Today, we’re giving you a running shoe heel drop chart of some of the most used running shoes.
But first,
What is Heel Drop?
The heel-to-toe drop is very simplistically the measurement of drop from the heel to the toe of the shoe giving the running shoe a possible forward angle.
The heel-to-toe drop is measured in millimetres typically from 0 to about 14 on the high end. It’s also commonly called heel drop, drop, heel-to-toe offset, offset, gradient, pitch, differential…
One thing heel drop should not be confused with is stack height. Stack height is the measurement of the distance from your foot to the ground usually based on the amount of foam under your foot.
There’s two stack heights in every shoe, a heel stack height, and a forefoot stack height. So, the difference between the heel stack and the forefoot stack height gives you your drop measurement.
Related:
Best 12mm Drop Running Shoes
Best 10mm Drop Running Shoes
Running Shoe Heel Drop Categories
There are typically four categories in drop…
- Zero Drop: 0mm
- Low Drop: 1-4mm
- Mid Drop: 5-8mm
- High Drop: 9-14mm
Running Shoe Heel Drop Chart
Asics Heel Drop Chart
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Asics Gel Kayano 28 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Kayano Lite 2 | M: 10mm / W: 13mm |
Asics Gel Kayano MK | M: 10mm / W: 13mm |
Asics Gel Nimbus 23 Asics Nimbus vs Kayano | M: 10mm / W: 13mm |
Asics Gel Cumulus GTX | 10mm |
Asics Novablast 2 | 8mm |
Asics Dynablast 2 | 8mm |
Asics Roadblast | 10mm |
Asics Versablast | 10mm |
Asics DynaFlyte 4 | 8mm |
Asics GT 2000 9 | 10mm |
Asics GT 1000 9 Asics 1000 vs 2000 | M: 10mm / W: 13mm |
Asics GT 4000 | 10mm |
Asics GT 3000 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Contend | 10mm |
Asics Gel Venture 8 Asics Venture 5 vs 6 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Noosa Tri 13 | 5mm |
Asics Gel Noosa FF | 10mm |
Asics LyteRacer | 8mm |
Asics MetaRacer Asics Metaracer vs Endorphin Pro | 9mm |
Asics Metarun | 10mm |
Asics MetaSpeed Sky | 5mm |
Asics Magic Speed | 5mm |
Asics Hyper Speed | 5mm |
Asics Meta Ride | 0mm |
Asics EvoRide Asics Evoride vs Glideride | 5mm |
Asics GlideRide 2 | 5mm |
Asics Gel Quantum 90 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Quantum 360 5 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Excite 8 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Kahana | 10mm |
Asics Comutora | 10mm |
Asics Gel Scram | 10mm |
Asics Gel Pulse 12 | 12mm |
Asics Jolt 3 | 10mm |
Asics Roadhawk FF | 10mm |
Asics Gel Contend 6 Twist | 10mm |
Asics Gel Exalt 4 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Fortitude 8 | 10mm |
Asics Patriot | 10mm |
Asics Gel Kinsei 6 | 10mm |
Asics Gel Pursue 5 | 10mm |
Asics Gel DS Trainer 25 | 8mm |
Asics Tartherzeal 6 | 10mm |
Asics Tartheredge | 10mm |
Asics HyperGel Kenzen | 8mm |
Asics Gel Kumo Lyte 2 | 8mm |
Asics 33-FA | 4mm |
Nike Heel Drop Chart
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 Nike Pegasus vs Structure | 10mm |
Nike ZoomX Invincible Run | 9mm |
Nike React Miler | 10mm |
Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit | 9mm |
Nike Epic React Flyknit 2 | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Vomero 16 Nike Vomero vs Pegasus | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next% | 10mm |
Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 Nike Pegasus Turbo vs Zoom Fly | 10mm |
