Which drop should you choose for your running shoes?
What the drop of a running shoe is, what it changes in your stride, and how the catalogue's models spread from zero drop to the highest ones.
Published Oct 17, 2026
The drop is the height difference between the heel and the forefoot of a shoe, measured inside the sole. A shoe whose heel sits higher than its forefoot has a positive drop; a shoe with both at the same height is a zero drop shoe.
What the drop changes
- A low drop puts the foot closer to flat: the calves and Achilles tendons work more, and many runners land further forward on the foot.
- A high drop lifts the heel: it takes some of the load off the calves and suits runners who land on the heel.
- The drop says nothing about cushioning: two shoes with the same drop can have very different sole heights. That is the stack.
Changing drop a lot from one shoe to the next is the classic trap: go step by step, and keep your current pair for part of your runs while your calves get used to it.
The drops of the catalogue
Drops in the catalogue
1263 models with a published value, rounded to the millimetre. A row leads to its page when there is one.
The values most brands use have their own pages: 4 mm, 8 mm and 12 mm. The broader classes group the rest: low drop and high drop.
How to choose
- You run well in your current shoes: stay close to their drop, it is the safest bet.
- You want to try a lower drop: lower it gradually, one shoe at a time.
- You run trails: many trail shoes have a lower drop than road shoes, for a foot closer to the ground on uneven terrain.
Each shoe page shows its drop as the brand publishes it, and the comparator puts two of them side by side.
