Nike ACG Mountain Fly GORE-TEX Clay Green 25.5cmThe 6 best running shoes for narrow feet, according to someone who needs them

Those of us with more narrow feet or longer toes tend to struggle with finding a perfect pair of running shoes. Size up too much and you’ll end up with a shoe that’s too wide, leading to blisters and instability. Wear a shoe that’s too small and you’ll come away bruised or even missing toenails. (Believe me, I’ve been there).

Adding to the stress, shoe manufacturers don't adhere to any kind of universal standard for shoe width. Some brands, like Nike and Saucony, tend to run more narrow on the whole, while others make shoes in extra narrow widths. Confused? You aren't the only one. As someone who deals with this issue, I've put together a guide to the best running shoes for narrow feet after taking an extra look at some of our test team's favourites.

The best running shoes for narrow feet
Nike ACG Mountain Fly GORE-TEX Clay Green 25.5cm

The expert: As a hobbyist runner, I’ve successfully completed two marathons and over 10 half marathons, logging lots of miles and giving myself time to think very critically about my footwear. I’ve tested and reviewed a wide array of products for the past seven years, from exercise bikes to standing desks, for publications like, Self, Good Housekeeping, Nike 'Air More Money' Sneakers Gold.

In the running world, any foot thinner than a standard, "B"-width woman's running shoe is considered especially narrow. To make some extra room, we typically recommend narrow-footed runners size up by at least a half a shoe size to account for any swelling that may occur on a run: even with some extra space, the shoe should still fit snugly around the heel and midfoot, and give you some extra room in the toe box. A thumb's width of space between the longest toe and the shoe's tip can help prevent bruising.

That said, sizing up is a half-measure. Simply changing shoe sizes will make things tolerable, but choosing a shoe in your actual size and a narrow (‘A’) or extra-narrow (‘AA’) width-size will provide a better fit.

Narrowness

KITH X NIKE AIR PIPPEN 1 QS AH1070-001 OG Dunk Low SP Undefeated 5 On It. We recommend going to your local specialty running store and asking an expert to provide a precise measurement, but you can also do it at home. Draw an outline of your foot while wearing socks. You can find the width of your foot by measuring across the widest area (or the ball of your foot) to the outermost points of the outline. From there, you can break out your tape measure and compare your sizing across standard and narrow shoes, based on a brand’s sizing guides.

Some shoe brands offer a few women's shoes in ‘A’ or ‘AA’ widths — often in a limited selection of colours. A very small number of men's running shoes come in an extra-narrow ‘B’ width, which are typically around ¼-inch more narrow than a standard men's ‘D’-width shoes. If you have narrow feet, holding out for a narrow-width shoe will almost guarantee a better fit. Unfortunately, not every brand offers narrow sizing: only two of the shoes we tested from Brooks and New Balance Levis x Nike SB Dunk Low Blue Denim.

Sizing varies from brand to brand, and some brands tend to run more narrow. Anecdotally, brands like Puma, Nike, Hoka, and Saucony tend to run narrow to varying degrees. Some brands may have stretching tongues (like Nike’s FlyReady material) that can help you pull the laces for a narrower fit — just be sure not to pull too tight and constrict the foot.

Fit

Aside from choosing a shoe with a narrower platform, you want to ensure a proper fit throughout your foot to prevent any blistering or bruising. A shoe that fits well will feel snug, but still leave enough room for your toes to spread as you rack up the miles. Additionally, your two feet might not be exactly the same, so pick your sizing based on your larger foot. For example, my right foot is slightly larger than my left, which leads me to wear my running shoes a full shoe size larger.

How you’ll use them

You’ll also need to decide exactly what you’ll be using your shoes for. There are a wide variety of styles to suit different terrains, paces, and runner needs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main ones to know.

Daily trainer: Your bread and butter running shoes, everyone needs a daily trainer for everyday runs. They tend to be a little more padded, and durable enough for you to lace them up and run daily. Nike grey essentials hoodie thick, bouncy midsoles, thicker uppers with padding around the ankle and heel, and full-coverage rubber outsoles that offer long-lasting comfort.

Racing shoes: On race day, you may want to look for something with a little more bounce and speed. Shoes design for competition these days are often highly cushioned, with ultralight foams that keep weight down and carbon fibre plates to add some stability and snap to your step. These high-performance materials don't last as long as the cushioning in most daily trainers, so you don’t want to wear these everyday, especially since they often cost £200 or more. Break them in with a few practice long runs and save them for race day.

Tempo shoes: For speed runs and track workouts, a tempo shoe is a great addition to your rotation. Tempo shoes tend to be more lightweight than daily trainers, but are still heavier than a racing shoe. These shoes are described as ‘responsive’, meaning they provide a noticeable energy return that helps propel the runner forward. This responsiveness is essential for reaching and maintaining faster speeds. While these shoes might not include a carbon plate (a feature often found in top-tier racing shoes), they are specifically engineered to support quicker paces without the runner needing to use their dedicated race day shoes for every fast workout.

Stability shoes: Runners who overpronate, Nike бутсы Младшие футбольные бутсы stability shoe, which provides extra support to guide you through your stride. They often feature pieces of firm foam that keep your feet properly aligned within your shoes. If you need a stability shoe, be warned: they are often designed with a wider platform, which also helps runners keep their balance.

A self-proclaimed narrow-footed gal, I selected the best running shoes for narrow feet based on a combination of personal experience with narrow shoes and research data based on testing from the Runner's World test team and its wear-test runners.

I narrowed my search by looking for A- and AA-width shoes among our many running shoe guides. Since not every brand offers narrow sizing, I also researched brands and shoes that tended to run narrow and added them to the testing line-up, measuring and feeling out the shoe for narrowness.

After whittling the list down to a final 12 shoes, I tested each of my finalists, logging many mile during my half marathon training, which included a variety of easy runs, tempo runs, and long runs. I picked these shoes based on their comfort, stability, overall feel, and whether or not the shoes felt narrow enough to not move around too much and give me blisters.