Road Running Essentials

Road Running Shoes

Pacing up to a new PR ranks among our favorite feelings, and road running offers the accessibility for runners of all levels to get out and pursue their own individual goals. Covering paved ground means our shoes should be built to chase after our goals—whether they’re about speed or simply about being outside.

We look for lightweight, breathable shoes with non-aggressive soles that pair with paved surfaces, and midsoles that prioritize responsiveness and energy return for an efficient ride on flat surfaces.

Keep scrolling for a road running shoe spec rundown and our top picks. Or, if you’re looking for a deep dive on shoe anatomy, check out the article below.

1. Try Them On: This guide aims to offer the key insights that’ll help you land your perfect pair, but individual goals and bodies are unique as our variety of shoes. We recommend visiting a backcountry store to get an in-person feel for how different shoes fit your body so you can run off confidently. We also think word-of-mouth is the best way to learn about any kind of gear. You can reach out to a Backcountry Gearhead® Expert and they’ll hook you up with their intel and recs based on your personal preferences.

2. Fit: All sizes are not created equal across the industry. Every brand has their own sizing tendencies, so it’s important to know your own heel-to-toe measurement and compare that with each brands’ size charts. You can trace your feet and measure on your own at home, or visit a store and measure with their device. Your heel should fit snugly without too much rubbing when you’re moving.

3. Stack Height: Stack height refers to how much cushioning is between the ground and the bottom of your feet. It’s the main driver behind impact absorption, stability,energy return, and overall comfort. A thicker stack height can provide increased comfort and reduce fatigue, especially during longer runs.

4. Support: The main things to consider here is your gait type, or whether your feet tend to overpronate (roll inward), oversupinate (roll outward) or neither (neutral gait). You can check the outsoles of your shoes to see if you’re favoring one side or another—this will help inform whether you should be considering high-stability shoes to help correct overpronation or oversupination. Most brands will let you know if their shoe is designed for people with a neutral gait or for those who need extra security to make their run more comfortable.

5. Upper Materials: Lightweight materials that don’t sacrifice performance are always a plus. We also look for materials that breathe well but are durable enough to stand up through multiple seasons of mile-logging. A healthy balance of flexibility and support will let your feet move naturally while also preventing excessive movement.

6. Outsoles: To reduce resistance and increase speed, we look for relatively flat outsoles. If your routes are especially damp or rainy, consider a pair with more grip. A combination of shallow treads or tread patterns that provide sufficient traction without being overly aggressive is ideal, as excessive tread can impede efficiency on smooth surfaces.

7. Drop: Drop is the difference in height between the heel and toe cushion. For example, if there is 26mm of cushioning under your heel and 20mm of cushioning under your forefoot, the shoe has a 6mm drop. Drop affects running form, stability, muscle activation, injury prevention, and overall performance. A higher heel-to-toe drop promotes a more heel-striking gait. Conversely, lower drop numbers encourage a more natural or midfoot-striking gait.

After logging thousands of miles, we Gearheads® tend to agree that stack height is the main differentiator in road running shoes, so we’ve outlined our top shoe picks based on moderate and maximal cushion options.

Moderate Cushion Running Shoes

Moderate cushion shoes are the most common type; we think of them as all-rounders or daily-drivers. Featuring a stack range of about 17–32mm, they’re a good bet for beginners and best for people who pace with a neutral gait. As for all road running shoes, we look for lightweight options that don’t drag us down. The picks below are geared towards runners who want some cushion but not so much that it’s overly plush.

Maximal Cushion Running Shoes

Maximal cushion shoes have a large stack of foam to give the most amount of cushion and run-up the plushness. Their stack heights are usually greater than 32mm, making them a great option for long distance runners to lock in their flow with comfort, or trainers looking for a softer option than what they’ll be racing in. The best shoes in this field will deliver fantastic levels of cushion for those who need it. Fits that soften our impact on the road and deliver comfort that keeps the pace up for miles are what impressed us most with the picks below.

Road Running Apparel

Our shoes provide the foundation of our run, but the right apparel helps keep our bodies cool and our minds collected.

Jackets: We like to bring a lightweight, packable, breathable shell to stay prepared for however the scenery, weather, and pace changes. GORE-TEX layers or DWR (durable water-repellent) coatings are our top choices to stay moving through inclement weather.

Shirts & Shorts: During the main heat, we prefer low amounts of lightweight, breathable, and sweat-wicking coverage that lets our bodies’ temperature stay regulated and conditioned for success.