10 Best Insoles For Running

If you’re into running to any extent, from just the occasional casual jog to full-blown serious hardcore races, you’re going to want the best fit possible for your running shoes, a fact that only becomes more true if you have foot problems such as plantar fasciitis to contend with. In order to achieve the best fit and the most comfort possible, then, you’re going to want to buy the best insoles for running shoes that you can get your hands on. There are many different types of insoles for running available over the counter, and knowing which types and shapes are the best choice for your feet and your personal running habits and needs can make a massive difference to your comfort and safety when running, with only minimal effort required to get things started.

All of these insoles for running look very similar, however, and it can be challenging to work out precisely what sort of cushioning and foot protection you need when you’re buying insoles for running if you don’t have expert experience or the advice of a doctor, podiatrist or physical therapist.

Below, you can find our best insoles for running reviews and buyers guide 2021, in which we explore our top 10 insoles for running and explain what you need to look out for when buying running insoles for trainers in 2021. With our guide, you can be confident that you’re making a great choice, and purchasing the right set of insoles for running for your personal requirements and preferences.

Related: Insoles for Work Boots.

View the Best Insoles For Running, Below.

• Dr. Scholl’s RUNNING Insoles
• Superfeet Carbon Fiber Running Insoles
• WERNIES Running Shoe Inserts
• Sof Sole Athlete Insoles
• Dr. Scholl’s SPORT Gel Advanced Insoles
• Physix Gear Sport Orthotic Inserts
• WALK HERO Orthotics Inserts
• Sof Sole AIRR Performance Insoles
• Spenco Polysorb Walker/Runner Athletic Insole
• Currex RunPro Running/Walking Insoles

1. Dr. Scholl’s RUNNING Insoles

While many models of insoles for running are focused on simple comfort, Dr. Scholl’s Running Insoles are designed with more of a focus on medically recommended orthotic support. The Triple Zone protection areas are ergonomically designed to reduce shock and impacts from footfalls while running by up to 40%, reducing the wear and tear experienced by your legs and protecting your foot, ankle, knee and hip joints from common running injuries.

The reinforced arch design of these insoles for running ensures an improved transition of weight across your walk and run cycles, as well as offering a high level of support and relief for plantar fasciitis and other foot strain issues.

Designed with a focus on medical orthotic support, Dr. Scholl’s Running Insoles offer a high level of support and padding in ergonomically designed areas to maximize the protection from runners’ injuries.

2. Superfeet Carbon Fiber Running Insoles

Featuring a wide range of premium design elements, the Superfeet Carbon Fiber Running Insoles offer a comfortable and high-quality performance running experience that helps these insoles for running stand out as among the best insoles for running in 2021. These running insoles are durably built from aerospring rebound dual comfort foam with a carbon fiber stabilizer cap, promising a lifespan of 12 months or 500 miles thanks to their impressive ability to spring back to their original shape after use for a longer lifespan.

The deep heel cup and heel impact technology pod effectively disperse the shock of your feet impacting against the ground to reduce the risk of damage to your feet, ankles, legs and hips during intense walking or running, keeping you safer and more comfortable throughout all situations.

The Superfeet Carbon Fiber Running Insoles are premium insoles for running designed to offer maximized comfort and support in all walking or running situations, for the best running experience possible.

3. WERNIES Running Shoe Inserts

The WERNIES Running Shoe Inserts are versatile and highly padded insoles for running that offer an exceptional level of cushioning and shock absorbency to keep your feet as safe and comfortable as possible in all situations. These versatile and flexible insoles for running are designed to fit into a wide range of different types of shoe, from running shoes to work boots.

These high-quality insoles for running are made from honeycomb style foam, distributing pressure evenly across your foot to reduce stress as far as possible and increase comfort. The main body of the WERNIES Running Shoe Inserts is made from medical grade EVA foam with gel padding to give all day comfort and a high level of cushioning, giving strong orthotic properties as well as added comfort.

Designed to maximize cushioning and comfort, the WERNIES Running Shoe Inserts feature a range of comfort-boosting foam elements that help them to stand out from the rest of the packed field of insoles for running.

4. Sof Sole Athlete Insoles

The Sof Sole Athlete Insoles are lightweight, simply designed insoles for running that offer a number of premium design features to boost your running performance and comfort. The lightweight cushioned body is unobtrusive, adding minimal weight to your shoes for a naturalistic running experience, while the arch is designed for neutral pronation, offering a high level of ergonomically designed support to most normal feet in order to reduce the risk of injury while running.

The surface of these insoles for running is treated with Hydrologix moisture wicking materials, drawing sweat away from the soles of your feet and keeping them dry and comfortable even during periods of intense running, with the added bonus of reducing unwanted foot odors in the process.

