Best running shoe for overpronator January 17, 2014 Subscribe What shoes work well for overpronators who need cushioning and stability?Before we start talking about the best running shoes for bad knees it is critical to understand that “bad knees” can mean a lot of things. For example, just a few of conditions that might cause “bad knees” could be: And these are just a few examples of the many conditions that can cause knee pain. Our recommendation is to get a full work-up of your knee and be sure you have an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your knee pain before you try to find the best shoes and certainly before you run. Never run through knee pain – if your knee hurts, stop running. There are other workouts you can do in the meantime and you can find here in our guide to exercising when you have a lower extremity injury. Assuming you have a diagnosis and have been cleared to run, below are some of our recommendations on the best shoes for specific knee problems.
Keep in mind that running puts a great deal of force on the knees so the right shoes not only allow you to run longer, but also reduce your chance of pain and injury. Proper shoes, however, are only part of an overall treatment plan to treat knee pain. While proper shoes can help reduce some types of knee pain, shoes are only a part of an overall treatment plan. The knee condition where the proper shoe can make the most difference is probably “runners knee” – also known as patell0-femoral pain syndrome (PFPS). In this condition the knee cap moves offline to the outside (lateral) so the knee cap no longer tracks correctly on the femur. This is often related to having excessive pronation. Overpronation causes the foot to pronate (flatten) and the leg to rotate in toward the other knee. Runners knee occurs when there is excess stress on the knee area due to overpronation, misalignment, and overtraining. Runners can help prevent these conditions by wearing stability shoes that encourage the knees to stay in proper alignment and support the arches.
For example, one of our most recommended shoes for those with knee pain relalted to over-pronation of the feet is the Brooks Addiction.The Addiction has good torsional stability, a stable heel and a midsole that resists collapse. Together these make for a shoe that is excellent at helping to reduce the pronation that contributes to knee pain. We also like the Addiction because it has a shape that fits a wide variety of feet and it is available in multiple widths. For more choices in anti-pronation shoes like the Brooks Addiction you can download our free recommended shoe list. We’ve picked only running and exercise shoes that are designed to keep knees, feet, and ankles healthy. Another recommendation for those with PFPS due to excessive pronation is to use a supportive arch support in yourI often recommend the P3 Sport Orthotic. Of the prefabricated orthotics I have evaluated, this is the one that is closet in construction to a quality custom orthotic. If you have pain on the inside of the knee you absolutely must get a proper diagnosis before you run.
One of the more common conditions associated with inside (medial) knee pain is arthritis of the medial compartment of the knee. If you have arthritis present here running is probably not the best activity for you. At the very least don’t run on it unless you have a doctor’s ok. In some situations, however, there is pain on the inside of the knee simply because there is too much pressure going through the joint there. In this situation, the correct shoes may help. Force through the inside of the knee is increased (in most cases) when the foot in turned in (so the soles face each other). This is called supination and is the opposite of pronation. So in most cases if you have pain on the inside of your knee a anti-pronation shoe like the Brooks Addiction is exactly the opposite of the type of shoe you want. In this situation you should look for a shoe that allows some extra pronation and prevents excessive supination. There are not many of these “anti-supination shoes” on the market.
The one I recommend the most is the New Balance 1080 series. The 1080 is cushioned on the inside but firmer on the outside and has the best ability of any running shoe we have seen to decrease force though the inside of the knee. Although this shoe can help with inside of knee pain, there is more evidence that proper wedging inside the shoe can be much more beneficial at reducing pain. Be sure to see a sports medicine podiatrist to work on proper wedging along with getting the right shoes. If you are in the Seattle area contact us for an appointment. Again, make sure to get a proper diagnosis of your knee pain before trying to treat it and don’t run through the pain. If you have pain on the outside of your knee and you do not have arthritis of the knee then using the proper shoes, orthotics and wedging has been shown to be helpful at reducing pain in some patients. In order to reduce force through the outside of the knee you want to stop excessive pronation. Again, our recommended shoe for limiting excessive pronation and subsequently reducing force through the outside of the knee is the Brooks Addiction.
Also, as with inside of knee pain, outside of knee pain often responds well to specific types of wedging inside the shoe so find a sports medicine podiatrist to work with you on proper wedging and orthotics to further reduce force through the outside of your knee. If you have knee pain and are a runner, it’s also helpful to vary your running surfaces, such as running on soft dirt trails or grass. Also, if you are new to running and have bad knees, visit a running shoe store to get fitted by a shoe specialist. Be sure to download our recommended shoe list before you buy a new pair of shoes. The shoe list is available here.Why do you run? We run for health, for an escape, for endurance, for jamming out to tunes, for achieving personal goals, for chatting with friends, for 5Ks, for marathons, for a cause. And we know that if you're not wearing the right shoes for your feet, for your hips, for your gait, things can go awry, quickly. That's why we're sharing our favorites for spring — some are best-sellers, some are athlete favorites, and some are on our feet right now.