The Best Running Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis

If your heel hurts right now, start here. The Bondi's whole design brief is impact absorption. The midsole is deep, the geometry rocks you from heel to toe instead of making you push off hard, and the platform is wide enough that all that foam doesn't feel wobbly. Owners dealing with heel pain, leg hardware, and lower-body swelling consistently single this shoe out as the one that let them walk and run without the usual ache.

It's also surprisingly light for how much shoe you're getting. Hoka lists the Bondi 9 around 0.85 pounds for a men's 11.5, which is less than you'd guess from looking at it. Owners say the same thing — the sole is thick, but the shoe doesn't feel like a boot. That matters if you're logging easy miles rather than racing. You get the cushioning without feeling like you're dragging weight.

Width options are the quiet reason this is our top pick. Plantar fasciitis and wide feet travel together more often than they should, and Hoka's wide and extra-wide versions are genuinely wide — owners who need true 4E sizing call this one of the few brands that delivers. If you've been squeezing into a medium and wondering why your foot hurts more after runs, this is worth checking first.

The engineered mesh upper and textile lining are straightforward. Nothing fancy, nothing that bites. The removable sockliner also means you can drop in custom orthotics or over-the-counter inserts, which the JOSPT guideline recommends as first-line care. That combination — deep cushioning plus room for an orthotic — is why podiatrist-facing roundups keep landing on this shoe.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It looks like what it is. Several owners admit they thought the shoe was ugly before they tried it, and the comparison to wearing Michelin tires comes up more than once. If you care how your running shoes look, this isn't the subtle pick.

Fit runs snug out of the box and loosens with wear, so your first few miles may feel tight and your heel may slip a little until the upper breaks in. Buy the wide version if you're between widths — the regular is narrower than the shoe's bulk suggests. Also, the laces are thin and flat, and they don't hold a knot as well as you'd want on a shoe this good.

All that stack height means less ground feel. If you like knowing what's under your foot, the Bondi will feel disconnected and soft. That's the trade for the cushioning, and it's a real one.

The heel is where Brooks put the effort, and that's exactly where you need it. DNA Tuned uses bigger cells under the heel for soft landings and smaller cells in the forefoot for a quicker toe-off. In practice, you get a landing that absorbs the hit and a push-off that doesn't feel mushy. Owners who've run in the Glycerin line for years describe the 22 as a clear step up from the previous version, with noticeably plusher heel strikes.

Choose this over the Bondi if tall, rockered shoes make you nervous. Not everyone likes standing on a lot of foam. The Glycerin's platform is broad and stable, but it rides lower and more conventionally than a max-stack Hoka. If you've tried a rocker shoe and felt like you were being tipped forward, this gives you comparable softness with a ride that feels more like a normal running shoe.

The upper is a double jacquard knit that stretches and accommodates rather than constricting. For a foot that's already irritated, that's not a small thing — a rigid upper pressing on the top of your foot adds misery you don't need. Owners describe step-in comfort as immediate, and the fit as true to size. Brooks also offers the Glycerin in wide sizing, which keeps it viable for broader feet.

There's a stability option if you need more. The Glycerin GTS 22 is the same shoe with added support built in, so if a podiatrist tells you your arch is collapsing inward and you want guidance rather than pure neutral cushioning, you can step sideways into the GTS without learning a whole new shoe. That's a useful escape hatch when you're still figuring out what your foot wants.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It's heavy. Listed weight for a men's 11.5 is about 1.32 pounds, which is well above the Bondi despite the Bondi looking bulkier. Owners who rotate shoes tend to describe the Glycerin as a walking and easy-day shoe rather than a long-distance racer. If you're training for a marathon and want one shoe for everything, that weight adds up over three hours.

This is also one of the more expensive shoes here, and the plushness is the whole point — if you want a firmer, more responsive ride for tempo work, you'll be fighting the shoe.

This is the one for heavier runners. PureGEL sits in the midsole to absorb shock, and ASICS says it's roughly 65 percent softer than its older gel. Layered under FF BLAST PLUS foam, you get a landing that stays cushioned under more body weight than a thinner shoe manages. Owners above 200 pounds and people on their feet all day in healthcare settings keep coming back to the Nimbus line for exactly this reason.

