7 Running Shoes With The Best Energy Return in 2025

How we test Running shoes with the energy return

Energy return, like any other test done in our lab, is completely standardised. But, before we get to lab testing, we buy the shoes, which is something we do with our own money, and we test the shoes on the test runs. We make sure to include different paces, varied terrain, and different weather conditions when testing the shoes outside the lab.

Once the shoe enters the lab, it is subjected to testing like any other, always under the same conditions with no exceptions. We explained our testing process in great detail on our Methodology page. Everything we discover along the way, we publish on our website. We’re free to do so because we have no contracts with the brands and because we’re not paid to say certain things and skip the other ones.

To test the energy return, we follow the ASTM F1976-13 protocol. This means we remove the upper from the shoe platform, lock the platform in place, drop an 8.5 kg mass from a 50 mm height, and do so 30x. The first 25 repetitions are treated as a natural break-in of the shoe, while the last 5 we take into account for lab data.

Energy return is the midsole’s ability to bounce back after it’s been compressed. The compression happens at every step or, to be exact, at every landing. Some of the energy is spent on heat and deformation, while the rest is actually returned, meaning the foam rebounds. The higher the energy return, the livelier the ride. What you see in our test results are numbers given in percentages, so, for example, 68% means that 68% of the energy was returned. 

10 things you must know: Energy return 101

In this guide, we will cover many different aspects of energy return, how it correlates to other features, and we will list shoes that excel on different fronts. But, before we do so, here are very short and straight-to-the-point bullet points for you to go through, so that we have a good starting point: 

1. High energy return can help you shave off some seconds (or maybe even minutes, depending on the distance) from your current PB, but it’s not that simple. Even the priciest running shoe with the highest energy return may not work for you. One should take into account their biomechanics (stride length and foot strike to start with), fitness level, the stiffness and the weight of the shoe, and so on. 
2. Higher stack height does not mean higher energy return. The best energy return is found in premium foams, which means that shoes can have thicker layers of standard foams and perform worse. 
3. Foams with high energy return are a must in modern (premium) supershoes. They alone are not enough; the shoe also has to be lightweight and stiff (often, this means it is equipped with a carbon plate).
4. Energy return “works” when you’re running because everything happens fast. It’s important to understand that this energy can not be stored. If you land on your feet, pause, and then go into push-off, the energy will dissipate. For energy return to work for you, we’re are talking about milliseconds. You can’t pause and think about life in between. That’s why energy return matters less for daily and recovery runs. 
5. High energy return, combined with high shock absorption, is what makes the legs work less. With such shoes, you can push harder for longer, and you may feel less muscle fatigue. These are so-called leg-saving features and it’s why many runners look for high energy return and shock absorption. Scientific research has backed this up (Kim and Ahn, 2025). 
6. Running shoes with high energy are more expensive and weigh less than the average shoe.
7. Based on our lab tests, we have 3 groups of running shoes, those with low (lower than 56%), medium (56-64%), and high energy return (higher than 64%) at the forefoot. 

What you see in the image above is us dissecting running shoes with high energy return in RunRepeat lab. We have to examine every little detail, which is why shoes get cut into pieces.

High energy return: what it means and who it’s for

High energy return is energy return that’s higher than 64%. This means that more than 64% is returned and not spent on heat and deformation.

Runners who tend to run at faster paces, which means they are doing tempo work or running races, benefit from high energy return the most. This feature is also important for runners who run a lot, be it longer miles or more days per week, because high energy return combined with high shock absorption makes the legs less tired, on the run and post-run. 

Lower energy return: who can enjoy it?

There’s a reason why we don’t say that shoes have a bad and an excellent energy return (but high to low). That’s because, just like breathability, which goes from 1 (winter) to 5 (summer), the amount of energy return depends on the purpose of the shoe, and some runners simply need lower energy return. There are 2 cases when running in shoes with lower energy return makes sense: when you’re doing slower or recovery runs, and when you’re doing short distances in running spikes. 

To look at this through the numbers (lab data), we will highlight the average shock absorption and average energy return across the 3 biggest running shoe categories: daily trainers, tempo shoes, and competition shoes. 

As we can see in the table above, the slower you run, the less the energy return matters. On recovery and slow runs, you want to maximise the shock absorption! Of course, if you’re a forefoot striker, you should look for higher shock absorption at the forefoot (which we also test and publish the results for). 

