7 Best Running Shoes For Orthotics in 2025

Running in the Novablast 5 feels effortlessly smooth with its plush and peppy midsole. Our feet experienced its remarkable speed and comfort, and our lab results agree! Combined with its stable base and light build, it’s easily our best orthotic-friendly shoe.

We measured a massive stack beneath our feet, standing at 40.9/33.5 mm. It feels decadent underfoot, exceptionally guarded from the brunt of repeated landing impact, as confirmed by high shock absorption scores of 141/134 SA. Despite its softness, the midsole feels snappy and comes to life during our intervals and tempo workouts, backed up by high energy return scores of 63.6% in the heel and 66.5% in the forefoot.

With a caliper in hand, we measured the midsole to be wider than average at 122.3/97.6 mm, freely accommodating most custom orthotics. Not only that, it gives us a confidence-boosting platform that naturally secures our footing during toe-offs and landings.

Surprisingly, Novablast 5 feels lighter than it looks. Our scales show it’s only 9.0 oz (245g), measuring below the 9.3 oz (265g) average despite its above-average height. What also keeps the feeling light is its adaptive midsole, which our bend test reveals is 26.3% more flexible than average.

While Novablast 5 can sustain high speeds, we find that it still lacks the energy return and agility of a racer. We recommend supershoes to runners seeking to smash PBs.

We cut open and ran in many orthotic-friendly shoes, and the Gel Nimbus 27 stood out as the best daily trainer. It perfectly encapsulates a reliable workhorse for gobbling daily mileage with its breathable nature, shock-absorbing cushion, and stable ride.

The FF Blast+ ECO foam is a standout feature as it offers a joint-protecting cushioning for endless miles. It’s exceptionally tall, with caliper measurements of 42.7/34.4 mm, yet its shock absorption rating of 136 SA in both the heel and forefoot is our true saving grace.

Surprisingly, each touchdown felt stable despite its pillowy midsole. Inspecting the shoe further in the lab revealed midsole sidewalls and a vast landing space, measuring 119.5/99.8 mm.

Its jacquard mesh offers a refreshing ride, handling hot weather without blisters and excessive sweating. After going through our smoke test, we confirmed its strong airflow with a high 4/5 rating.

However, we find that the shoe’s underwhelming energy return makes it ideal for easy runs. Runners who want a versatile shoe for speed training should go for another pair.

After rigorous testing in the lab and on the streets, we confidently pick the Brooks Glycerin Max as the ultimate choice for runners seeking maximum shock absorption in orthotics-friendly shoes. With reliable stability and indulgent cushioning, we devoured miles while keeping unsteadiness and leg fatigue away. On top of that, it offers exceptional ventilation for a refreshing ride.

Our caliper reveals a staggering stack height, notably its 42.3 mm heel. The generous slab of foam assures supreme comfort at any distance for any runner and foot strike. Even forefoot strikers have 35.7 mm of foam for impact protection. Not only that, but the cushion itself offers a high level of shock absorption. At 148/138 SA, it’s able to reduce the load on our legs by 14.7% and 30.2% better than the average, respectively.

Remarkably, we maintained our balance due to the stiff midsole that offsets potential instability from its height. The rigidity guides our foot alignment, so it takes less effort to maintain our balance. Our manual assessment confirms our sensations with a 4/5 torsional rigidity rating.

Topping it all off is a breezy upper that gave our feet room to breathe. Our smoke test confirms its exceptional breathability with a 5/5 rating.

As expected, this shoe takes on a lot of weight (10.8 oz/305g) and is 15.1% heavier than average. Those who want a more agile shoe should look elsewhere.

Topo finally steps into the max-cushioned category, and in our experience, the Atmos is a strong first effort. We found it delivers a stable, well-balanced ride with the brand’s signature anatomical toebox and moderate drop—perfect for midfoot and forefoot strikers. However, its energy return lags behind top-tier competitors, and the outsole design raises some durability concerns. That said, we think this is a promising start for Topo in the high-stack daily trainer space, with room for refinement.

Upon lab-testing and running with orthotic-friendly shoes, we discovered ASICS Noosa Tri 16 leads the pack in the lightweight category. This workhorse excels across the board—offering responsiveness and grip for intervals, impact protection for long runs, and flexibility for recovery days. For such a light build, it’s packed with features that make our runs lively and vibrant.

At a mere 7.7 oz (217g), it’s exceptionally airy for its cushioning and remains 18.1% lighter than average. Along with its free-flowing midsole, we can move naturally and be quick on our feet. In our flex test, it bent in all the right places with a force 3.9% below average.

Noosa Tri 16 offers impressive shock absorption despite its moderate stack height. Scoring 129 SA in the heel and a notable 118 SA in the forefoot, it dampens landing impact effectively, allowing us to chase more miles with fresh legs. The shoe also offers an impressive 60.5% energy return in the forefoot, aiding our forward momentum.

In our tests, the ASICSGRIP rubber returned a sky-high 0.79 in our traction test, delivering exceptional grip and ensuring our safety and surefootedness no matter where we run.

With its above-average measurements in the forefoot and minimal 5.9 mm drop, this shoe is ideal for midfoot and forefoot strikers. Those who land on their heels should go for a steeper-dropped trainer.

The Caldera 8 looks like a max-stack shoe, but it falls short of that promise. It offers only moderate cushioning, and we think it needs more foam underfoot to truly separate itself inside the Brooks lineup. On our runs, the shoe kept the same stable ride and excellent lockdown from previous versions, with dependable grip and a smooth feel, but it also remained heavy and bulky. Overall, it’s a small update from version 7 that works for now as it keeps the same price, but the next model really needs a full redesign rather than a handful of minor tweaks.

Kind to our wallets and our feet, the Adidas Ultrarun 5 offers comfort and versatility with its $80 price, making it 43.7% cheaper than the average running shoe. Lab results reveal that it offers a roomy fit, maneuverable midsole, and steady ride, making it our best budget pick in the orthotic-friendly category.

Its effortless sensation is further enhanced by its bendable midsole. In our flex test, we found that it needs only 15.0N to reach 30 degrees, which means it needs minimal effort to bend our feet and move forward. Overall, the ride feels natural and freeing.

Its accommodating fit keeps our feet relaxed, making sure we don’t have any pressure points even if our feet swell. Our solidified gel mold confirms its roomy interiors with a wide 97.6 mm measurement.

Besides the front part of the shoe, the heel also measures a broad 95.3 mm. With more room to find our footing, our landings feel well-planted and secure.

However, while the Ultrarun 5 offers a bit of everything, it doesn’t excel in anything. We recommend runners seeking energy return or more impact protection to invest in other pairs.