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We all know how important it is to wear a good pair of running shoes to avoid injury, feel comfortable, and perform at our best. But with so many options out there, how do you decide which women’s running shoes are right for you?
At Tom’s Guide, our female runners have put countless pairs to the test, logging miles and assessing performance to bring you the best recommendations. When choosing the right pair, it's essential to consider whether they fit well, provide the right support for your foot type and running style, and suit the surface you’re running on—whether that’s road, trail, or track.
Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness Editor and she's spent years writing about all things health and fitness. She crossed the finish line of her last marathon in 3:38, with the Garmin Forerunner 965 on her wrist, and the New Balance Fuelcell Supercomp Elite V3 on her feet.
Jessica Downey is a senior fitness writer for Tom’s Guide and a lifelong running enthusiast. She ran her first marathon at the 2024 Manchester Marathon and followed it with the London Marathon in 2025.
Best women’s running shoe overall
If you want a no-fuss, everyday running show, look no further than the Nike Vomero Plus. While it has been designed for everyday runs, it's versatile, too, and can pick up the pace when you want it to.
The Vomero Plus is a maximum cushioned shoe, with a thick wedge of Nike’s bouncy ZoomX foam in the midsole, giving you sink-in comfort and energetic bounce.
You can get started straight out of the box, thanks to its padded tongue and collar preventing heel slipping and rubbing. I didn't experience either, even when on my initial eight-mile-run. It's got a lightweight and breathable upper, too, which is perfect for summer workouts.
It's available in a range of different sizes, too, from US 5 to US 12. Plus, it comes in both a regular width (which I found to be pretty generous) as well as an extra-wide version.
The cherry on top (for me) is the number of different colorways this shoe comes in. You're sure to be able to find one to suit your personal style, from hyper pink to cool mint.
It's pretty stable, although you should keep in mind it hasn't been designed with maxium stability in mind, so it's more suitable for road running than track or trail. Still, this is a solid daily trainer that will work for beginners and seasoned runners alike.
Read our Nike Vomero Plus review.
Best women's running shoe for beginners
The New Balance 1080v15 is an excellent choice for beginner runners, offering a reliable and comfortable ride with significant improvements over its predecessor. The shoe is a lighter and more impressive daily trainer than its predecessor, thanks to its new brand-new midsole foam called Infinion.
This new Infinion midsole replaces the Fresh Foam X foam used on the past few models of the shoe. I found it to be lighter and more responsive, while not sacrificing any of the comfort we've come to expect from the 1080 line.
The upper is soft, stretchy, and really well ventilated, and the foam is soft and cushy underfoot — although I did notice my heels sinking while walking. Despite this, while running, I didn’t find myself feeling like I was fighting to rebound or to keep up a strong momentum. Additionally, the rocker felt light and responsive when hitting any inclines.
My one gripe with the New Balance 1080v15 is that, despite its relatively high price point, it doesn't really look like a $170 shoe. Out of the box, it looked pretty cheap and flimsy.
With this being said, it's exceedingly comfortable, lively, versatile, and makes running feel easier, no matter what training you're doing.
Read our full New Balance 1080v15 review
Best women’s running shoe for speed
The Adidas Adizero Evo SL is a new addition to the Adidas range. It's a lightweight daily trainer at an affordable price that still includes the features of the Adidas Pro Evo 1 carbon plate running shoe.
Its a versatile, comfortable ride that can handle almost any kind of run. Plus, its stylish enough to wear when not running, although you may find that the pronounced forefoot rocker makes walking around feel a bit odd.
The Adidas Adizero Evo SL avoids one of the issues I usually have with Adidas shoes, namely that they usually come up feeling a bit tight. This shoe, however, fits me well in my normal running size. I ofund it to be fairly roomy and also a bit more padded around the heel, unlike other Adidas models — for example, the Adidas Boston 12.
Its lightweight and breathable mesh upper has enough padding to make it comfortable for regular use, too.
It does not have a carbon plate, which may be a dealbreaker if you prefer more propulsion when you run. However, its lockdown is still secure enough to use the shoe for fast runs without any slippage. You should keep in mind that it is a more relaxed fit than you get on racing shoes or many plated trainers, though.
