The 10 Best High Drop Running Shoes in Summer 2023

The good old shoe drop is a beautiful thing. A platform with a high drop puts your heel in an elevated position with your foot primed to launch into the next stride. If you think about it, it's almost like running in a high-drop shoe is like running downhill (no promises on that one). Here are the best shoes with a high drop.

Best High Drop Running Shoes

The best high drop running shoes provide a comfortable, stable platform that encourages an accelerated toe-off. The key benefit of a high-drop shoe compared to a low drop shoe is that it takes some of the pressure off your lower leg, including foot, ankle, achilles and calf. High drop shoes often have generous midsole cushioning for a plush or responsive ride, depending on the compound used. Below, we broke out our picks for the best high drop shoes into 3 categories corresponding to drop height (12 mm drop, 10 mm drop and 8 mm drop). 

Best 12mm Drop Running Shoes

The options are slim for 12mm drop running shoes compared to more traditional high drop heights like 8mm and 10mm, but there's one brand out there still committed to the 10+ mm drop cause (hint: it rhymes with cooks). Below, we've tracked 'em down and rounded up the best options for you. 

1. Brooks Ghost 15 ($140): Best Overall 12mm Drop Shoe

The Brooks Ghost is a tried and true daily trainer designed for comfort and an enjoyable running experience. It uses Brooks' DNA Loft v2 midsole, which provides a cushioned yet responsive sensation underfoot. The upper is plush and padded, adding to the luxuriant feel of the Ghost package (there's a Roll Royce named Ghost—coincidence?). If you don't mind the enthusiastic "Yes, I'm a running shoe!" aesthetic going on, this is a great daily training option for all high drop lovers. 

2. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 ($140): Best Stability 12mm Drop Shoe

If you prefer a high drop and need a stability shoe, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 is a great option. It features the same soft and responsive DNA Loft v2 midsole foam as the Brooks, but also bolsters it with medial (inner side) and lateral (outside) posts to hold the foot in place and correct overpronation. There's no other 12 mm drop stability shoes on the market, so this is your golden ticket.

Best 10mm Drop Running Shoes

The 10 millimeter drop is a popular height for many daily trainers, including the classic 4-decade-strong Nike Pegasus franchise. Below are the best options in the middleweight high drop category.

3. Nike Pegasus 40 ($130): Most Versatile Daily Trainer with 10mm Drop 

The Nike Pegasus 40 continues the family tradition of serving a pleasant and inoffensive ride in a good-looking and versatile package. With a moderately firm React midsole foam and comfortable upper, the Peg is just as good for runs around the city as it is for getting coffee after. Plus, it's generous rubber outsole coverage means it'll go strong for hundreds of miles.

4. Saucony Triumph 20 ($120): Best Recovery Running Shoe with 10mm Drop

The Triumph 20 is Saucony's max-cushioned cruiser that's great for relaxed-pace aerobic runs, long runs and recovery runs. It has a thick stack of PWRRUN+ midsole, a beaded TPU compound that's similar to Adidas' Boost but lighter and bouncier. In contrast to the Nike Pegasus 40 and many other 10mm trainers, the Triumph has a soft and buttery feel underfoot. If you're looking for comfort over the long haul, the Triumph 20 is your answer. 

5. New Balance 860v13 ($140): Best Stability Shoe with a 10mm Drop

The New Balance 860v13 is a stability daily trainer designed for runners who need extra support to correct overpronation. It uses New Balance's springy Fresh Foam X midsole compound and reinforces the medial sidewall with a post to control the foot movement upon landing. The upper is plush and comfortable, but the overall shoe construction does add a bit of weight, with a mens' size 9 coming in at 11 ounces. If you don't mind a heavier daily trainer (which is not out of the ordinary for a stability shoe), the 860 is a great 10 mm drop stability shoe.

6. On Cloudboom Echo 3 ($290): Best Super Shoe with 10mm Drop

The On Cloudboom Echo 3 is the Swiss running brand's third swing at cracking the super shoe formula. This time around, they've used the real-deal Pebax foam instead of the EVA-based Helion and also reduced the size of the CloudTec pods. They've also used a slimmer stack height than super shoes from Nike, ASICS and others. The result is a fast and efficient ride that's more streamlined feeling than the bouncy house options from the aforementioned brands.

Best 8mm Drop Running Shoes

Depending on the type of foam used and the degree of rocker, the 8mm drop can feel like a higher drop shoe. It's a common drop height across recover, daily trainer and race day shoes—so if you're looking an 8mm option, there are tons of great options in this category. Below, we've included four of the best.

7. ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 ($160): Best 8mm Drop Shoe For Recovery Runs

The ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 is one of the best recovery day shoes on the market, providing a soft, bouncy and cushioned underfoot experience perfect for the slowest of recovery running days. It has a 41.5 mm stack of FF Blast Plus ECO, plus a heel gel unit that absorbs and distributes impact throughout the platform. The upper is padded, soft and replete with a stretchy tongue, all of which combine to create a coddling foot experience. 

8. Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 ($160): Most Versatile Shoe with 8mm Drop

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is a versatile trainer designed for speedy session but able to handle the variety of runs involved in any training plan. It has Saucony's bouncy and soft PWWRUN PB midsole compound, a PEBA-based super foam, combined with a full-length nylon plate that adds stability and rigidity. The upper is lightweight and airy, making this a particularly well-suited option to summertime running.

9. Nike Vaporfly Next% 3 ($250): The Best Super Shoe with an 8mm Drop

The Nike Vaporfly was the shoe to introduce the world to what super foams and a carbon plate could do on race day. Three iterations in, the formula remains the same and the results remain as speedy. Nike's bouncy, forgiving and responsive ZoomX foam pairs with the carbon fiber FlyPlate to provide a ride that's fast, fun and floaty. The upper is lightweight and secures the foot well for neutral runners. The one downside here is the outsole rubber coverage isn't the most generous, so you'll likely see some abrasion and degradation on the heel foam quicker than you would with other models.

10. Saucony Tempus ($160): Best Stability Shoe with 8mm Drop 

The Saucony Tempus is a mild stability shoe that uses two midsole foam compounds to create a stable platform. A firmer cradle of EVA-based PWWRUN wraps around the soft and bouncy core of PEBA-based PWRRUN PB, a one-two punch of stability from the former and liveliness from the latter. This unconventional approach to stability results in a ride that's perfect for mild overpronators and neutral runners alike. After an initial break-in period of a few runs, the Tempus are a comfortable and versatile option for everything from daily training runs to races that you're running for completion.

Final Thoughts

From stability shoes to speedy race day rockets, the 8mm to 12mm drop range represents a healthy corner of the running shoe market. If the high drop is your thing, there are plenty of options on the market for every type of run you'll need to tackle during your next training cycle. When picking a shoe, consider first what the main use case will be (everyday running, uptempo efforts, race day, recovery?) and then look for shoes that fit that criteria.