Nike Zoom Fly Flyknit | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Winflo | 10mm |
Nike Joyride Dual Run | 11mm |
Nike Joyride Run Flyknit | 10mm |
Nike LunarGlide 9 | 10mm |
Nike React Phantom Run Flyknit | 10mm |
Nike Odyssey React Nike Odyssey React vs Epic React | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Odyssey | 12mm |
Nike Odyssey React Flyknit | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Structure 24 | 10mm |
10mm | |
Nike Renew Ride 2 | 9mm |
Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next% FlyEase | 10mm |
Nike Quest 2 | 10mm |
10mm | |
Nike LunarEpic Low Flyknit 2 | 10mm |
Nike Air Zoom Span | 10mm |
Nike Zoom Fly SP | 10mm |
Nike Zoom Gravity | 10mm |
Nike Downshifter 9 | 10mm |
Nike LunarEpic Flyknit | 10mm |
Nike Legend React | 9mm |
Nike Flyknit Lunar 3 | 10mm |
Nike Zoom Fly SP Fast | 10mm |
Nike Renew Rival Shield | 10mm |
Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit 2 | 10mm |
Nike Odyssey React Shield | 10mm |
Nike Free RN 2018 | 8mm |
Nike Zoom Fly 3 | 8mm |
8mm | |
Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit | M: 7mm / W: 8.8mm |
Nike Flyknit Racer | 8mm |
Nike Free RN Commuter | 8mm |
Nike Air Zoom Streak | 8mm |
Nike Air Zoom Elite | 8mm |
Nike Zoom Rival Fly | 8mm |
New Balance Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11 New Balance 1080 vs Saucony Triumph | 8mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam 860 v12 New Balance 860 vs 880 | 10mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5 | 8mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam More v4 | 4mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon v3 | 6mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Roav | 8mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam 880 v11 | 10mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo | 6mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4 | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell Prism | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell Echo | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell Propel v3 | 6mm |
New Balance 890 v8 | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell Impulse | 6mm |
New Balance FuelCell TC | 10mm |
New Balance FuelCell RC Elite v2 | 8mm |
New Balance FuelCell 5280 | 8mm |
New Balance Lerato | 10mm |
New Balance 1400 v6 | 10mm |
New Balance 1500 v6 | 6mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz | 8mm |
New Balance Cypher Run v2 | 8mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Lazr v2 | 6mm |
New Balance 1540 v3 | 10mm |
New Balance Rubix | 8mm |
New Balance 1260 v7 | 8mm |
New Balance Nitrel v3 | 8mm |
New Balance 870 v5 | 6mm |
New Balance Cush+ District Run | 8mm |
New Balance FuelCore Sonic v2 | 6mm |
New Balance Cypher Run | 8mm |
New Balance 680 v6 | 10mm |
New Balance 510 v4 | 10mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v3 | 10mm |
New Balance Fresh Foam Rise | M: 8mm / W: 6mm |
New Balance Hanzo S V2 | 4mm |
New Balance FuelCore Coast v4 | 8mm |
Brooks Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 Brooks Adrenaline GTS 20 vs 19 | 12mm |
Brooks Ghost 13 Brooks Ghost vs Nike Pegasus | 12mm |
Brooks Ghost GTX | 12mm |
Brooks Glycerin 19 | 10mm |
Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 Brooks Glycerin vs Glycerin GTS | 10mm |
Brooks Revel 4 | 8mm |
Brooks Transcend 7 | 10mm |
10mm | |
Brooks Aurora-BL | 6mm |
Brooks Ravenna 10 | 10mm |
