Top 5 Stability Running Shoes Of 2021
Josh reveals and reviews his top 5 stability running shoes of 2021 - the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21, Asics Gel Kayano 28, Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 and Asics GT-2000 10.
Engineered to guide overpronators onto their most efficient motion path with non-intrusive support, these running shoes are an asset on your mission to run further, faster or more frequently as you dive into 2022.
Check out the review with full transcript below.
Hey guys, Josh here from Sportitude Running and today we're doing a shoe review on the top 5 stability shoes for 2021. Underneath the camera I have five shoes from the running range which fit into that stability category.
Runner Profile
For those of you at home that aren't quite aware what we're talking about when we refer to ‘stability’, we're talking about foot types that happen to collapse through the arch area or overpronate.
Typically on a flat surface you'll see the arch is relatively close to the ground and when this runner transitions through their gait cycle, whether it be heel striking or even midfoot striking, there'll be a tendency for that foot to ever so slightly to favour the medial side.
The foot will roll in over that arch, causing a little bit of rotation through the shins as the foot transitions through the gait cycle to then toe-off. If you looked back at the history of stability running shoes over the best part of 30 years, brands have always used some structure device on the instep or the medial side of that shoe to give that arch a little bit of support.
Over the last six plus years we've seen support systems change which has been a really good update in shoe engineering. All brands have caught on to the fact that they don't need to use overly complicated, heavy systems on that medial side.
You can still cater for an overpronator just by adjusting how you introduce support into your running shoes. Speaking of that, all 5 top stability shoes have slightly different takes on how they execute support within their engineering.
In today's review, we're going to jump into all five of these shoes and talk about why they're in my top 5 – they must be versatile and they must be available in widths. Widths is a really important one, especially for stability running shoes. You have to be able to make your shoes accessible to a lot of different foot shapes out there.
In no particular order let's start off this shoe review.
New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5
In my hand I hold the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5. To give you a little bit of history with the New Balance Vongo v5, it has been around obviously now for five seasons, this being the fifth.
Australia missed out on version 3 and version 4. New Balance Australia did not decide to bring this shoe south of the equator. It was circulating in the northern hemisphere in North America and in Europe. However, Australia decided to hold off until version 5 was available, and it was probably the best decision they made.
I was lucky enough to have New Balance Vongo v1 almost six and a half years ago. It was a prototype before it went to market and I really did not like that shoe. Version 2 was very similar and version 3 and 4 had some changes.
For New Balance to get it right they had to go right back to the drawing board, come back to the basics and really dial into what is important for a high mileage stability running shoe. They took some great learnings from the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v10 and New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v11, then they rolled over some engineering features from that shoe into the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5.
You have the Fresh Foam cushioning system. The only thing that's really different is a slightly higher stack being a 34mm heel and 26mm forefoot for that 8mm variance.
On the medial side, we have the injected midsole with arch support. As I said in the introduction, traditionally brands have used dual density or double density foamin that medial side that are heavy and complicated systems. More often than not they weren’t the most comfortable thing to run in.
New Balance have gone back to the drawing board. They've used a clever and unique way to inject that arch support. Essentially when they pour this midsole mould, they have a small divider which sits between the bonded support system on the medial side and the Fresh Foam system on the lateral side.
When they pour them into the mould, they’re obviously different densities using pellet constructions and when the shoe temperature gets to a specific number, they remove that mould and the two become one. There's no glue that goes into the midsole that joins the two systems together. They actually become one system while providing a different feel, function and feature on the medial side.
Again, it's not an intrusive arch support, it just does what it needs to when you require it. Obviously being a high mileage cushioned Fresh Foam system underneath the body, you're going to get plenty of plushness as you go through your whole gait cycle.
The other thing to note is widths. It’s available in D and 2E in the men's model and you have a B and D width in the women’s model, so two width offerings which is really beneficial.
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21
The next shoe in the top 5 stability shoes for 2021 is none other than the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21. To give you a bit of a break down on what this shoe is all about, it has been very consistent from one model to the next for the last three years. We have a shoe that's rocking a 24mm heel and a 12mm forefoot for a variance of 12mm in the heel-to-toe drop and that's been the same now for the last five years at least.
It is slightly more on that high heel-to-toe drop regarding the other shoes we’re talking about here and obviously the other shoes in this category across the industry. We don't see too many shoes get up to that 12mm heel-to-toe mark, but the Brooks Adrenaline has.
This shoe also makes its way into this top 5 list because it is available in four widths in both the men's and women's model. That makes our life a lot easier when you're fitting a shoe to someone's foot shape.
In the men's model you have a B width which is narrow, a D width which is standard, a 2E width which is slightly broader and 4E extra wide width. In the women’s model you have a 2E width which is their narrow offering, then you have a standard B width, D width which is slightly broader and an extra wide 2E offering. That's a huge range regarding widths and it makes life so much easier getting it on the right foot shape.
The other cool thing to note about this shoe is the way they have used and continued to use their arch support system. GuideRails were rolled out in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19. It was a massive change from Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18, and it was almost anarchy in the industry regarding Brooks being a very consistent shoe from one year to the next and then they really did a 180 on how they have rolled out that arch support.
