7 Best Marathon Running Shoes in 2024

How we test marathon running shoes

How do we know which running shoes can get you comfortably through 42 km and maybe even set a new record? Here is our review process:

• We, dedicated testers, run at least 30 miles in each pair before delivering our feedback.
• Every shoe gets sliced and measured at our RunRepeat testing lab on over 30 different parameters. These help us translate features like durability, flexibility, cushioning, etc. into data.
• We purchase all the shoes we test with our own money to prevent bias. We only believe in transparent reporting of data and experience.

Many factors come into play when running a marathon. When it comes to shoes, we will cover them all. 

This guide is aimed at an average runner and when we say average we mean someone who isn’t planning to run a marathon in a barefoot running shoe or a daily trainer. While both are possible and many runners do it, here we focus on marathon shoes per se. 

What to look for in marathon running shoes

Here’s what to look for in marathon shoes and keep in mind we elaborate on every little detail down below: 

1. Comfort. Marathon shoes must be comfortable, which means your toes should not be cramped, your heel should not be slipping and you should not be experiencing a lace bite. No hotspots, no chafing! 
2. Soft yet responsive cushioning. Marathon shoes should be higher off the ground and definitely not barefoot or minimalist. 
3. Breathability: especially if you have sweaty feet or are running in hot weather. 
4. Durability. Depending on whether you’re using the shoe for the race only or for the training as well and, maybe even multiple races, we can focus on outsole durability but also midsole durability (so that it does not bottom out). 
5. Weight: ideally, less than ~270g. 

There are a few more details that you could look for in marathon shoes but those depend on your form, current or past injuries, foot condition, etc. Here, we’re talking about a rocker, carbon or nylon plate, stability (if you’re overpronating), and rubber placement on the outsole, which depends on your foot strike. 

ALL aspects of comfort in marathon running shoes

Easier said than done because so many things come into play when it comes to comfort. It’s not just about finding the right size but also making sure the shoe fits properly. Here’s a list of our suggestions on what to pay attention to: 

1. Make sure there’s no chafing and no hot spots. 
2. Look for shoes that offer a superb lockdown. This means your heel does not slip and your feet don’t slide inside the shoes from one side to another. 
3. Avoid lace bite. You can do this by tightening the laces less (if it does not spoil the lockdown) or looking for shoes with a thicker tongue. 
4. Your toes should not be cramped. While a tighter and more aggressive fit is welcome in race shoes, this usually applies to shorter distances. Logging 42km in a tight shoe can end up in pain, bleeding, blisters, etc. 

To nail the width of the toebox, we advise understanding different shapes of feet (toes) and what works for them. 

As you can see in the image above, there are toes that could tolerate very pointy toeboxes while there are toes that really need less tapering, which means more room around the big toe.

In our lab, we measure the width of the toebox in 2 places: where it’s widest (around the ball of the foot) and at the big toe. These 2 numbers can tell us not just how wide the shoe is where it’s widest (the most frequently addressed width) but also how pointy the toebox is. 

We can make these measurements thanks to our special gel that is poured into the shoe, frozen, and we end up with a gel mold that perfectly resembles the interior of the shoe, toebox specifically

Based on the shape of your toes, you can look for marathon running shoes that offer more width in one place or another. 

This gel mold fills the toebox perfectly so it's great for measuring the height of the toebox as well. 

It’s all about the midsole: find the best one

How big should it be?

- We recommend a heel stack height of at least 30 mm. 

What type of foam?

- Soft(er) and responsive. 

Let’s dive into the details. 

How tall are marathon running shoes? 

When it comes to the stack height, we measure both heel stack height and forefoot stack height and we do it according to the guidelines from WorldAthletics. This also allows us to calculate the accurate heel drop. 

For running marathons, we recommend at least 30 mm in the heel. Of course, it’s possible to run a marathon in a racing flat (very low-to-the-ground shoes) but we’re talking about general guidelines and they say 30 mm. 

WorldAthletics also puts the limit at 40mm for a shoe to be legal for official competitions. 

Subtracting forefoot height from the heel height gives us a heel to toe drop. This number tells us, obviously, how higher the heel sits when compared to the forefoot. There are shoes that are flat (have a 0mm heel drop) and there are shoes that have a heel drop of 16mm. 