Brooks Levitate 5 | 8mm |
Brooks Beast 20 | 12mm |
Brooks Ricochet 3 | 8mm |
Brooks Hyperion Elite 2 | 8mm |
Brooks Caldera 3 | 4mm |
Brooks Asteria | 8mm |
Brooks Hyperion Tempo | 8mm |
Brooks Trace | 12mm |
Brooks Pureflow 7 | 4mm |
Brooks Bedlam 3 | 8mm |
Brooks Dyad 10 | 10mm |
Brooks Addiction 13 | 12mm |
Brooks PureCadence 7 | 4mm |
Brooks Neuro 3 | 6mm |
Brooks Anthem 10 | 10mm |
Adidas Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Adidas Adizero Boston Boost 9 Adidas Boston vs Adios | 8mm |
Adidas Ultraboost 20 | 10mm |
Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 DNA | 10mm |
Adidas Ultraboost PB | 10mm |
Adidas Ultraboost ST Adidas UltraBoost ST VS UltraBoost Regular | 8mm |
Adidas Solar Boost 19 Adidas Solar Boost vs Solar Glide | 10mm |
Adidas Ultraboost Uncaged Parley | 10mm |
Adidas Pureboost Go | 8mm |
Adidas Adizero Adios 5 | 9mm |
Adidas Alphabounce+ | 10mm |
Adidas Adios Pro | 8.5mm |
Adidas SL20 | 10mm |
Adidas Adizero Sub 2 | 8mm |
Adidas Supernova | 10mm |
Adidas Alphabounce Beyond | 10mm |
Adidas Ultraboost Clima | 10mm |
Adidas Pulseboost HD | 8mm |
Adidas Pureboost DPR | 8mm |
Adidas Ultraboost ST Parley | 8mm |
Adidas Pureboost Clima | 10mm |
Adidas Senseboost Go | 8mm |
Adidas 4D Run 1.0 | 9.5mm |
Adidas Solar Glide 3 | 10mm |
Adidas Duramo 9 | 9mm |
Adidas Alphatorsion | 10mm |
Adidas AlphaEdge 4D | 10mm |
Adidas Alphaboost | 10mm |
Adidas Adizero Tempo 9 | 10mm |
Adidas Climachill Rocket | 10mm |
Adidas Cosmic 2.0 SL | 10mm |
Adidas Adizero Takumi-Sen 6 | 5mm |
Adidas Adizero RC 2 | 10mm |
Adidas Solar Drive ST | 10mm |
Adidas Solar Drive | 10mm |
Adidas Adizero Prime LTD | 10mm |
Adidas Sensebounce+ | 8mm |
Adidas Runfalcon | 10mm |
Related: Adidas vs Puma
Saucony Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 Endorphin Pro vs Speed | 8mm |
Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 | 8mm |
Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 | 4mm |
Saucony Triumph 19 Saucony Triumph vs Hurricane | 8mm |
8mm | |
Saucony Ride 14 Saucony Ride vs Brooks Ghost | 8mm |
Saucony Guide 14 Saucony Guide vs Hurricane | 8mm |
4mm | |
Saucony Hurricane ISO 5 | 8mm |
Saucony Hurricane 23 | 8mm |
Saucony Omni ISO 2 | 8mm |
Saucony Omni 19 | 8mm |
Saucony Freedom ISO 2 | 4mm |
Saucony Freedom 4 | 4mm |
Saucony Liberty ISO 2 | 4mm |
Saucony Cohesion 10 | 12mm |
Saucony Type A9 | 4mm |
Saucony Type A8 | 4mm |
Saucony Echelon 8 | 8mm |
Saucony Clarion 2 | 8mm |
Saucony Endorphin Racer 2 | 0mm |
Saucony Fastwitch 9 | 4mm |
Saucony Axon | 4mm |
Saucony Breakthru 3 | 8mm |
Saucony Type A6 | 4mm |
Hoka Heel Drop Chart
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Hoka One One Mach 4 Hoka Mach vs Clifton | 5mm |
Hoka One One Clifton 8 Hoka Clifton vs Bondi | 5mm |
Hoka One One Bondi 7 | 4mm |
Hoka One One Rincon 2 Hoka Rincon 2 vs Clifton | 5mm |
Hoka One One Arahi 5 Hoka Arahi vs Clifton | 5mm |
Hoka One One Carbon X 2 | 5mm |
Hoka One One Gaviota 3 | 5mm |
Hoka Evo Carbon Rocket | 1mm |
Hoka One One Rocket X | 5mm |
Hoka One One Hupana Flow | 5mm |
Hoka One One Clifton Edge | 5mm |
Hoka One One Akasa | 4mm |
Hoka One One Carbon X-SPE | 5mm |
Hoka One One Elevon 2 | 5mm |
Hoka One One Evo Rehi | 4mm |
Hoka One One Cavu 3 | 6mm |
Hoka One One Clayton 2 | 4mm |
Hoka One One Hupana 2 | 5mm |
Hoka One One TenNine | 4mm |
Altra Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Altra Torin 5 Altra Torin vs Escalante | 0mm |
