While stiffness isn’t traditionally a quality you look for in a walking shoe, it’s actually a good thing when you’re walking on uneven surfaces. The rigidness and strong arch support of this shoe earned it a perfect score for lateral stability and support. Pain in your heel and arch may also be a sign of overpronation, especially when combined with one of the above tests, though not all foot pain is related to overpronation. If you’re hitting the trails, it's important to have a shoe that offers excellent stability and really good traction underfoot, and the Apex Women’s Trail Runner meets (and exceeds) those criteria. Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente How We Selected and Tested the Best Walking Shoes for Overpronators These sneakers are great for someone who needs maximum support and prioritizes that over flexibility and responsiveness. On longer walks, it took a little extra effort to propel ourselves forward, but that’s a tradeoff a walker needs to make for the max level of cushioning and support a shoe can provide.

A properly fitting shoe will feel good right from the start when you put it on, so there is no break-in period,” Dr. Torres-Hodges says. One thing that stood out to us in particular about these shoes is that they were more responsive than most motion control shoes we tested, making longer walks less tiring. The roomy toe box is perfect for anyone with a wider top foot or bunions, but they do run a bit wide for someone with an otherwise normal foot.We love that they come in six widths, so even runners with narrow or wide feet can find a pair that fits. However, they're one of the heaviest shoes on our list, so we don't recommend them for walking very long distances. And while they're on the more expensive side, we think their thoughtful design and stellar support are well worth the extra money. After that, we wore each pair for test walks on and off a treadmill. We assessed how the cushioning and support features felt underfoot. Were our feet overheating, or did the upper circulate air to cool our feet? Did we feel stable, or did our feet move around inside the shoe? There are a number of indicators of overpronation. “One sign that you may overpronate is that you may have very low arches or flat feet when standing barefoot,” Dr. Logan says. We like that the shoes are machine washable, come in four attractive colors, and are available in sizes 5-11 in both medium and wide widths. We tried the medium width, and thought it ran a little narrow. We also found that these shoes have a relatively snug and shallow toe box. If you have a wider foot or like a little extra room for your toes, you may want to try the wide version.

We then took some sneakers home to test them in the real world. To thoroughly test each pair, we wore them as part of our regular routines and walked in them on various types of ground, like roads, sidewalks, and a flat dirt trail. In total, we walked for over 100 miles in these sneakers to choose our favorites. The shoe should feel slightly snug at the heel and around the sides of the foot so that your foot doesn’t slide around, which could cause blisters. But the toe box should be roomy enough for your feet to swell a little, which can happen when walking for longer distances or in warmer weather. MC Pod Configuration is a stabilizing midsole/outsole design used in Brook's motion-control shoes. This designs sets the foot up for an efficient, balanced heel-to-toe transition.We selected which motion control shoes to test by reviewing dozens of top-rated shoes for overpronators from the best walking shoe brands on the market. To find out what to look for in these shoes, we interviewed five podiatrists including: These shoes are great for someone with moderate to severe overpronation who needs a lot of support. They have good traction and are made specifically for trails. If you’re looking for a maximum motion control shoe, we recommend Apex’s Boss Runner shoe. The Carboplast footbridge provides excellent stability and keeps your foot stable on uneven surfaces, which earned it a perfect score for lateral stability. They’re available in five widths in sizes 5-13, making them a great shoe for a variety of foot shapes and sizes. Full-length DNA cushioning gel is a highly viscous liquid that changes to become more or less firm in response to each individual's weight, pace, biomechanics, and running environment.