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Give your joints a break.
Photo: Shape/Ivy Ford
“If you overstride, you add more force to your joints.”
To find the best running shoes for bad knees, the Shape team consulted experts for their recommendations.
With hundreds of miles under our belts, these were the best running shoes for bad knees.
PHOTO: On Running
But dont let the airy shoe fool you.
The cushioning is what gives the bottom of this shoe its honeycomb appearance.
Also available in men’s sizes atOn,REI, andZappos.
Shape / Joy Kim
What Testers Say
“These shoes provided a great amount of cushion.
I felt very supported and stable.
Also available in men’s sizes atHokaandREI.
PHOTO: Hoka
“These shoes have a ton of cushion and are really comfortable to walk in because of that.
Also available in men’s sizes atAmazon,Brooks, andZappos.
They’re my favorite shoes point-blank.”
Shape/Sydney Majka
Also available in men’s sizes atAmazon,New Balance, andREI.
“They are a great all-around shoe that provides a good amount of cushioning but not too much.
No wonder Bermel was praising these babies before they even launched they’re an achy-joint savior.
PHOTO: Brooks
And another bonus for those running with knee pain: The shock absorption is on point.
Are these shoes super lightweight?
No; they’re around 10 ounces depending on the size you get.
PHOTO: New Balance
Also available in men’s sizes atAmazon,Brooks, andREI.
Bonus: the lightweight mesh upper is fabulous on hot summer runs.
Also available in men’s sizes atOnandZappos.
Shape
“I’m shocked how comfortable these are.
The gusseted tongue allows the upper of the shoe to be snug but not too tight.
The sole of shoe is heavily cushioned but my ankle remained in place after my footfalls.”
PHOTO: Brooks
The GuideRails technology keeps movement in check to help prevent injuries and increase stability.
All of these factors come together to create a shoe that is great for speed runs and marathons.
Also available in men’s sizes atBrooksandAmazon.
Shape
“These shoes felt very light during runs which helped my speed and reduced knee strain.
My ankles responded well during longer runs and no blisters or irritation came about.”
Then the Mizuno Wave Rider may be the shoe for you.
PHOTO: REI
This put a literal bounce to our step and that airiness also took pressure off the knees when running.
The plate disperses the energy over larger areas to give a stable platform to push off for faster transitions.
It provided lots of cushioning without ever feeling burdensome or heavy.
PHOTO: Brooks
Also available in men’s sizes atMizuno,Amazon, andZappos.
The result, as we saw firsthand, is premium cushioning and a smoother transfer with every step.
Also available in men’s sizes atOnandREI.
Shape / Jhett Thompson
“My knees felt completely stable while running in these shoes.
The cushioning inside the shoes and the thicker soles provide ample shock absorption.
Transitions while running in these shoes were smooth.”
IMAGE: MIZUNO.
After all, doesnt zero drop mean theres no extra cushioning?
One runner said she felt like she was running on a supportive sponge enough said.
Also available in men’s sizes atAmazon,Altra, andREI.
PHOTO: Zappos
These shoes often encourage a mid-foot strike, which is less painful to joints than other types of strides.
No, cushioned running shoes are not bad for your knees.
Some Hoka shoes can support your knees and potentially diminish your knee pain, depending on the cause.
Shape/David Carr
The Hoka Bondi 8s are expert-recommended running shoes for knee pain.
The Shape team advises seeing a medical professional if you’re experiencing knee pain while running.
Without these features, you may be more prone to over-stride, thus over-strain your joints, says Bermel.
PHOTO: Amazon
She also participated in this test and has previously tried On Running CloudRunner, Brooks Adrenaline, and Glycerin.
Summer Cartwright is the senior editor for Shape and has 6 years of reviewing products under her belt.
She’s a running shoe expert who is constantly testing and evaluating the latest models of running shoes.
Shape / Lauryn Higgins
She suffers from joint pain and uses the Glycerin 21s to support her joints.
She updated this article in August 2024.
She’s reviewed 50+ running shoes in the past 2 years.
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