Altra Torin 4.5 Plush | 0mm |
Altra Escalante 2.5 | 0mm |
Altra Escalante Racer | 0mm |
0mm | |
Altra Rivera | 0mm |
Altra Kayenta | 0mm |
Altra Viho | 0mm |
Altra Escalante Racer 19 | 0mm |
Altra Solstice | 0mm |
Altra Provision 6 | 0mm |
Altra Instinct 4.5 | 0mm |
Altra Duo 1.5 | 0mm |
Altra One v3 | 0mm |
Mizuno Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Mizuno Wave Rider 25 Mizuno Wave Rider 25 vs 24 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Rider 24 WaveKnit 3 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Sky WaveKnit 3 | 10mm |
Mizuno Wave Creation 21 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Sky 3 | 10mm |
Mizuno Wave Prophecy 9 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Horizon 5 | 10mm |
Mizuno Wave Sayonara 4 | 10mm |
Mizuno WaveKnit R2 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Paradox 5 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Shadow 3 | 8mm |
Mizuno Spark | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Rider GTX | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Sky Neo | 10mm |
Mizuno Wave Sonic | 4mm |
Mizuno Synchro MX 2 | 12mm |
Mizuno WaveKnit S1 | 10mm |
Mizuno Wave Tenjin | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Prodigy 2 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Emperor 3 | 9mm |
Mizuno Wave Ultima 11 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Rider TT | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Hayate 6 | 9mm |
Mizuno Wave Skyrise | 10mm |
Mizuno WaveKnit C1 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Equate 3 | 12mm |
Mizuno Wave Polaris | 8mm |
Mizuno Wave Rebellion | 8mm |
ON Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
On Cloudswift | 7mm |
On Cloudflow 2.0 | 6mm |
On Cloud | 6mm |
On Cloudstratus | 8mm |
On Cloudflyer | 7mm |
On Cloudventure | 6mm |
On Cloud X | 6mm |
On Cloudace | 7mm |
On Cloudsurfer | 7mm |
On Cloud Terry | 6mm |
On Cloudboom | 9mm |
On Cloud Dip | 6mm |
On Cloudrunner | 7mm |
On Cloud Waterproof | 6mm |
On Cloud 50/50 | 6mm |
On Cloudultra | 8mm |
On Cloud Hi | 2mm |
On Cloudflash | 5mm |
On Cloudventure Peak | 6mm |
On Cloudracer | 6mm |
On Cloudrush | 5mm |
Skechers Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Skechers Max Cushioning Premier | 6mm |
Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Hyper | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Max Cushioning Premier | 6mm |
Skechers Max Cushioning Elite | 6mm |
Skechers GOrun Razor Excess | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Ride 8 Hyper | 6mm |
Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Elite Hyper | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Ride 9 | 6mm |
Skechers GOrun Maxroad 4 Hyper | 4mm |
Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 Hyper | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Razor+ | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Forza 4 Hyper | 6mm |
Skechers GOrun Speed Elite | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun 400 | 8mm |
Skechers GOmeb Razor 2 | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun 600 – Refine | 0mm |
Skechers GOrun Horizon Vanish 2 | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Mojo | 4.5mm |
Skechers GOrun 600 | 4mm |
Skechers GOrun Air – Stratus | – |
Skechers GOrun Pure 2 | 6mm |
Under Armour Heel Drop
Related: Are Under Armour Shoes Really Good For Running?
