Focus on your form!

Working On Overall Running Form

As you continue to grow as a runner, you may be looking at what you can do to keep enjoying the sport, be injury-free as much as possible, and improve. At some point, if it hasn’t already, you may consider evaluating your form and your footstrike and making changes.

A 2015 study found that an individual’s running biomechanics play a role in injury development. It also found that there’s simply not enough evidence to suggest that modifying running form is necessary to lessen injury prevalence.

Keep the following in mind:

  • We are all different biomechanically so what works for me or your best running buddy might not work well for you.
  • There is no right or wrong way for your feet to land, but try not to overstride.
  • Any changes you do make should be gradual and with the guidance of a coach or running-focused PT.
  • Regardless of how your feet land, make sure you’re also tuned into what the rest of your body is doing and feeling.
  • Oh, and do the warmup before you run!

Phew, this was a lot of information, but we hope that it gave you some ideas about the best forefoot running shoes.

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