While there's a bit of pushback with the Brooks Adrenaline 19, what we have seen over the last two years is a running shoe that has just stayed true, and we keep getting more and more people into it and that have been very happy with how it performs.
Of course from one model to the next there's going to be little changes but with Brooks they really don't like to make too many adjustments when they have something so right and that has certainly been the case with this shoe. That’s going to be the case with the next version which I’m wear testing as we speak - that's the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22.
Other than that, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21 has always been executed quite well with a good upper system that breathes really well. One thing I love about Brooks is the internal heel collars - they just get it right. It’s a very comfortable shoe.
Asics Gel Kayano 28
For the next shoe in the top 5 it couldn't be a stability shoe discussion if you didn't throw in the Asics Gel Kayano into this conversation. I have in my hand the Asics Gel Kayano 28 model. It's only been on the market now for a few months and like I had just discussed with the Brooks Adrenaline, this shoe is a very popular shoe in Australia, North America and Europe so they don't like to make too many adjustments to this shoe.
However, the Asics Gel Kayano 28 has probably had the biggest change from where it was with the Asics Gel Kayano 27 and that is probably something that you may need to make note. I have done a shoe review on this individually if you want to dial into it in more detail.
Underneath we have a more flexible offering, so you have an extra flex grove through the forefoot. There are four flex grooves on play there from that medial to lateral side. They've rolled out a new cushioning system as well. They have their FlyteFoam Blast cushioning system which is very soft but very responsive underneath the body.
The other thing to note is they still have a Trusstic system. On the medial side we have a little plastic or nylon wedge that sits just underneath the outsole. It still gives that torsional stability which is what this shoe has been known for over 28 years. They didn't want to remove that from the engineering feature, they want to keep it nice and structurally sound. They've tucked it away under this outsole so they can provide a slightly more consistent roll underneath the body.
That's a trend across this industry. We're seeing brands almost steer away from that rigid midfoot construction to more full ground contact and the Asics Gel Kayano 28 is an example of that.
The other thing to note with this shoe is that it's available in widths. I've harped on it and I will continue to harp on it. You're going to get a shoe that you can really dial in with the men’s model offering a D standard width, 2E wide width and 4E extra wide width. In the women’s model we have a B standard width and a slightly broader D width on offer.
Of course, being a Kayano we have your rearfoot Gel technology underneath your heel for your heel strikers to get a bit more compression underneath the body.
As you come through to the forefoot under your first metatarsal, Asics have used a Twist Gel. It's not there for cushioning, it's more there for support of your big toe. It just helps that big toe get a little bit of extra leverage as it engages and toes off out of your gait cycle.
It is an important feature of this shoe. Because they have introduced that extra flex groove through the forefoot, it does provide a little bit more stability for that forefoot to function correctly which is very important.
Mizuno Wave Inspire 17
The fourth shoe in our discussion is the Mizuno Wave Inspire 17. This shoe here doesn't have too many bells and whistles and when you have a shoe that offers what this shoe does, it doesn't really need to have super foams or complicated ways to execute arch support.
Mizuno have been market leaders with regards to plates because they've been using nylon plates for 30 years and what we see now with running shoes is that obviously plates are making their way into tempo shoes to race shoes. Mizuno have always known how to execute different density midsoles and split them with a plated construction.
On the medial side of the Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 they have their Fan Wave Plate technology which is their arch support. It sits in that medial side, it's not intrusive and there's certainly plenty of softness between where the arch support does its work and where your foot sits on top of that platform.
What we also know about the Mizuno Wave Inspire series is it is available in widths. In the men’s model you have a D and a 2E on offer. In the women’s model you have a B width and a D width.
Like the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21 it's on a generous 12mm heel-to-toe drop. It has a 31mm heel and a 19mm forefoot, so again it’s on the slightly higher side of things regarding where the industry sits now.
As I touched on before, it has two different cushioning systems with a U4ic top layer and a Enerzy bottom layer. The cushioning system offers a slightly softer feel underneath and a slightly more responsive layer on top. It’s a really good and nice way to execute the compression where you need it but also a little bit of pop as you go through your toe-off of your gait cycle.
We have full ground contact on offer. Rubber is placed strategically in all the hard-wearing areas of the outsole but you also get a very consistent ride the whole way through the gait cycle.
I have to go back a few years now with Mizuno to talk about when that Trusstic system was exposed, and it was probably a little bit too rigid. Therefore they've dialled it back a little bit, providing a more consistent roll underneath the body while keeping that torsional stability exactly where you want it to function and feel correctly underneath your foot when you're transitioning through your whole gait cycle.
Asics GT-2000 10
Last but not least our fifth shoe that's made its way to the top 5 stability running shoes of 2021. I hold in my hand the Asics GT-2000 10. As I said before, this is in no particular order and this is not by any means the fifth option out of these shoes. However, I really did workshop this quite hard and I talked to a lot of podiatrists out there to get some feedback on what they've found to be successful.
