10 Best Workout Shoes For Women Of 2023, Based On The Type Of Exercise

Designed for a woman’s unique foot shape, muscle movement, and build with a narrower heel, roomier toe, and softer foot cushioning, Ryka’s No Limit Training Shoe is one of the best shoes for gym workouts.

Whether you’re in sport mode and need agility or want to be quick on your feet during cross-training workouts, the brand’s RE-ZORB® LITE technology delivers lightweight shock absorption and impact protection while the Pivot Point design on the rubber sole makes for smooth, easy turns.

This shoe also has loads of arch support, which Brenner says is top priority—and it has the APMA seal of approval.

APL’s TechLoom Pro shoes are made from 100% vegan materials, with a low profile that helps you maintain a full range of lateral movement (ideal for dance cardio).

Inspired by the shape of a feather, the outsole incorporates natural motion flex grooves that react to every twirl, spin, and jumping jack. Plus, the shoe’s upper construction is seamlessly woven from performance textiles that results in a Cinderella-like fit.

Fitness trainer Julia Stern swears by these APL’s TechLoom Pro shoes for her workouts and training sessions. She says, “Dance cardio is my jam! When I’m teaching my dance cardio classes, I love APLs. Technically they’re a running sneaker, but the cushion isn’t enough to throw off my stability when bouncing around."

Stern says the best weight lifting shoes should help you grip the ground when lifting weights. NoBull’s women’s trainers overdeliver, with an elevated heel plus a stacked leather midsole—the result of hours of precision and handwork per pair.

The shoe's stabilizing structure and wide, flat outsole are designed to help you find your footing and stay sturdy as you weight lift, power lift, and squat. This increases your ankle’s range of motion so you can squat deeper and lift heavier.

NoBull’s patented SuperFabric® is treated with durable water repellent coating, so you won’t have to worry about sweat stains. Lastly, the functional strap offers a super secure fit.

Our commerce editor, Carleigh Ferrante, uses these shoes regularly for weightlifting and says they make her feel more supported and steady during workouts and stronger in the long run.

Featured in our round up of the best gym shoes as “best for wide feet” and the best weight lifting shoes as “best for women," these shoes are an amazing option for women with wide feet. 

The shoe’s unique minimalist design gives those with wide feet the room needed to feel comfortable. Research shows zero-drop shoes can reduce your risk for injury and give you more power by putting your foot in a very level position.

What makes Altra’s women’s training shoe stand out from the rest is that it’s been molded around the unique shape of the female foot. Plus, the shoe itself is lightweight and flexible and moves well with your foot.

This is the weightlifting shoe of choice from chiropractor and co-founder of Driven Fit, Sarah Sponaugle. “In a good weightlifting shoe, the toe box should allow for the toes to have room to move and spread.”

This shoe’s low profile, lateral support, flexibility in the front of the shoe, and wider toe box check all of Sponaugle’s boxes to activate the toes and muscles in the feet for a good foundation as you workout—even beyond the weight room.

For those looking to glide through the day (and different workouts) in style, Flux’s training shoe combines cutting-edge technology with a sleek and modern design.

This shoe is a top pick from fitness trainer Julia Stern because of its groundbreaking, responsive sole technology that adapts to the width of your foot. With a focus on flexibility and stability, these shoes have advanced cushioning that adapts to your movement, specifically 100 individual massaging cushions that mimic barefoot proprioception.

With a wider toe box, ultra-flexible sole, and just the right amount of stretch throughout, it makes perfect sense why fitness trainers around the world are obsessing over Flux.

As the name implies, the CloudMonster is akin to running on fluffy, cumulus clouds, which I (the writer!) can personally attest to, because they are my favorite pair to run in.

Meticulously engineered with On's signature CloudTec® technology and “monster level” cushion, the Cloudmonster sneakers boast a unique outsole comprised of individual cloud-like pods that adapt to your every movement, providing exceptional impact absorption and an ultra-responsive feel.

From personal experience, this shoe doubles down on cushion but still feels lightweight. As a long-distance runner who struggles with hip, knee, and joint pain, the CloudMonster has saved my joints from pain during and after runs and even allows me to run farther distances that other shoes don’t. It’s road running style is forward, so there’s plenty of momentum to help spring you along your run.

One of the best gym shoes in a previous mindbodygreen roundup, this pick runs on the narrow side. Expect a narrow toe box and snug fit, with a slightly wider heel that’s supportive of your whole workout, from weight lifting to sprints.

If you’re on the hunt for a eco-conscious gym shoe choice, Nike’s innovative design team transparently shares its materials, processes, and movements towards a zero waste future on the company website.

As Nike's lightest metcon yet, this shoe boasts an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 star rating. People rave that these shoes are the best option for Cross Fit training, with great arch support and the sensation of hugging your foot.

For all your hot girl walks, Vionic is an APMA-certified brand of footwear and orthotic inserts known for its innovative and stylish craft designed by podiatrists.

These orthopedic shoes are designed to alleviate common foot-related issues such as plantar fasciitis, overpronation, and heel pain and delivers superb arch support, heel cushioning, and breathability as you walk. Plus, we love that the sleek and stylish leather is premium, full-grain, and water repellent.

Need to input your own custom orthotic inserts? This shoe’s removable insole with a .5 elevation for extra heel-to-toe alignment makes it easy.

If you’ve hopped on the pickleball bandwagon, aka the fastest growing sport in America, you’ll need a pair of the best pickleball shoes to provide the stability, traction, support, and comfort to elevate your game and keep you comfortable on the court.

These shoes have a sturdy rubber outsole and a circle pivot point that helps you change directions quickly, mesh upper that encourages airflow plus their colorful, and stylish aesthetics which bring good vibes to every outfit. It also boasts a wide and tall toe box so that your toes won’t get smushed and an extra padded midsole to absorb shock.

Every expert we interviewed touted Hoka as one of their top choices for the best workout shoes for women. Maybe it’s the rear crash pad which affords an incredibly soft and balanced ride from heel strike to forefoot transactio, or maybe it’s this model’s softer, lighter foams and brand-new extended heel geometry.

The Bondi 8 makes for a great shoe for those with high arches because they have a great offloading feature that provides good balance transfer between heel strike and toe-off. We also shouted them out as the best for high impact in our roundup of the best rocker bottom shoes.

Brenner raves, “Hokas are my personal favorite. I use them for running and working out and personally have great results”—and Sharkey adds, “I like the Hokas for stability when I run.”

Fitness trainer Julia Stern agrees, “[I love that] Hokas are extra cushiony and feel great on trails, though they may feel a bit heavy on pavement.”

Brenner advises future Hoka fans, “Just make sure you have good stability before wearing these shoes as Hokas are maximalist so for some people this can make them unstable. The base of the shoe is made of material called EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) which is a foam that gives a lot of cushion.”