Lightweight and unobtrusive in design, the Sof Sole Athlete Insoles offer a high level of padding and comfort without adding too much bulk or weight to your shoes, keeping you light on your feet and natural feeling at all times.

5. Dr. Scholl’s SPORT Gel Advanced Insoles

Designed with more of a focus on medical orthotic functions than on simple comfort and support, Dr. Scholl’s SPORT Gel Advanced Insoles are medically recommended supportive gel cushioned insoles for running that offer a high level of protection from running or sporting injuries as well as support and relief for those suffering from foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

The massaging gel technology of these best insoles for running ensures that they offer a high level of relief from stress on your lower body joints, reducing muscle fatigue from long periods of standing, walking or running and helping you to stay on your feet for longer without needing to take a break. The flexible arch shell of the Dr. Scholl’s SPORT Gel Advanced Insoles also helps with comfort and support, giving strong motion control and stability to help correct the gait problems caused by medical foot problems.

Dr. Scholl’s SPORT Gel Advanced Insoles for running are designed with a focus on medical orthotic support, providing relief from the pain of foot conditions and making a significant contribution to protection from developing sporting or running injuries.

6. Physix Gear Sport Orthotic Inserts

The high medical orthotic value of the Physic Gear Sport Orthotic Inserts makes these insoles for running among the best insoles for running in 2021, giving a high level of protection and support for various types of potentially problematic feet. The shock absorption properties inherent to these insoles for running reduce muscle fatigue in your legs and feet from long periods of standing or intense activity, while the high arch support design ensures as much pain relief as possible for medical conditions such as plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia.

Correcting abnormal walking patterns to extend this pain relief to problems with the knees and lower back for the ultimate in medical foot support and comfort in insoles for running.

The Physix Gear Sport Orthotic Inserts are designed to offer a high level of support for your feet and give impressive relief from the pain caused by a wide range of different common (and less common) medical complaints centered around the feet.

7. WALK HERO Orthotics Inserts

Designed to offer a high level of support to overpronated flat feet, the Walk Hero Orthotics Inserts insoles for running feature arch support designed to correct the gait problems caused by overpronated feet, easing the muscle and joint stress and pain that often result from this condition. In addition to this, they provide relief from plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, tendonitis around the ankle, and pain centered around the ball of the foot.

The deep heel cup of the Walk Hero Orthotics Inserts ensures that your gait is straightened out, protecting your heels effectively from impact shocks during running and serving to effectively stabilize your feet for a smoother and more natural stride when running.

The Walk Hero Orthotics Inserts are among the best insoles for running available for runners with flat, pronated feet. These insoles for running offer a high level of support and comfort for this particular foot problem, making them an excellent choice for anyone with overpronation issues.

8. Sof Sole AIRR Performance Insoles

Designed to offer high performance for walking, running, court sports, and other high impact activities, the Sof Sole AIRR Performance Insoles are durable high impact insoles for running that feature a number of important design elements that help to boost your comfort and performance during any intense running or sporting activity. The heel features Skydex air bubbles to absorb the maximum shock and impact possible, reducing the transmission of shock from footfalls and helping to protect your foot, ankle, knee and hip joints from impact damage as far as possible.

The forefoot of these insoles for running, meanwhile, features gel padding for comfort and flexibility, allowing a high level of rebound and lift with every stride for a performance boost in court sports, while the moisture-wicking COOLMAX cover draws sweat away from the soles of your feet, keeping them fresh and dry even during extended periods of intense activity.

The Sof Sole AIRR Performance Insoles are designed for sport as well as general running, and offer an exceptional level of impact absorbency and durability, making these easily among the best insoles for running and sport available on the market in 2019.

9. Spenco Polysorb Walker/Runner Athletic Insole

The Spenco Polysorb Walker Runner Athletic Insole is a flexible premium orthotic insole for running with a range of high-quality design features designed to support foot health as far as possible. The four-way stretch Silpure fabric coating of these best insoles for running features strong antimicrobial properties, helping to control foot odor as well as reducing the risk of infection and other common foot problems, as well as significantly reducing the risk of developing blisters during extended periods of running or walking, keeping your feet in perfect condition at all times.

The Spencore material core of these insoles for running effectively absorbs shock and impact during running, reducing the potential damage to the joints in your feet, ankles, knees, and hips as well as giving a more comfortable overall running experience.

Offering a high level of foot protection as well as general padding, the Spenco Polysorb Walker Runner Athletic Insole is a model of insoles for running with a design focus on safety and relief from common foot problems.