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Under Armour HOVR Sonic 4 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Assert 8 | 10mm |
Under Armour Surge 2 | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Machina | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Pursuit 2 | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Phantom 2 | 9mm |
Under Armour Flow Velociti 3 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Rogue 2 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Impulse | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Infinite 3 | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Guardian 2 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Bandit 6 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Gemini 2020 | 10mm |
Under Armour SpeedForm Gemini 3 | 8mm |
Under Armour Scorpio 2 | 9mm |
Under Armour Drift | 10mm |
Under Armour Liquify | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Phantom RN | 8mm |
Under Armour HOVR Guardian | 8mm |
Under Armour SpeedForm Fortis | 8mm |
Under Armour Micro G Assert 6 | 10mm |
Under Armour HOVR Guardian | 8mm |
Under Armour Thrill 2 | 10mm |
Under Armour Charged Intake 4 | 10mm |
Under Armour Charged Pulse | 8mm |
Under Armour Threadborne Slingflex | 10mm |
Under Armour Charge RC 2 | 7mm |
Under Armour Fuse FST | 10mm |
Under Armour Charged Lightning | 10mm |
Under Armour Charged Europa 2 | 8mm |
Under Armour Charged Reactor Run | 8mm |
Reebok Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Reebok Forever Floatride Energy 2 | 10mm |
Reebok Floatride Energy 3 | 9mm |
Reebok Floatride Run Fast 2 | M: 11mm / W: 10mm |
Reebok Forever Floatride Grow | 9mm |
Reebok Harmony Road | 10mm |
Reebok Floatride Run Fast Pro | 4mm |
Reebok Floatride Run 2.0 | 10mm |
Reebok Harmony Road 3 | 10mm |
Reebok Trideca 200 | 0mm |
Reebok Grasse Road | 6mm |
Reebok Fast Flexweave | M: 6mm / W: 4mm |
Reebok Floatride Run | 8mm |
Reebok Floatride Fuel Run | 9mm |
Reebok ZPump Fusion 2.5 | 8mm |
Reebok Harmony Racer | 6mm |
Reebok OSR Sweet Road SE | 8mm |
Reebok Sweet Road 2 | 8mm |
Topo Athletic Heel Drop
Running Shoe | Heel-toe Drop (mm) |
---|---|
Topo Athletic Ultrafly 3 | 5mm |
Topo Athletic Zephyr | 5mm |
Topo Athletic Phantom 2 | 5mm |
Topo Athletic Magnifly 3 | 0mm |
Topo Athletic ST-3 | 0mm |
Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 3 | 3mm |
Topo Athletic MT-3 | 3mm |
Topo Athletic Cyclone | 5mm |
What kind of drop should you consider?
The main question here is what drop should you pick for your next pair of running shoes.
If you’re new to running, don’t get caught up in trying to figure out what drop is perfect for you. But as you progress, you will notice different shoes perform differently for you.
If you’re a beginner, what I would recommend is find a pair of shoes that’s comfortable to you, which is usually for beginner runners a shoe with a drop of 8 to 10 millimeters.
And then from there, you can start experimenting and playing with different drops.
I’m going to break these shoes into two categories, low drop and high drop running shoes instead of four just for the sake of this section.
Lower Drop Shoes (0 – 6mm)
These shoes are better designed for runners who are forefoot strikers and midfoot strikers.
Lower drop shoes give your knees and your hips a little bit of relief.
Also, trail shoes tend to be lower-drop shoes because of the varied terrain out on a trail, run you need to be able to balance a little bit quicker and you need to be able to react to the different terrain on the fly. So, lower-drop shoes do have a slight advantage in the trail arena.
7 – 14mm Drop Running Shoes
As for the higher drop shoes, these shoes are really a little bit more ideal for the heel strikers meaning people landing on their heel that roll through their gait.
Also, these shoes tend to put a little more stress on your knees and your hips.
So, if you’ve had knee or hip problems in the past, these shoes do put a little more strain on those parts of your body. So, beware of that.
One other thing that the higher drop shoes are better for is if you’re someone whose gait starts to flatten out on long distance runs, it really does help to have a slightly higher drop shoe as you start to flatten on your transition.
Although low-drop shoes are good for some types of runners and high-drop shoes are good for other types of runners, one variable in this, of course, is stack height.
Stack height can influence how the shoe performs underfoot. There’s high stack height shoes with low drop and there’s low stack height shoes with high drop.
But are manufacturers still making 14mm drop running shoes? Well, the only running shoes I can still see on Amazon and the shoe that people are still buying is the New Balance 1064.
So, there’s a lot of things to consider here, but ultimately, that’s the breakdown between lower and higher drop shoes.