Even though the average shock absorption for daily trainers seems to be the lowest, we can “blame” it on low-budget shoes that feature foams with low shock absorption and on the stack heights, which, in daily trainers, go quite low - even down to minimalist and barefoot levels. The lower the stack height, the thinner the foam layers, and for good shock absorption, we need them to be thick.

Energy return vs. shock absorption: know the difference and correlation

Shock absorption tells us how good the midsole is at dampening the impact forces. These impact forces get very high, 2-3 x the runner's weight, at each landing! When the shoe has low shock absorption, it means that it absorbs less of that impact and that means that runners’ legs have to deal with it. Too much strain on the legs leads to overall (and premature) fatigue. 

Shock absorption and energy return are very important features of running shoes but they are not directly related. Let’s look at this table to understand the possible variations: 

A running shoe with a rocket-high shock absorption can turn out to be a superb daily trainer. And only that, the energy return is not good enough for the shoe to excel at faster paces. On another note, a shoe with high energy return and low shock absorption can be found in lower-to-the-ground race shoes for shorter distances. But knowing that shock absorption is low is important because it tells us the shoe would not work on longer distances (10K and above, for example). 

Shock absorption is measured at the same time as energy return (the same lab test). The results are given in SA, and the higher the numbers, the better because it means more forces were absorbed by the midsole, therefore, less stress is sent to your legs!

High energy return means lighter shoe weight 

This is a no-brainer. The best energy return is found in premium foams. Premium foams are lighter than standard foams, and the fastest shoes out there have to be lightweight because every gramme counts when it comes to achieving a new PB. Scientific research has proven that adding shoe mass degrades running economy and performance (Rodrigo-Carranza et al, 2020; Hoogkamer et al, 2016).

To put some numbers to these claims, let’s look at the average weight of running shoes for the 3 categories: 

Energy return	Average running shoe weight
Low	9.8 oz | 277.3g
Medium	9.6 oz | 271.3g
High	8.5 oz | 241.2g

Why you must pay attention to the foot strike when looking for running shoes with high energy return

We’ve talked about foot strike in great detail in our Ultimate guide on foot strike and we highly recommend reading it if you’re still not familiar with the basics. When it comes to the correlation between foot strike and energy return, here are the highlights: 

1. It’s important to look at the specs and lab test results. They can tell you whether the shoe was made specifically for forefoot strike, heel strike, or all foot strikes. 
2. Energy return is higher at the forefoot than at the heel for most shoes. This makes sense given that we all go through the push-off phase regardless of where we land, so we want responsiveness then and there. 
3. Heel strikers looking for high-energy-return running shoes should take into account stability: finding a stiffer heel counter (at least 3/5 score on our test), an average or wider platform at the heel, and foams that are not too soft (too soft = wobbly). This is especially important for overpronators! Rocker geometry is also recommended in this case.
4. Forefoot and midfoot strikers find it easier to reap the benefits of running shoes with high energy return because they land and take off at the forefoot; no need for stabilising technology or rocker technology. They should look for (longitudinally) stiffer shoes to make the best of them! 
5. Some running shoes with high energy return are made for forefoot strikers only and you can notice that because there’s no rubber coverage at the bottom in the heel area, only in the forefoot. This helps reduce weight, but what’s left at the heel is exposed foam, and exposed foam is a) unstable when the foam is soft, b) very slippery. 

The role of carbon plates in running shoes with high energy return 

Once the news of carbon-fibre plates hit the news, or, to be more precise, the running shoe geeks community, many thought it was the thing to look for in running shoes when on the lookout for “fast” shoes. The truth is quite far from that, given that the carbon-fibre plates are not propulsive on their own. Years later, we see them even in daily trainers and trail shoes. 

So, how are carbon-fibre plates related to energy return? First, they (obviously) make the running shoes stiffer and more stable. Second, they allow the pressure to be more equally distributed! In doing so, the benefits of the premium foam are more effectively reaped. 

Can insoles improve energy return?

Yes. We still don’t have the data on it, but we’ve noticed significant differences, depending on the material used (most often it’s just EVA) and the thickness of the insole. 

Price of running shoes with high energy return

Yes, these are expensive. They are 51% more expensive than shoes with low energy return on average and 35% more expensive than shoes with moderate energy return. We always recommend finding a good deal, and which place is a better place to do that than our Deals page?

To understand just how expensive these are, let’s look at the average prices for other running shoe categories. Those with low energy return usually retail at £130. With medium energy return, we’re talking about the average price of £140. And, finally, the average price of running shoes with high shock absorption is £190. Keep in mind that these are MSRPs or manufacturer’s suggested retail prices, or prices of shoes when they are released. No discounts.