The Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet

Buying running shoes can be difficult and confusing, especially if you have unusually shaped feet such as flat feet. If you’re looking to have a comfortable and safe running experience with flat feet you’re going to want to buy the best running shoes for flat feet that you can find on the market. There are many different types of shoe, built for different types of foot, and choosing the right one can make a huge amount of difference to your comfort and foot health when you run.

Flat feet are a common condition that affects a huge number of people, so understanding how to choose the best pair of running shoes for flat feet for your personal feet and running practices can be valuable and important.

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We’ve researched running shoes for flat feet extensively in order to find the best running shoes for flat feet on the market in 2019, and have narrowed the wide market down to 8 of the best shoes for flat feet available.

Below, you can find our top 8 best running shoes for flat feet reviews, helping you to find the ideal pair of running shoes for you and your flat feet. With our reviews, you can confidently buy a great pair of running shoes for flat feet, secure in the knowledge that you’ve made a great decision for your own personal feet and running habits.

Check the Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet, Below

1. Brooks Women's Ghost 11

The Brooks Women’s Ghost 11 running shoes are not specifically designed for flat feet but offer great support for this problem, featuring lightweight, breathable construction and gait correcting soles.

These soles are lightweight and flexible, encouraging a natural gait and smooth movements to help correct the gait problems that can be caused by flat feet. The sole is made from strong, durable rubber, designed to maximize support and comfort.

The forefoot of the sole, made from soft blown rubber, allows for more flexibility than most models of shoes for flat feet, as well as comfortable, lightweight padding, and the sole is curved into an orthopedically designed shape to maximize support and help develop a natural, fluid gait as you run.

The upper is made from a breathable mesh fabric, which provides good breathability, helping to keep your feet comfortable and cool during periods of focused exercise and reducing perspiration as far as possible.

Why We Like It

• Orthotic sole design
• Lightweight construction
• Flexible for fluid movement
• Sturdy rubber sole
• Breathable mesh upper

Our Verdict

The Brooks Women’s Ghost 11 shoes are not specifically designed to support flat feet, but nevertheless, offer strong support and a high level of padding for comfort and correction of gait problems such as flat feet.

2. Brooks Men's Beast '18

The Brooks Men’s Beast 18 running shoes are tough, durable outdoor running shoes designed for high performance running and strong support for any type of foot. These running shoes for flat feet feature biomechanical engineering to maximize the level of support and protection that they offer.

This biomechanical engineering includes details such as the Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar, or PDRB, an element of the sole that guides your feet into a straight gait, functioning for effective motion control and supporting your feet as it guides you into correcting your pronated gait.

The upper of these shoes is made from a durable yet breathable material, keeping your feet well protected but still cool and comfortable when you run.

Why We Like It

• Rugged sole
• Durable construction
• Biomechanically engineered support
• Breathable upper
• Highly padded interior

Our Verdict

Biomechanically engineered to provide excellent support, the Brooks Men’s Beast 18 running shoes for flat feet offer a high level of protection and support for any type of foot, helping correct the gait problems of flat feet. 

3. ASICS Women's Gel-Venture 6 Running-Shoes

The ASICS  Women’s Gel-Venture 6 running shoes are strong outdoor running shoes designed for protection and support during trail running and sporting activities on uneven, rough, outdoor surfaces.

The sole is made from durable ASICS High Abrasion Rubber (AHAR), a substance designed to resist the abrasion caused by running on rough, scraping surfaces, while the outsole features a high level of texture, with grooves for strong gripping power against any surface while running.

The midsoles are designed for comfort and feature gel cushioning with extra padding on the heels, helping to mitigate impact shocks on your feet and ankles, reducing some of the potential issues with flat feet, and the sock liner is cushioned but can be detached.

Removing the padded sock liner gives sufficient space to include a medically recommended orthotic insole for foot correction, helping to correct gait problems and allow for maximized support for flat feet.

Why We Like It

• Gel cushioning system
• All-terrain outsole
• Removable liner accommodates orthotics
• Sturdy construction
• ASICS High Abrasion Rubber Sole

Our Verdict

The ASICS Women’s Gel-Venture 6 trail running shoes are durable and flexible and allow space for medical orthotic insoles of any style or shape through a removable sock liner, helping to provide a high level of support for flat feet.

4. Brooks Women's Adrenaline GTS 19

The Brooks Women’s Adrenaline GTS 19 running shoes are high quality running shoes for flat feet, offering excellent support and guidance for pronated feet.

The GuideRails Holistic Support System built into the soles of these running shoes for flat feet provides strong support and prevents your feet from turning in unwanted directions, effectively correcting the gait problems caused by flat feet and helping to protect your knees from injury during running.

