Running shoes by injury

Specific shoes can't fix an injury, but the wrong shoe can make one worse. These editorial guides cover the conditions runners ask us about most often — what the injury actually is, what shoe properties do and don't help, and which specific shoes in the Next Pair catalog a thoughtful clinician or coach would consider.

Every recommendation traces back to a named expert reviewer. We don't fabricate quotes, we don't take brand money, and if the evidence isn't there for a particular shoe, we say so.

The conditions

• IT band syndrome Stability-leaning daily trainers that don't aggravate iliotibial band irritation.
• Achilles tendonitis High-cushion options across high-drop and rocker-offload mechanisms.

How to read these pages

Each guide covers four things: (1) what the condition actually is, in plain terms; (2) what shoes can and can't do — drop, stack, rocker, stability features — and the mechanism for each; (3) five specific shoes worth considering, each with a one-line case for the pick and an attributed reviewer verdict; (4) what to do beyond the shoes — the things a good clinician would actually tell you.

More conditions are in progress. If you're dealing with something not covered yet, open the advisor below and describe the issue — the chat surfaces shoes from the same evidence base.