Let’s talk about specifically how these shoes impact you as a runner…
Benefits Of Lower Drop Shoes
Before I get into this, if you’re changing your shoe drastically, let’s say from a 10 millimeter to a 4 or 2 or 0 millimeter, that’s a pretty big change and your body’s going to notice.
So, we really want to urge you to take it easy when you change your shoes especially if you’re changing the drop in your shoes significantly. Your legs are going to take a little bit of time to get used to the changes whether you’re going up or down. So, ease into it.
Drop your running schedule and drop your pace a little bit for the first few runs just so that your body can adjust to the new platform underfoot.
So, some of the benefits of lower drop shoes is they…
- Speed up your cadence a little bit,
- Promote midfoot and forefoot strike,
- Can help with IT Band issues, knee issues, hip issues…
Benefits Of Higher Drop Shoes
As for the higher drop shoes, they…
- Slow your cadence down a little bit, but that can be good for heel strikers,
- Have some extra padding for heel strikers,
- Can help with Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles problems, and calf issues…
One interesting fact is people who run in shoes that are more minimalistic are 9.2 times more likely to run on their forefoot and midfoot than runners who are running in a higher stack or more maximalist type of shoes.
However, 70% of those runners in minimalist shoes are still heel strikers, which is super dangerous and can lead to a lot of injuries. So, if you are going to a lower stack or a lower drop or a minimalist type shoe, you really have to focus on how you’re running and what your form is like because not all these shoes are designed well for every type of runner.
We’ve also got big a stack height in the Brooks Caldera with 4 a millimeter-drop and we’ve got minimal shoes with very low stack height with a 4-mm drop.
So, a maximalist shoe and a minimalist shoe both have a 4-millimeter drop, which is very interesting.
As you can see, there’s a lot of variabilities with amongst all these shoes. So, you really have to test them out, figure out which ones work best for you, figure out which ones lead to different pains or alleviate different pains before you find the type of heel drop that works best for each individual runner.
Obviously, one thing we didn’t talk a ton about are the new super shoes that have carbon plates.
Oost of them tend to be about 8 millimeters in drop, but they have really high stack height, a really bouncy platform to run on, and they’ve got a lot more rocker underfoot.
Again, more variables to think about when you’re buying running shoes. It’s not just about drop.
Overall Conclusion
Overall, there’s no one perfect shoe for everybody. Research doesn’t say that zero-drop shoes are better for everyone. It also doesn’t say that 12 to 14 millimeter-drop shoes are better for everyone.
I know most of you out there have probably read Born To Run and most of you would probably think running in a zero-drop shoe or a minimal issue is the way everyone should go.
However, that’s not really true. It can lead to injury if it’s not the right type of gait.
If you’re a heel striker, a minimal shoe can be a detriment to you. So, be careful if you’re buying those kind of shoes based on the hype that you’ve heard.
Habitual motion path research says you should find the shoe that fits your style running rather than trying to find a shoe that fixes your style running because you think it’s wrong.
Obviously, the right shoe can solve a lot of problems. The right drop can alleviate some pain like we talked about and the wrong drop can exacerbate some pain.
So, make sure that you’re trying out a variety of shoes before you just pick one because you think it’s going to be the right shoe for you.
I hope you like today’s running shoe drop chart and I hope you’ve learned something new today.
Happy running.
Would love Newton info. Thanks.
There are those of us that are not runners, but have orthotics that have to fit in sneakers.
Shoes with a larger drop and using orthotics, make you sit higher in a shoe which can cause your foot to move forward to where you would not only be sitting on the orthotic incorrectly, but your toes would be pushed into the front of your shoe causing nail issues. I found that the smaller drop shoes do not cause those problems.
Another problem is not many shoes have stabilization to them which a person with plantar fasciitis and severe pronation need even if using orthotics.
I have noticed on the Asics and New Balance they are using cushioning that seems to disappear when you have orthotics. They seem to wear down faster.
I need new sneakers every 3 -4 months because I wear them every day for about 8 or more hours. I am trying to figure out what is best, but have not gotten guidance from any podiatrist.
I stick with brands I know I try to look up everything I can so I make the best decision that I can make about sneakers. It isn’t easy. This page helped quite a bit, but someone needs to address the problem of having orthotics and the issues they cause.