The upper is lightweight and breathable, helping the shoes to remain comfortable and unobtrusive even during periods of intense exercise and running.

Why We Like It

• Supportive cushioning
• Streamlined construction
• GuideRails Holistic Support System
• Durable undersole
• Lightweight build

Our Verdict

Combining comfort and support, the Brooks Women’s Adrenaline GTS 19 running shoes for flat feet are a great choice for any user, whether you’re intending to run intensely or just looking for a supportive shoe for walking in to help correct flat-footed gait problems.

5. ASICS GT-2000 6 Men's Running Shoe

The advanced sole construction of the ASICS GT 2000 6 Men’s Running Shoe allows it to give excellent support for flat feet. The sole’s gel cushioning provides a high level of shock-absorbent padding, helping to protect your feet and ankles from damage caused by impact shocks, while the heel clutching system gives a tight fit around your heels, helping to support your feet and reduce unwanted sideways movement, guiding your gait into a balanced and normal movement and minimizing the problems of flat feet.

Why We Like It

• Discreet eyelets
• Removable sock liner allows space for orthotic insoles
• Heel clutching system technology
• Gel cushioned sole
• Lightweight construction

Our Verdict

The ASICS GT 2000 6 Men’s Running Shoe may not be specifically designed as a running shoe for flat feet, but it offers a high level of customizability and support, allowing it to give superior support and protection for flat feet.

6. Brooks Women's Addiction 13

The Brooks Women’s Addiction 13 running shoes are well designed and effective running shoes for flat feet. They feature advanced foot support technology such as the Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar, or PDRB, a sole component designed to guide your feet into a straight gait, giving a high level of motion control and helping to correct the gait problems inherent to flat feet.

The outsole is designed for road running and features sufficient cushioning to protect your feet and ankles from the impact shocks of running on hard road surfaces. These are wide fitting shoes, making them particularly appropriate running shoes for flat feet, as the extra width easily accommodates flat feet.

Why We Like It

• Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar tech
• Heel crash pad
• Road sole
• High cushioning
• Wide fit

Our Verdict

An excellent pair of running shoes for flat feet, the Brooks Women’s Addiction 13 combines performance and support for a well-designed premium running shoe experience that supports and protects your feet throughout lengthy runs.

7. Nike Women's Lunarglide 9 Running Shoe

Another pair of running shoes designed for general use and normal gaits, the Nike Women’s Lunarglide 9 Running Shoe coincidentally provides great support for moderately flat feet.

These running shoes are not ideal for those with severely flat feet, but if your foot problems are only mild then they can help significantly with moderate support and a high level of comfort.

The uppers are made from a lightweight, breathable mesh fabric to keep your feet cool and comfortable at all times, while the soles are sturdy enough to support flat feet but flexible enough to maintain a high level of comfort in most running situations.

Why We Like It

• Breathable construction
• Lightweight build
• Comfortable foam padding
• Strong support
• Balanced design

Our Verdict

Great for moderate pronation and slightly flat feet, the Nike Women’s Lunarglide 9 Running Shoe supports pronated flat feet relatively effectively without compromising on comfort or weight.

8. New Balance Men's 860v9 Running Shoe

Designed specifically for medical support and orthotic use, the New Balance Men’s 860v9 Running Shoe offers high-quality support and protection for flat feet, making them great running shoes for flat feet. 

He lightweight construction and breathable mesh upper of this model of running shoes for flat feet keep your feet cool and comfortable at all times, while the supportive yet lightweight blown rubber sole protects your feet from impact shock-related injury and gives a springy, weightless feeling to your steps, encouraging a more natural barefoot-style running gait to minimize the problems of pronation.

 Why We Like It

• Lightweight construction
• Breathable materials
• Springy blown rubber sole
• Medical design
• Firm support

Our Verdict

The New Balance Men’s 860v9 Running Shoe offers a high level of support for pronated feet, designed with medical support and protection in mind. This is a supportive and comfortable shoe for all users with flat feet.

Running Shoes For Flat Feet Buyer’s Guide

Fitting Shoes for Flat Feet

If you’re in the market for a pair of running shoes that offer support and comfort for unusually flat feet, you’re going to need a pair that fit as well as possible. Avoiding overly tight shoes is important, as these can compress your feet and flatten them further.

As such, it’s recommended that you go shoe shopping later in the day, as feet tend to swell a little over the course of the day. This means that if your shoes fit well in the morning, they may prove uncomfortably tight later in the day, failing to support your feet properly and exacerbating the problems instead of mitigating them.