10. Currex RunPro Running/Walking Insoles

The Currex RunPro Running / Walking Insoles are ergonomically designed premium shoe insoles for running that offer an exceptionally high level of feedback for the soles of your feet as you run. The 3D contact fit of these ergonomically shaped insoles for running gives a precise fit to your feet and a high level of contact with the nerves of your feet, providing a high level of feedback as you run and optimizing the motion of your feet during the walking and running cycles of your foot and leg movement.

In addition to this, the Currex RunPro Running / Walking Insoles are specifically designed to offer relief from the pain of foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis, cushioning your feet against impact on the ground and giving a high level of springy rebound push back with every stride for correct motion and increased stride length, effectively relieving a wide range of painful foot conditions.

Thin and flexible, the Currex RunPro Running / Walking Insoles are an excellent choice for most users, as they are easy to fit into most shoes and offer a highly customizable fit for any shape of foot.

Insoles For Running Buyer’s Guide

Materials

The materials from which the main body of insoles for running are made can affect the properties of the insoles significantly. The arch parts of most insoles for running are made from thermoplastics, most commonly polypropylene, as these are strong and lightweight materials that offer a high level of support without adding too much weight to your shoes.

More advanced insoles for running can be made from a combination of plastic polymers and carbon fiber, allowing the same level of support in a thinner, lighter, and more unobtrusive insole design.

Insoles for running that are made from polyethylene foams are generally softer and more cushioned, sacrificing control and support in favor of added cushioning and shock absorbency properties. Natural materials such as leather or cork provide similar properties, trading support for cushioning and softness.

You might be interested in; insoles for flat feet.

Top covering layers for insoles for running also exist in a range of different materials. Many of these are made from other types of softer foam such as open cell polyurethane, EVA foam, or closed cell neoprene, often textured to boost their ventilation and moisture wicking properties. For further moisture wicking, a fabric top layer can also be added to the top of your insoles.

Types of Padding

There are two common types of padding featured in most models of insoles for running: foam padding and gel cushioning. Each of these two types of padding has its own advantages and disadvantages, and which one you choose should be determined based on what your personal requirements and preferences are.

Foam padding in insoles for running provides a high level of comfort for extended periods of running, as it tends to be durable and comfortable. The moisture-wicking properties of foam insoles for running are also worth considering, as they effectively draw sweat and other moisture away from your feet, keeping them cool, dry and comfortable as well as reducing the risk of infection from long term intense running.

In addition to this, foam insoles for running usually mold to fit the contours of your feet over time, giving a unique and perfect fit for added comfort and support in those areas which require the most padding on your specific feet. They are, however, often not exceptionally breathable, although some types of foam are designed for added breathability to mitigate this problem.

Gel padded insoles for running tend to be lighter than foam insoles for running and tend to be designed for pain relief and protection from impact stress damage. Those marketed as “massaging gel insoles” are designed more for therapeutic padding, offering the best pain relief available in most cases.

Gel insoles for running are also an excellent choice for high impact sports or running, as gel pads absorb impact shocks effectively, reducing the stress felt by your feet and joints and cutting down the risk of serious injury while running or playing sports. Gel insoles are, however, non-breathable and can become slippery from perspiration unless you wear appropriate moisture wicking socks.

Hybrid insoles for running also exist, combining a foam body with areas of gel padding in order to achieve a combination of the best properties of both gel insoles for running and foam insoles for running. These hybrid running insoles generally offer much of the impact absorbency of gel padding, along with the contoured molding and moisture wicking ability of foam padding.

Pain Relief

A common reason to want insoles for running is for their valuable pain relief properties, as many types of insoles for running are designed to prevent strain and damage to the bones and muscles of your legs and feet. Pain relief is also boosted by shock absorption properties, as these reduce the stress caused to your feet and lower legs by the impacts of your footfalls while running.

Most pain from running is caused by inadequate support for pronation, heel spurs, non-standard arch shapes, or bunions. If you’re experiencing foot pain, then you’re going to need foot supporting insoles for running rather than just comfort cushioning.

If even supportive insoles for running don’t seem to be making a difference, you might want to try out orthotic foot support insoles for running, designed specifically for arch support to correct over pronation and stabilize your feet more effectively.

If you’ve been experiencing foot or leg joint pain for a long time, it is always worth visiting a professional podiatrist to ensure that your problems are not more serious!

Expert Tip

There is a difference between support insoles and cushioned insoles; support insoles will provide the protection and support you need to reduce the problems of various foot conditions, while cushioned insoles simply provide more padding for a more comfortable running experience.

Did you know?

For most people, the added expense of insoles can be avoided altogether by ensuring that you purchase shoes that fit your purposes more accurately, choosing shoes that are designed specifically for each activity you spend your time performing.