Best Running Shoes For Women

Our Gearhead® Experts know a thing or two about running. Last year, Backcountry employees ran almost 6,000 miles in our Summer Adventure Contest alone—while several women in our Herd will be checking the Boston Marathon, Foothills 50K, and Speedgoat 50K off their bucket lists this year. That means we also know a thing or two about the best running shoes for women.

This post recommends the best women’s running shoes, sharing some of our Gearheads’ picks from the pavement to the trail. Our recommended road running and trail running shoes for women will have you ready to run anything from your daily training runs and 5Ks to half-marathons and masochistic Ultras.

Best Road Running Shoes For Women

For the road, we want lightweight shoes with durable tread that sticks to pavement and doesn’t get sanded down by miles on concrete and asphalt. Here are some of our favorite women’s running shoes—each offering different levels of cushioning, heel-to-toe drop, and weight savings to match our various running styles and personal preferences.

On Cloudsurfer

Top Pick

The On Cloudsurfer is a stylish running shoe that replaces On’s old midsole and outsole technologies with new Cloudtec Phase cushioning. As always, On has aced its aesthetics with a sick-looking shoe that turns heads. But those new soles also steal some spotlight with bouncy foam and computer-optimized cloud pods that collapse like a row of dominoes to cushion our landing and then rebound for more explosive take offs. We like this shoe’s ventilated uppers and plush cushioning system, which gives us On’s best ride for the road.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Cloudsurfer

On Cloud 5

Top Pick For Minimalists

Less is more when we slip our feet into the ultra-light On Cloud 5 to enjoy its sock-like fit and famous Cloudtec cushions with their “running on clouds” feeling. This minimalist running shoe takes On’s comfort factor to the extreme with its featherweight build, forgiving speed laces, and ventilating uppers. On Clouds may be built like racing flats, but we like them best when we’re walking, traveling, or working on our feet all day. Backcountry Gearhead Koly rocks the Cloud 5 on her nightly Hot Girl Walks, naming it the “Hot Girl Walk Shoe of the Year.”

Winning Features

Get The Cloud 5

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23

Top Pick For Stability

If you need added protection against overpronation, the Adrenaline GTS 23 is Brooks’ go-to stability shoe for women. The shoe’s GuideRail technology helps stabilize our landings when we get fatigued while its traditional heel-to-toe drop takes some pressure off our calves, ankles, and feet. The DNA Loft v2 foam also makes the Adrenaline a comfortable shoe, absorbing plenty of shock when we’re pounding the pavement on our regular training runs. We recommend this perennial best seller as a high drop, moderate stability shoe for everyday running and walking.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Cloudsurfer

HOKA Bondi 8

Most Cushioned Running Shoe For Women

Exemplifying HOKA’s legacy of lightweight shoes with maximum cushion, the Bondi 8 is our pick for women who want copious cushioning to soften their landings on the concrete. With a 31mm stack of HOKA’s softest foam, the best-selling Bondi obliterates most road running shoes in the cushioning department while still weighing under 9 ounces per shoe. That billowy foam gives us a pillowy feel that keeps our feet floating on the road and feeling fresher on our daily jogs, walks, and runs.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Bondi

Altra Escalante 3

Best Zero Drop Road Running Shoe

The Escalante 3 is one of several Altras that scores points with our Gearhead® Experts who rack up road miles. This versatile running shoe features a women’s specific fit, a Footshape toe box for extra wiggle room, and balanced cushioning beneath the heel and toe—Altra's solution for a more natural fit and more natural, mid-foot landings that don’t rely on extra heel cushioning. An Altra fan since 2019, Backcountry Gearhead Ilana qualified for this year’s Boston Marathon in the Escalante and rotates it with another pair of Altras as her go-to training shoes.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Escalante 3

Craft Pro Endur Distance

Best Distance Running Shoes

For even more cushioning, we like the Craft Pro Endur Distance running shoe. This shoe’s much ballyhooed Px Foam midsoles impress us with oodles of cush while the one-piece mesh uppers reduce friction and keep this shoe light and streamlined. Comfortable and nimble with a forgiving fit, the Pro Endur Distance profiles best for distance runs and daily training runs when we want to soften our steps with that pillowy Px foam.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Pro Endur Distance

Best Trail Running Shoes For Women

Running off road requires sturdier shoes with specialized traction that can either dig into dirt, mud, leaves, and loose sediment or rub on rock for better grip. That means trail running shoes usually weigh a few ounces more than road running shoes with added support and protection, such as thicker soles, deeper and more aggressive lugs, and shanks, chassis, or rock plates that protect our feet and add lateral stability for our ankles on tough terrain. Here are some our Gearheads’ recommendations for the best trail running shoes for women.