I spoke to all our staff downstairs and obviously the feedback from you the running community with regards to what you have and haven't liked this season.
I feel that the Asics GT-2000 10 has been the best GT update bar none and I can say that with confidence because I've been fitting shoes for almost 17 years now. The GT series that used to be the old Asics GT-2110, the Asics GT-2120 and right now to the Asics GT-2000 franchise have always been easy shoes to fit. The reason being is they've been incredibly versatile. They're cushioned for those runners that want something a little bit lighter for mileage, and light enough and snappy enough to offer a little bit of pop through that forefoot.
The Asics GT-2000 10 is no different, however it's the most consistent version they have produced underneath the body. The main reason being is they have gone to that full ground contact. Again, the big trend with running shoes now is to offer a consistent feel underneath the body.
Tucked away underneath the foot we have your FlyteFoam Propel technology through the forefoot, giving you a little bit of pop and Gel cushioning system at the rear of this shoe in conjunction with a new arch support technology that Asics are using called LITE TRUSS.
It's pretty similar to what we've discussed with the other models regarding to a non-intrusive arch support system. It's not your dual density DuoMax that sits on this medial side, which again this is the first version that we haven't seen with that Dynamic DuoMax or DuoMax on offer.
It is a slightly different take on arch support, but it performs incredibly well in conjunction with how they have executed that cushioning system on the lateral side. You get the perfect amount of compression which aids in that control through midstance with that LITE TRUSS device on the medial side.
The other thing to note with this shoe specifically is Asics have always been renowned for having slightly different men's and women's offerings with their key running shoes. Sometimes it's a heel-to-toe drop, sometimes it's how they place the Gel cushioning and the Crash Pads underneath the body.
The Asics GT-2000 10 has a slightly different upper construction that’s 3D printed to cater for women's feet and men’s feet specifically. There are slightly different requirements and needs for the foot shape, fit and feel with this shoe. Asics obviously identified that and spent quite a bit of time in executing the right fit and feel with each upper which is fantastic.
The other thing with this shoe to touch on is the widths. I love it when shoes come in widths and obviously, I’ve been banging on about that in this review today but with that in mind, we have a B, D and 2E in the women’s model for three widths on offer. In the men’s model you have a D, 2E and 4E width.
It’s important to note that this shoe has always been available in a 2A, and I hope that Asics potentially do bring it back in a 2A for women because that narrow stability offering is not catered for in this market as much as it used to be.
The Brooks Adrenaline comes in a 2A, but we used to have the New Balance Fresh Foam 860, the Mizuno Wave Inspire and the Asics GT-2000 all coming in a 2A, so you had plenty of options there for narrow women’s feet requiring some arch support.
I hope that Asics bring this back into 2A. It was such a key shoe for our range and it was certainly a shoe that was well loved across the running community in Australia and globally.
The Wrap Up
In summary, that's our top 5 shoes for stability running for 2021. As I said in no particular order, I went through them all individually to give you a bit of a snap on what they're all about.
If you want to dive into more detail with each and every one of those shoes, underneath this blog you'll see links to all those shoe reviews being all around 8 minutes or 12 minutes. I go into everything from the outsole engineering, the midsole engineering and the upper, and profile foot types that could sit inside them.
Stability running is a really important category for most specialty running stores across the globe. Fun fact for you, if you went back 10 years and you looked at stability running sales versus neutral running sales it was in around 70/30. 70 of your sales really targeted towards stability running shoes.
However, if you come forward 10 years to now where we sit today in 2021, it's almost become 50/50 or in some ways 55/45 in the sense that we're selling more neutral running shoes than what we do in that stability category.
Of course that statistic is going to be different when you talk to some individual specialists out there, but I think it's important to note in terms of how we run well over 10 years. I don't think evolution has adjusted for us as runners, it's just that the engineering from brands realised that we don't need to really block or control arch support with dual density foams or heavy complicated systems.
We can still get runners that overpronate to run and be comfortable running by ever so slightly changing how brands execute that arch support. When you're taking consideration the neutral category and the stable neutral category there is a lot going on with running shoes in the market.
It's important that brands will continue to innovate, engineer and be very creative how they make their stability running shoes. They want them to be comfortable, they want them to be functional and they want you obviously to be in their brand. Therefore, the top 5 stability shoes here are offered in widths with versatility with regards to the weight, cushioning and obviously what you can use them for – short runs, long runs etc.
As I touched on, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21, the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5, the Asics Gel Kayano 28, the Asics GT-2000 10 and of course the Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 fit those criteria quite well and we have had a lot of success fitting them downstairs here at Sportitude Running.
If you have any questions, queries or theories regarding the five shoes we've talked about today please contact our Sportitude shoe experts. If you think I've missed one that you really like and that you think should make into the top 5 please let us know why and let’s start a conversation. I listen and I love getting your feedback out there from the running community.
Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, happy running and we'll see you on the road. Take care.
New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v5
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21
Asics Gel Kayano 28
Mizuno Wave Inspire 17
Asics GT-2000 10
If you liked this, then you'll love:
Top 5 Stable Neutral Running Shoes Of 2021