Now, this drop matters because it can significantly influence how you run and which muscles you use more. Zero drop uses our feet muscles a lot, lower drops (5-6mm and lower) activates the calves and Achilles, while higher drops (for example, 8mm and above) uses thighs and hip muscles more. 

Going for a wildly different heel drop with no preparation can result in injury. Beginners are usually recommended to go with ~10mm drop because it’s a standard one. And some runners have shoes with different heel drops in their rotation, which can be great for working on running form and muscle strengthening. 

On our website, you can filter for different heel drops. Usually, for longer distances, a higher heel drop is recommended because even foot strikers get tired and tend to land on the heel. More cushioning at the heel means softer landings. For context, here are heel drops of best-rated marathon shoes: 

Which foam is the best for marathon shoes?

Runners tend to correlate comfort with a soft midsole. Softer midsoles are great because they can protect our feet from the impact when we land on the ground, especially on hard surfaces like concrete. But soft midsoles can be just that: soft and dull. Our feet can sink in, and it would take an effort to get back up. 

Very soft foam experienced in New Balance Rebel v4

These midsoles are best avoided. We recommend looking for responsive foams. These foams launch our feet up, which enables the shoe to propel us forward when running. 

Very squishy and unstable Alphafly 3 at cornering

It is essential to find the foam that works best for you because it can have a very big impact on your performance and recovery. We wrote a guide about foams in running shoes and it’s the most detailed guide out there! Thanks to that guide, we have an overview of foams: 

Premium foams overview

Standard foams overview

However, if you’re currently focusing on softness, you can always check the durometer numbers in our reviews. We cut shoes in half and stick a durometer in the foam to measure how firm it is. 

For context, here’s how soft midsoles are in best-rated marathon shoes we’ve tested so far (the lower the number, the softer the foam): 

Weight of marathon running shoes

The lighter the better, of course. However, not at the cost that you lose essential features like stability, durability and similar. Depends on what your priorities are. 

Based on our running and lab experience, we recommend shoes that weigh less than ~9.5oz or 270g. Of course, we get to see runners doing marathons in, for example, Asics Gel Kayano 30 which weighs 10.7 oz or 303g, but it’s a daily trainer and we stick to the general guidelines. 

Breathability levels of marathon running shoes

In RunRepeat lab, we fill the shoes with smoke and watch where the smoke comes out and at which pace. Based on this, we rate the breathability on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most breathable. 

Different breathability levels recorded in RunRepeat lab

One could think that 5/5 is the best rating to get and 1/5 the worst. However, while 5/5 is perfect for summer and sweaty feet, 1/5 is great for running in very cold weather. All the heat stays inside so your toes don’t freeze. 

Extremely breathable (rating 5/5) upper and a non-breathable upper (rating 1/5) under the microscope 

Some general guidelines are: 1/5 is great for cold weather (such shoes often have waterproof membranes) and 5/5 is perfect for summer. 3/5 is the middle ground and can go both ways - it’s bad if your feet sweat a lot and it’s warm, and it’s bad if your feet get cold easily and it’s cold outside. 

Durability of marathon running shoes

There are some premium marathon race shoes that are made for 1 marathon only. There are other shoes that are more durable. Overall, these shoes can be split into 2 groups: 

1. Shoes that are used for race ONLY because they are expensive and not so durable
2. Shoes that are used for race but ALSO for training prior to the race 

In our lab, we measure the durability of 3 different parts of a running shoe. But, it’s also important to consider how durable the midsole is, or when it bottoms out and is no longer performing as it should. This is something we can’t measure (yet) but we did cover it in our foams guide. 

Now, onto the measurements. Using a Dremel, we test the durability of

1. Toebox. Especially important if this is the part of the shoe that usually gives up on you first or if your big toe is pointing up and has a good chance of making a hole in the upper.
2. Heel padding. This one resonates with runners who don’t use a shoe horn or whose heel often rubs the padding to the level of damaging it.
3. Outsole. No outsole, no grip. Also, no protection for the midsole. In most cases, when the durability of the shoe is discussed, runners first think of the outsole. 

Non-durable upper (rating 1/5) on the durability test

For the first 2 tests, we assess the damage and assign a durability score on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most durable. 

When it comes to the durability of the outsole, we’re able to precisely measure the dent made by the Dremel and we use a tire tread gauge to do that. 

The deeper the dent, the less durable the outsole is. 

When it comes to the durability of the outsole, we also measure the hardness of the outsole. As a general rule, softer rubbers are stickier and more flexible, and harder rubbers offer more protection and durability. 

