Running Shoe Specs Guide

Understand the fields used in the comparison table and see how they are distributed across the current 829-shoe dataset. Unknown values are counted separately and never estimated for coverage.

Weight

Weight is the registered single-shoe figure for the sample identified by the source. It helps compare how much material a model carries, but it is not a controlled measurement across one universal size.

Size, sex, width and measurement conditions vary by source. The database keeps the documented sample context in the shoe detail rather than converting every value to a fictional common size.

View the lightest racing-shoe ranking

Current registered data

Median 272g

Known 788

Unknown 41

Under 200g52

200–249g174

250–299g381

300g+181

n = 788

Heel-to-toe drop

Drop is the height difference between the heel and forefoot stated by the source. A smaller number does not mean a shoe is thinner; a high-stack shoe can still have a low drop.

When an official source publishes heel and forefoot stack but not drop, the database does not automatically treat a subtraction as a manufacturer-stated value unless the data policy allows that relationship to be recorded clearly.

Open the table sorted by lowest drop

Current registered data

Median 7.7mm

Known 789

Unknown 40

0mm47

1–4mm68

5–8mm506

Over 8mm166

n = 787

Stack height

Stack height is the total material between the foot and the ground at a stated point, usually heel and forefoot. Running Shoe DB uses total-stack figures and does not silently substitute midsole thickness or outsole thickness.

Brands use different terms and sample sizes. If a source says only ‘sole thickness’ or provides an ambiguous diagram, the field remains unknown until the measurement convention is clear.

View the highest-stack ranking

Current registered data

Median heel 35mm

Known 674

Unknown 155

Under 30mm118

30–39.9mm435

40–49.9mm117

50mm+4

n = 674

Carbon plate

The carbon field records whether the model uses a carbon plate or a clearly identified carbon propulsion structure. A plate-like system made from nylon, TPU or another named non-carbon material is recorded as non-carbon.

Unknown is distinct from No. If a brand names a Speedboard, Wave Plate, rods or another proprietary structure but does not disclose its material, the database leaves carbon status unknown rather than inferring it from silence.

Open carbon-plated shoes in the table

Current registered data

129 carbon / 650 non-carbon

Known 779

Unknown 50

Carbon129

Non-carbon650

Unknown50

n = 829