On Cloudvista

Top Pick For Road-To-Trail

The Cloudvista not only shows off On’s sick Swiss style but also spoils our feet with plush Helion foam and Cloudtec pods that compress to absorb shock and rebound to propel us down the trail. Built to land soft on hard-packed trails, the Cloudvista is one of On’s lightest shoes. It’s also one of their more versatile running shoes for women, too, with a build and traction that can transition between on-road and off-road running.

Winning Features

Get The Cloudvista

Salomon Speedcross 6 GTX

Top Pick For Muddy Trails

If you're looking for a trail running shoe with gobs of grip in mud and mixed terrain, look no further than the Salomon Speedcross 6 GTX. This iconic trail running shoe features deep and widely spaced lugs that dig into sloppy surfaces while preventing mud and snow from caking up underfoot. The Speedcross 6 GTX also features a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX membrane that seals out the slop and shrugs off the splashes when we’re running through the muck and not letting yucky weather keep us from getting out there.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Speedcross

Salomon Thundercross

New Top Pick

Much like its older sister, the Speedcross (above), the new Salomon Thundercross has aggressive tread that excels on steep and muddy terrain. However, the Thundercross boasts more cushioning, less weight, a lower heel-to-toe drop, and a roomier fit that keeps us comfortable as we crush tough trails, rocky ridelines, and steep singletrack. Mixing max cushion with bad-ass traction, the Thundercross ranks as one of the top new trail running shoes for women.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Thundercross

La Sportiva Bushido III

Best Trail Running Shoe For Trail Feel

Now in its 3rd generation, the La Sportiva Bushido III is made for mountain girls who want to feel more of the trail for precise foot placement on technical terrain with gnarly footing. This award-winner excels on rocky trails with a snug, performance fit that wraps our feet in lightweight body armor and with grippy FriXion rubber that grips wet and dry rocks for clutch traction. This lightweight but sturdy trail running shoe is one of our Gearheads’ go-to recs for women who want less float and more feel.

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Bushido III

Altra Lone Peak 8

Best Zero Drop Trail Running Shoe

Altra’s best-selling trail runner, the Lone Peak 8 is a legend, thanks to its zero drop, women-specific fit, and roomy, Footshape toe box. This combination provides a more natural fit that encourages us to land with a mid-foot strike and rely upon our body’s natural biomechanics to cushion, stabilize, and support us. We love running in this grippy shoe with cushy Altra Ego foam and extra wiggle room for our toes to splay out naturally. Gearhead Cheri gives a special shout out to the Lone Peak’s tread, “It’s aggressive, chewing up the trail rather than the trail chewing it!”

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Lone Peak

Hoka Speedgoat 5 GTX

Most Cushioned Trail Running Shoe For Women

For those of us who are total cushion sluts, the Hoka Speedgoat 5 GTX stands out with its max cushion midsoles that feel like mini mattresses under our feet. We not only love the Speedgoat because it’s super-cushy but also super-grippy with its Vibram MegaGrip outsoles. It’s a great choice for wet-weather runs with its durable and breathable GORE-TEX [GTX] waterproofing. The Speedgoat 5 GTX is one of Gearhead Marie’s go-to shoes for wet and wintry conditions: “They kept my feet dry all winter long when I had to run in snow, slush, and mud to train for the Antelope Island 50K!”

Winning Features

Get The Women’s Speedgoat

Buying Your Running Shoes At Backcountry

We hope this post has steered you toward a road running or trail running shoe that works for your feet and your running style. The product descriptions and Tech Specs on the Backcountry website will share more detailed information about our picks for the best running shoes for women. If you still need more help making up your mind, feel free to call or chat with a Backcountry Gearhead® Experts to hook you up with the best running shoes for your races, daily runs, marathons, or the next running event on your bucket list.

FAQ

Q: What is the best running shoe for women?

A: For 2024, Backcountry Gearhead® Experts recommend the On Cloudsurfer, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23, Hoka Bondi 8, Altra Escalante 3, and Craft Pro Endur Distance for road running; the On Cloud 5 for everyday wear; and the On Cloudvista, Salomon Speedcross 6 GTX, Salomon Thundercross, La Sportiva Bushido III, Altra Lone Peak 8, and Hoka Speedgoat 5 GTX for trail running. Ultimately, however, your best running shoe depends on what fit you need and what features you need for your specific running style.

Q: What is the difference between trail running shoes and road running shoes?

A: Trail running shoes are generally slightly heavier than road running shoes with more stability and support and deeper lugs to provide traction on uneven surfaces.

Q: Is it OK to run on the road with trail running shoes?

A: The tread on trail running shoes isn’t made for asphalt or concrete, so it will wear out much faster on the road and not provide as good of traction on flat surfaces as a road running shoe.