Stiff or flexible: what’s better for marathons

Shoes that are carbon-plated are very stiff and they work wonders, in combination with amazing foams, when it comes to responsiveness. But, not all shoes are carbon-plated, and not all shoes are as stiff. However, stiffness does help on the long runs, because the shoe bends less and therefore, your feet work less. 

Measuring flexibility of a marathon running shoe in RunRepeat lab

Very flexible shoes promote a more natural feeling when running because our feet are very flexible, but when it comes to longer distances, like a marathon, stiffness helps. There’s no premature fatigue and the shoes feel more stable and secure. 

We measure how flexible the shoe by bending the shoe to 90 degrees with a digital force gauge. The more force we need to get to 90 degrees, the stiffer the shoe. 

Here’s an overview of best-rated marathon shoes and their flexibility (note that the higher the number, the stiffer the shoe): 

How stable are marathon running shoes

Because they are often high-stacked (tall), their stability can become questionable. It depends on how squishy the foam is and how wide the base is. Firmer foams and wider bases are recommended for those who want more stability. 

Noticeably soft foam in Nike ZoomX Streakfly but the shoe is not that tall

It’s important to understand how soft the foam is and whether the shoe is stable enough, especially for heel strikers. Some work best for runners who land on the forefoot, not just because of the stability but because the plate is activated better to propel the runner forward. 

Very soft foam, very narrow platform, very high stack height 

This is another test where we use a digital caliper: to measure the width of the base at the forefoot and at the heel. The width of the base is especially important for heel strikers which is why we prioritize it in the table below. 

Keep in mind that here, we’re talking about how stable the shoe is for any runner. If you’re overpronating and need stability shoes, then you should look for stability elements (stability running shoes). 

Foot strike and marathon running shoes

Still figuring out your foot strike and how it impacts your running form and economy? We got you covered: Foot Strike: The Ultimate Guide. 

Marathon running shoes, especially the elite ones, can suit both forefoot and heel strikers, but also can work better for one strike only. If you’re not sure, you can always check our filters and tags. Or, look for these features below. 

Forefoot/midfoot strikers should look for: 

• Enough cushioning at the forefoot to protect them from the impact
• Heel drop that’s lower than 10mm 
• Great outsole rubber coverage at the forefoot.

Heel strikers should look for: 

• Cushioned heel 
• Stable shoes, especially if they are very high, the base should be wide at the heel 
• Heel drop of at least 8mm 
• Great outsole rubber coverage at the heel. 

When to get carbon-plated marathon running shoes

These shoes, as the name suggests, have a carbon fiber plate embedded in the midsole. 

Showcasing a carbon fiber plate on a shoe cut in half

The plate makes the shoe stiffer but also helps with responsiveness. It’s usually found in more expensive running shoes and almost always in elite race shoes. 

Full-length carbon fiber plate taken out from the midsole

When to get carbon-plated marathon running shoes: 

• You’re a (somewhat) experienced runner and you can keep a good pace
• You’re looking at breaking a new PB 
• You can afford them even though they might not be as durable as non-plated shoes
• You have time to adjust to their perks (possibly favoring forefoot strike, instability at slow paces and cornering) 

When NOT to get carbon-plated marathon running shoes: 

• You are a beginner 
• You’re still not familiar with different foot strikes (many plated shoes work better for forefoot strikers)
• You’re not ready to keep the pace high because many plated shoes feel odd when walking or jogging

Rocker: Yay or nay?

Rockered geometry certainly feels great as it makes the transitions smoother (like a rocking chair), but it is not recommended for everyone. 

Very rockered New Balance SuperComp Trainer vs. Adidas Adizero Adios 7

Many shoes feature a rocker of some kind today, it just depends on how noticeable/aggressive it is. 

Rockered running shoes could feel great for you if: 

• You’re experiencing heel pain, plantar fasciitis, toe or forefoot pain, Achilles tendon issues, limited big toe extension
• You’re an older runner as rockered running shoes might reduce strain in ankle, foot and toe joints
• Simply, they feel good.

Many heel strikers enjoy the rockered shoes. 

You might want to avoid rockered running shoes if you’re experiencing issues/injuries with your knee or hips like ITBS, runner’s or jumper’s knee, meniscus tears, hip flexor strain or hip bursitis. Also, forefoot strikers usually prefer flatter geometry in running shoes.