You should always remember to wear the same socks you’d wear during regular running when you try on new running shoes for flat feet; socks increase the volume of your foot, adding an extra layer to the outside, and you can easily buy a poorly fitting pair of shoes if you wear the wrong type of socks when trying on shoes for flat feet.

It’s important to get your feet measured properly if you have flat feet; feet are three dimensional and have width and depth as well as length. Flat feet tend to have different proportions from most feet, meaning that knowing the dimensions of your feet in terms of depth and width is just as important as knowing the length! A poor vertical or lateral fit can affect support and compression severely, causing further foot problems.

How to Lace Running Shoes for Flat Feet?

The way that you lace your running shoes can make a major difference to the level of comfort and support provided by your running shoes for flat feet. This is true for any type of feet but has a more significant impact on runners with flat feet. 

Even the best and most expensive running shoes for flat feet can provide far less support than their maximum if laced incorrectly.

Here’s a simple guide to a basic lacing pattern that can provide a great deal of arch support for users with flat feet, helping to increase the comfort and support of any pair of running shoes for flat feet.

Throughout this lacing pattern, make sure you don’t tighten the laces too far. Over tightening laces narrow your shoes, and this can pose a problem for users with flat feet, who tend to have slightly wider feet than average.

Starting from the bottom eyelets and going up, pull the laces up through the first pair of eyelets. Then cross the laces over and lace downwards through the second set of eyelets.

Without crossing the laces over, lace upwards through the third set of eyelets, and then cross the laces over and move on to lacing downwards through the fourth set of eyelets. Cross the laces over, and lace upwards through the fifth pair of eyelets.

Keep following this pattern as high as you want on the shoes; if you have more eyelets, you may or may not want to lace all the way up. There’s no right answer here, and you should lace only as far up as provides the most comfort for your feet.

This lacing pattern can help boost the comfort and support of your running shoes for flat feet, but it isn’t essential and there are many other options that can provide strong support.

This pattern is by no means the only option, but maybe worth a try as an easy and inexpensive way of adjusting a pair of shoes to provide a little more support for running with flat feet.

How to Pick Running Shoes For Flat Feet?

If you have flat feet, then your feet roll inwards as they strike the ground when you run. This is also known as pronation, and it is a common condition that many people suffer from. What you’re looking for when buying shoes to support flat feet is motion control design.

Motion-control shoes tend to have a straight shape and a relatively rigid insole, supporting your feet more effectively than most shoes and holding your arches in place, preventing more extreme pronation as you walk or run. 

If the sole of the shoe has a wide, straight shape, it is probably a motion control shoe, offering the support you need for pronated, flat feet.

Another effective way to find motion control running shoes for flat feet is to look at the type of foam used on the interior of the shoe.

If you look at the inside of any running shoe, you will see two different types of foam: a lighter, smooth looking foam, and a darker colored or speckled foam. If the darker foam is visible in the middle, around the arch, then this is a shoe offering only mild stability.

If there is no dark foam visible at all, then the shoes are neutral cushioning, designed for normal feet; these are the most common type of running shoe. Finally, if the darker foam begins at the front of the arch and continues around to the back of the heel, then you’re looking at a motion control shoe, ideal for runners with flat feet.

What Are Good Running Shoes for Flat Feet?

There are many different types of running shoe available on the market, and some types are more appropriate for runners with flat feet than others. The three main types of running shoe are neutral cushioning shoes, stability shoes, and motion control shoes.

Neutral cushioning shoes are curved in shape, designed to absorb as much impact shock as possible, protecting your feet from shock and damage as you run. These are ideal for users with taller feet, and should probably be avoided by runners with flat feet.

Stability shoes have a moderate curve to them, giving a balance between cushioning and support that’s ideal for most users. These are a good choice for those with slightly flat feet, especially those with normal arch height and only slight pronation in their walking and running gait.

The final type of shoes is motion control shoes, which are built on a straight foot model rather than a curved one. If you look at the underside of the shoe and see that it is wide and straight in shape, then this is a motion control shoe.

These are good running shoes for flat feet, preventing your flat feet from rolling inwards and pronating. This type of running shoes offers a high level of support and control, making them a great choice for runners with flat feet.

Expert Tip

If you can fit a good pair of orthotic insoles into your running shoes, then any pair of running shoes can be a good choice for flat foot. Always talk to an expert when looking for the right pair of orthotics for your feet.

Did you know?

Flat feet are a very common medical condition and it’s entirely possible to live your life without even realizing you have this condition. It can be naturally occurring as part of your development or can be caused by a foot injury, developing later in life.