The Best 9mm Drop Running Shoes
The 9mm drop is the silent assassin of the high drop shoe universe. Here are all the best options.
The running shoe drop is a hotly debated and highly personal topic. Some runners swear by the natural foot strike promoted by low drop shoes, while others appreciate the lower leg help and on-your-toes feel of higher drop options. If you’re interested in picking a higher drop shoe for your next trainer, the 9mm offset is a great place to start. Shoes in the 8mm to 10mm drop range elevate the heel above the toes just enough to relieve pressure from the Achilles and calf and tend to have a solid amount of cushion underfoot to protect the legs.
The Best Running Shoes with a 9mm Drop
The 9mm drop is the silent assassin of the high drop shoe universe. There are lots of running shoe options with an 8mm drop—practically Saucony’s entire lineup—and tried-and-true classics like the Nike Pegasus with a 10mm drop. While not as popular an offset, sneaky 9mm has a few quiet tricks up its sleeve. Below, we’ve rounded up the best shoes with a 9mm drop.
1. Tracksmith Eliot Runner: Best All Around Shoe with a 9mm Drop
The Tracksmith Eliot Runner is a dual-foam midsole everyday running shoe with a firm and peppy ride. The first running shoe from Trackmsith, a Boston-based boutique performance running brand, it has a high-quality of craftsmanship that’s uncommon to find in a running shoe. The upper is a lightweight mesh material adorned with accents like a mid foot sash and intricate stiching. The bottom has a gum sole laid out in a beautiful gum sole pattern, which is both grippy and looks great for casual wear.
The midsole uses two types of Pebax foam, which is the gold standard in performance running. The top layer of foam is the a supercritical Pebax—meaning it’s been injected with gas—in the removable sicklier (insole) that’s soft and comfortable on step-in. The bottom layer of foam is a standard Pebax that’s firmer and more supportive, providing a slightly responsive feel on the ride. The Eliot Runner isn’t as cushioned as other shoes using Pebax, but its style and comfort on foot make it a great all-around option for running and casual wear.
Tracksmith Eliot Runner
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2. Adizero SL: The Best Daily Trainer with a 9mm Drop
The Adidas Adizero SL is a lightweight, dual-foam midsole shoe with a firm and cushioned ride. The shoe uses a main bed of Lightstrike Pro foam, which is a rigid but responsive EVA-based foam. In the forefoot, there’s an embedded puck of Lightstrike Pro supercritical TPE foam, which is the compound used in Adidas’ top racing and speed day shoes like the Takumi Sen 9 and Adios Pro 3.
The upper on the Adizero SL is padded and comfortable, making this a great option for walking and casual wear—so long as you find it works for your footshape. The platform is on the narrow side with a low volume toe-box, so it may not work for wider-footed runners or those who prefer a roomier fit (check out an 8mm drop shoe like the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 for that). However, if you like a firm feeling shoe with a fast ride for your daily miles, the Adizero SL is a great option.
Adidas Adizero SL
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3. Puma Fast-FWD Nitro Elite: Best 5k Racer with a 9mm Drop
The Puma Fast-FWD Nitro Elite is a 5k and 10k road racing shoe with an unconventional midsole design. Though it has a relatively standard drop, it accomplishes it with an innovate contoured midsole shape unlike anything else on the market. The middle of the shoe has a normal amount of foam, but the heel and forefoot have aggressive chunks removed. The intent is to save weight and give the runner an underfoot experience similar to a track spike.
The Puma Fast-FWD Nitro Elite will work for some runners—particularly those with a background running track races who want to recreate that feeling on the roads—but it’s not the best choice for beginners or heel strikers. Due to the unique midsole setup, it’s also not a good option for any runs where you’ll need to run at speeds slower than race pace, like workouts with warm and cool down sections. If you’re not married to the 9mm drop and want a shoe for 5k racing and speedwork, consider the 6mm Adidas Takumi Sen or 10mm drop Nike Streakfly.
Puma Fast-FWD NITRO Elite
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4. Nike Invincible 3: Best Max Cushion Shoe with a 9mm Drop
The Nike Invincible 3 is a max cushioned cruiser from Nike with a soft and bouncy ride. The Invincible uses Nike’s ZoomX foam, a Pebax compound that’s also in the Vaporfly and Alphafly top-tier marathon racing shoes. In the Invincible, there’s no carbon fiber plate to stiffen the midsole and add rigidity to the platform, so the ride is comfortable and cushioned. Previous versions felt highly unstable due to the softness of the foam—the third has addressed that concern with different sculpting of the sidewalls, but runners with stability needs may want to consider a max cushion shoe with mild stability.
Due to the amount of foam in the platform, the Invincible is best for relaxed efforts, like recovery runs after workout days and everyday runs where you’re not concerned with the pace. Though the ZoomX is highly responsive, the softness and the weight of the shoe mean it’s not the best choice for track days. The Invincible does have a solid covering of outsole rubber that should last 300+ miles for most runners, making this a durable option. It’s also a great training companion to the Nike Pegasus, a simpler and firmer 10mm drop daily trainer with enough pep for faster daily runs.
Nike Invincible 3
Final Thoughts
There are lots of great running shoes with 8mm to 10mm drops. The 9mm mark has an excellent crop of innovative newcomers, each brining their own spin to the running shoe formula. Whether you’re looking to take it easy or rip some 5k pace, there’s a great 9mm drop running shoe waiting for you. If you’d like to compare and evaluate other options, you can see all the best running shoes on the market here.
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