7 Best Low Drop Running Shoes in 2025

The Altra Torin 8 offers unwavering confidence and ease, making it the ultimate choice for low-drop running. Our lab results back up the sensation we felt: the zero-drop midsole offers a feedback-rich ride without compromising impact protection. Meanwhile, its grippy and durable outsole keeps us chasing more miles.

With an actual negative heel drop of -0.1 mm, it fosters a natural feel and exceptional control, ensuring solid ground contact with every step. The cushioning offers a well-balanced sensation, which our durometer confirms with a 21.0 HA reading.

The shoe has wide dimensions in its forefoot, making it suitable for runners who strike at the front. Our calliper confirms it’s 117.7 mm vs. the 114.1 mm average, offering extra room to land securely. The toebox also features a foot-friendly design, backed up by our gel replica’s big toe measurement: 83.6 mm vs. the 73.7 mm average!

In terms of grip, we have no complaints as we had no instances of slipping. Meanwhile, the rubber bravely resisted our high-speed Dremel and only received a minimal 0.8 mm damage, cementing its durability.

However, the midsole lacks energy return and will bore those seeking a thrilling ride. We recommend checking other options for tempo or interval runs.

The third time’s a charm as Altra Rivera 3 emerged as our best daily trainer among lab-tested low-drop running shoes. With a seamless blend of natural feel, protective cushioning, and energy return, this all-around shoe gave us a fun and forgiving ride. With a slight 1.7 mm offset, we believe it's a great shoe to try before deep-diving into the zero-drop world.

The midsole truly enhanced smooth, free-flowing strides with its modest stack and flexible build that gives a good ground feel. Our 30-degree bend test shows Rivera 3 is 17.8% more adaptive than average, making it versatile and comfortable enough for any distance or pace.

While the 28.4/26.7 mm platform has a below-average heel, we feel we have enough cushioning to protect our feet. Our durometer confirms the plush sensation we noticed — the foam measures 34.7% softer than average. Despite its softness, it's bouncy and energetic, which makes pushing the pace in the Rivera 3 a breeze.

Unfortunately, Rivera 3’s laces are so smooth that they frequently came undone during our runs. We recommend double-tying them for safety.

Saucony’s Kinvara 15 is our best low-drop speed trainer because of its featherlight, nimble, and perfectly natural ride. Proven by countless tests in the lab, its minimal cushion, flexible midsole, and light nature kept the experience as effortless as possible. 

With a heel-to-toe drop of 4.4 mm, the platform is 48.8% less inclined than the average of lab-tested shoes. This promotes a natural and relaxed running feel since it isn’t too aggressive. Though the heel and forefoot stacks remain below average, the delightfully firm 23.8 HA cushion protects us from leg strain and unstable strides. 

Less cushioning means more flexibility, and the midsole confirms this with easy manoeuvrability, keeping us as the main driver of our runs. It freely adapts to our movements. The numbers don't lie, and our flex test validates it's 39.3% more bendable than average.

What’s incredible is how airy this shoe feels in our runs. This speed trainer is even lighter than other race shoes! Weighing only 6.8 oz (194g), it’s 26.8% lighter than the average running shoe.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the most durable shoe. With a softer and thinner outsole than average, the rubber is more vulnerable to wear and tear.

With the lab and the streets as our witnesses, ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris is our ultimate low-drop marathon running shoe. We blazed through gruelling miles without the burning feeling with its superior combination of blissful comfort and insane midsole responsiveness. This lightweight marvel delivers nothing but peak performance in our runs.

With a 33.9/32.6 mm stack, we savoured the extra cushioning in our runs, notably in the forefoot. Despite its height, this supershoe is one of the lightest we’ve seen at only 6.5 oz (183g)! Its airiness comes from the all-new FF Turbo+ foam with a 21.0 HA durometer reading, offering a wildly energetic experience.

Its late-stage toe rocker design promotes forward momentum for mid-to-forefoot strikers, while its flat carbon plate powerfully launches us to keep us lighting fast. The ASICSGRIP sticky outsole also kept us confident with any direction or weather changes.

Our feet were embraced by the MOTIONWRAP 2.0, a fine mesh structure that proved to be exceptionally breathable and comfortable in our runs. Dotted with ventilation holes even in the heel, it received the highest ventilation score, coupled with a 4/5 durability score. Excelling in both tests is extremely rare in our lab.

However, this shoe only performs best for mid-to-forefoot strikers. Sky Paris’ midsole configuration and narrow 77.8 mm heel make it less stable for rear strikers.

In our runs and lab analysis with low-drop running shoes, the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2 championed shock absorption. Its unique design caters to forefoot and midfoot strikers looking for speed and lightness without the discomfort of tired legs.

Our toe-offs feel electric, backed up by their high energy return of 59.6% in the forefoot. But what we loved the most is its exceptional impact protection, scoring a high 148 SA vs. the 127 SA average, which proves WRF2’s superior shock absorption.

Measuring the heel drop, we got a low 2.9 mm reading. But because of its elevated midfoot, it feels more natural in terms of forward transitions for midfoot strikers. 

The Wave Plate nestled in the midsole adds responsiveness but keeps the ride forgiving. It doesn’t restrict foot-bending the way carbon-plated shoes do, proven by its near-average 15.8N flexibility result.

In addition, its low 8.4 oz (239g) build feels easy on the feet and prevents early fatigue, allowing us to push faster and farther during training sessions.

However, its ventilation score is a subpar 3/5. Those training in warmer weather should look for at least a 4/5 score in our breathability test.

After a series of tests in our lab, we found that the New Balance Fresh Foam X Kaiha Road is our best budget low-drop running shoe. It’s a more than capable daily trainer for its £90 price. With its focus on comfort, versatility, and ease of movement, it can match or even exceed the performance of its steeper-priced counterparts (£160 average).

Easy on the wallet and the feet, the Kaiha Road offers a natural and agile sensation through its low drop and flexible midsole. In our lab test, it emerged 9.3% more adaptive than average, boosting its versatility for other activities like walking. Meanwhile, its low 3.8 mm drop promotes a more barefoot experience and builds foot strength.

At its core is the Fresh Foam X midsole, pampering our feet with cloudlike goodness. Each landing feels gentle, followed by a springy takeoff. Our durometer confirms its softness with a low 13.3 HA reading, 36.4% below average.

However, what this shoe sacrificed is its upper’s durability. Our Dremel punctured it almost immediately, so those who prioritise a sturdy upper should try other options.