Read our full Lululemon Blissfeel 2 review here.
Best all-rounder women's running shoe
A redesigned midsole makes the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 a lighter and more enjoyable than the Velocity Nitro 3.
It has an engineered mesh upper that’s reinforced with Puma’s PWRTAPE to add more support and structure.
One thing I found really impressive is that, despite the padding on the tongue and collar of the shoe, it still felt lightweight and was breathable enough to run in during a heatwave.
It's great for running on anything from light trails to wet roads thanks to its PumaGrip rubber outsoles, with a layer of rubber that's impressively thick considering how light the shoe is.
As with most Puma shoes, the fit tends to run a little narrow. This may be great news if you have a narrow foot, but if you prefer a wider toe-box, you might find it's a bit tight.
Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that while it is cushioned, it is not as cushioned as shoes like the Asics Novablast 5. So, if maximum cushioning is what you like in a shoe, you may not find it to be enough. It's also not built for stability, so if this is of the utmost importance, it may not be right for you.
Overall, the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is an everyday trainer that can handle whatever you throw at it, from easy runs to tempo runs and sessions.
Read our full Puma Velocity Nitro 4 review
Best cushioned women’s running shoe
The Asics Novablast 5 is a cushioned daily trainer that offers a winning balance of comfort and speed.
It's my favorite version of the Asics Novablast yet, thanks to its new FF Blast Max Plus midsole foam and adjusted heel bevel. Both changes mean that it is a smoother, softer ride than the Novablast 4.
Despite being softer and lighter than the FF Blast Plus Eco foam of the Asics Novablast 4, the FF Blast Max Plus foam is not very squishy, meaning the shoe is stable despite its stack height of 41.5 mm at the heel. However, it's not very responsive, and its a lot less bouncy than the foam seen in earlier versions of the Novablast.
It's also got a new upper, too, which is made from jacquard mesh as opposed to the woven mesh seen on the Novablast 4. This is supposed to make the shoe more breathable, although in practise I didn't notice much of a difference between the two. It's also pretty roomy, which you should keep in mind if you have narrower feet.
The Asics Novablast 5 is pretty light despite being so cushioned, and it works reasonably well for faster runs. Still, it's not as versatile or speedy as a plated trainer or a lightweight plate-free shoe.
The outsole has also been updated, with a softer version of Asics' Ahar LO rubber which is designed to provide better grip. In testing, I found it provided great grip on wet and even icy pavements, as well as being pretty durable.
Overall, the Asics Novablast 5 is a very good daily trainer that either fit in well in your rotation with faster shoes for workouts and racing, or as a do-it-all everyday shoe.
Read our full Asics Novablast 5 review
How to choose the best women's running shoes
When it comes to finding the best pair of running shoes for you, there are a few different things to consider. Firstly, how you run — like finding the right sports bra, there will be certain brands that just fit your foot better than others, so it’s a good idea to head down to your local running store and try on as many brands as possible. It’s also worth knowing whether you’re prone to overpronating when you run, as you might find you need to buy a pair of stability shoes to help this.
Secondly, it’s a good idea to think about the type of running you plan on doing. If you’re looking to PR on race day, you’re probably going to want something lighter, snappier, and faster. If you’re just trying to get around your first 5K, you’ll just want something comfortable and supportive, that won’t rub or leave you with blisters on the finish line.
Finally, the type of surfaces you’re running on mostly. Most road shoes will be able to cope with wet pavements, treadmills, and light trails, but if you’re planning on heading out on more technical terrains, you’ll probably need to invest in a pair of trail running shoes, which will have a deeper, grippier tread.
After you've picked out a pair of running shoes, you may want to consider one of the best running hats to keep you cool and protected on sunny runs.
How we test the best women's running shoes
We test the best women’s running shoes by running in them; we’ve clocked at least 50 miles in all of the shoes mentioned on this list. We also look at the fit of the shoe as well as the feel underfoot. We’ll test the shoes on several different sessions, from faster runs on the track to longer training runs — some shoes will be great on a long run, but feel heavy during a speed session. We also look at any impressive features of the shoe, such as carbon fiber plates, or ultra-lightweight midsole foams.
Also tested