The base is wide and the geometry helps if you roll inward. Owners describe the 28 as a neutral shoe that still works for mild overpronation, thanks to the wider platform and the way the sole is shaped. That's useful with plantar fasciitis, because excessive inward roll loads the fascia. You're not getting a medial post, but you're not standing on a knife edge either.

It also comes in extra-wide, and owners who need it say the sizing is honest. Add the OrthoLite X-55 sockliner, which lifts out if you'd rather use your own orthotic, and you've got a shoe that adapts to a wider range of feet than the spec sheet suggests. The hybrid ASICSGRIP outsole holds up on wet pavement, which matters if your heel pain makes you cautious about slipping.

At roughly 0.65 pounds for a men's 10.5, it's the lightest of our cushioned picks. Owners describe it as feeling light despite the amount of foam, which is the right combination for long easy miles while you're managing an injury.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Durability is the recurring complaint. More than one owner wearing these daily — not just for runs — reports replacing them every few months, which is expensive for a premium shoe. If you're walking all day and running on top of that, budget for shorter life than the 300-to-500-mile guideline suggests.

Owners also note the 28 runs a touch firmer than the 27 it replaced. If you specifically want the softest possible landing, the Glycerin or the Bondi will feel plusher. And a few people needed a run or two to adapt to it, so don't judge it on the first outing.

The rocker is the part that matters most for your heel, and the Clifton keeps it. An early-stage rocker starts curving the sole sooner, so you roll through the step instead of levering off your forefoot and tugging on the fascia. You get that same rolling sensation as the Bondi, in a shoe that's noticeably less shoe. For a lot of runners, that's the sweet spot.

Pick this if the Bondi feels like too much underfoot. Max-stack shoes aren't for everyone — some people feel unstable up there, especially on uneven sidewalks. The Clifton sits lower and lighter while still giving you real cushioning, and it costs less than the Bondi, the Glycerin, and the Triumph. If you're buying your first cushioned trainer and don't want to commit to the plushest thing on the shelf, start here.

The jacquard knit upper is soft and flexible, with a textile lining — the same accommodating approach as Hoka's other trainers. Nothing in it digs. And like the Bondi, the sockliner comes out, so an over-the-counter insert or a custom orthotic drops in without a fight. That keeps the Clifton usable if a podiatrist sends you home with inserts.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Less foam means less protection on long runs. If you're training for a half or a full marathon with active heel pain, the Bondi or the Nimbus will treat you better past the 10-mile mark. The Clifton is a daily trainer, not a max-cushion shoe.

Hoka's wide options are thinner on the ground for the Clifton than for the Bondi, so if you need extra-wide, check availability in your size before you count on it.

The heel cup is the reason to pay up. Owners who use orthotics describe the Triumph as genuinely orthotic-friendly: the heel area is deep, the footbed is flat, and the heel doesn't slide up and down the way it does in shallower shoes. If you've been fighting to keep a custom insert seated, that single detail can be worth more than any amount of foam.

PWRRUN PB is springier than the soft foams in the Glycerin or the Bondi. You get a lot of cushioning that still pushes back, which makes the Triumph less of a one-speed shoe. Owners putting real mileage on it describe a lot of cushion in the sole without the dead feeling that very soft midsoles can develop. The XT-900 carbon rubber outsole is built for durability, and owners confirm it holds up.

It's also the one shoe here with a waterproof-treated upper, so cold wet mornings don't soak your feet. That sounds like a side note until you're the person who stops running in winter because every run means wet socks. Consistency matters when you're rehabbing — the JOSPT guideline is built around load management, and you can't manage load you're not doing.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The toe box is tight. One owner walking five miles a day developed persistent rubbing and irritation on the pinky toes, and that's a real risk if your feet are wide or your toes splay. This is the pick we'd most strongly recommend trying on first.

All that stack makes the shoe tall, and owners report it feels a little unstable at first, especially if you're prone to rolling an ankle. It settles after a few runs, but go easy early. It's also heavy — the listing puts it near 2 pounds for a men's 12.