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Recovery is one of the most critical phases in training. You put stress on your back, legs, and feet over the course of thousands of steps on your runs. This causes tiny tears in muscular tissue—when you rest, you allow your body to repair those muscle fiber breakdowns so you can come back stronger and faster than before. In short, recovery is when your muscles actually grow.
And while taking time off is great, active recovery—where you continue moving at a reduced intensity to avoid muscle cramps and stiffness—can help get the most out of your recuperation period. For that reason, we like to keep a pair of dedicated running recovery shoes around. Few things feel better after a long, grueling race than peeling off your sweaty running shoes and changing into something that lets your feet stretch, supports your sore heels and arches, and gives your toes room to breathe.
To find the best recovery shoes for runners, we tapped our expansive shoe expertise, as well as spoke to Budd Coates, a running coach and marathoner (with a PR of 2:13:02, might we add) with more than 46 years of runs under his belt for his input on what makes the best recovery shoe.
The Best Recovery Shoes for Runners
- Best for Race Day: Hoka Ora 3 Recovery Slide
- Best for the Beach: Oofos Oolala Luxe Recovery Flip Flop
- Best for Quick Drying: Kane Revive Active Recovery Shoe
- Best for Recovery Runs: Hoka Bondi 8 Recovery Shoe
- Best Plantar Fasciitis Relief: Hyper Arch Motion Recovery Shoe
What to Consider
Do I Need Cushion, Support, or Both?
“Having something soft is important for a recovery shoe because you’re beating up your feet so much while running—but you need to make sure your foot still has the arch support it needs,” running coach Budd Coates says. It’s a good idea to avoid cushioned footwear that puts your feet in a lofty, unstable position as you can cause further damage to your joints, especially your ankles, when you take an awkward step.
That said, having some freedom to move around instead of locking yourself in a maximally supported position—which you might prioritize in sprinting shoes, for instance—will help your foot splay out more naturally. All the shoes included here have some support built into the sole or footbed of the shoe, though the intensity of that support varies depending on each shoe’s intended use.
What Is Active Recovery?
Active recovery refers to staying active after workouts with easy, low-intensity activities like stretching, walking, yoga, and easy running. It’s ideal for getting more blood flowing in your muscles, which can help flush the gunk out of your damaged tissue and deliver fresh nutrients to your tired legs. Active recovery is a bit of a balancing act, though, as you need to watch your speed to maximize circulation without causing more damage. For this kind of recovery, we recommend a walking or running shoe with toe coverage and foot security, like the Hoka Bondi 8.
Passive recovery, on the other hand, means just letting your body rest—your peak effort for these days is often as relaxed as checking the mail or walking back to your car after a race. Most people benefit from around one passive recovery day per week, but the right balance depends on your training schedule and your body. When you’re in passive recovery, you don’t need as much support, and having a shoe that you can kick off and stretch your toes in is probably a better course of action. Think flip flops or slides, or perhaps a sock-like slip-on shoe.
How We Selected These Recovery Shoes
We found the best recovery shoes based on our personal experiences with them, recommendations from other runners in our network, and reviews from the Runner’s World gear team. We also referred to longtime running coach Budd Coates for his expertise on the effectiveness of shoes we haven’t tested yet, and we scoured online reviews for an even wider pool of input.
Good recovery shoes need to be comfortable and also provide plenty of structure and arch support for walking and other active recovery efforts. As such, we considered durability, breathability, and fit when making our picks—and included a variety of styles and materials for different budgets and intended uses.
1
Best for Race Day
Hoka Ora 3 Recovery Slide
1
Best for Race Day
Hoka Ora 3 Recovery Slide
Pros
Easy to slip on- Plenty of cushion
- Fast-drying
Cons
- Fit runs a bit loose
Imagine this: You just finished running 26.2 miles on the unforgiving pavement, and every step past the finish line feels like you're walking on hot coals. If you can have a bag of gear waiting for you at the end of your race, do your feet a favor and slip into these supremely cushioned, breathable slides from Hoka.
The Ora has a thick bed of the brand’s famously pillowy cushion and a wide platform that allows tired feet to relax and splay. It also has Hoka’s signature rounded sole, which gives the shoe a smoother ride, as well as more arch support than you’d expect from a sandal. Some wearers have even found that they ease plantar fasciitis pain.
Key Specs
| Style | Slide Sandal |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7.8 oz. |
2
Best for the Beach
Oofos Oolala Luxe Recovery Flip Flop
2
Best for the Beach
Oofos Oolala Luxe Recovery Flip Flop
Pros
- APMA-approved
- Ultra-comfortable
- Squishy footbed absorbs impact
Cons
- The strap can peel
These lightweight sandals work well for runners with high arches. A curvy, foot-hugging mold follows the contours of your soles and reduces stress on your knees and lower back as you walk. The American Podiatric Medical Association has even awarded these shoes the APMA Seal of Acceptance for promoting good foot health—an accolade most other flip flops would struggle to earn.
The entire shoe is made of a squishy, odor-resistant foam that’s machine-washable. And unlike the toe strap on many flip-flops, the Oolala’s strap also feels soft and doesn’t rub or chafe. It’s only available in women’s sizes, but we think just about anyone can find a pair that suits them.
Key Specs
| Style | Flip flop |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4 oz. |
3
Best for Quick Drying
Kane Revive Active Recovery Shoe
3
Best for Quick Drying
Kane Revive Active Recovery Shoe
Pros
- Made of sustainable materials and recyclable
- Easy to slip on and off
- More comfortable than Crocs
Cons
- Upper feels stiff until you break it in
Kane developed the Revive in collaboration with renowned foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Daniel Geller, and built it with 75 percent Brazilian sugarcane. Designed to be worn for active recovery, the Crocs-style slip-on has little rubber nodes in the footbed to stimulate your muscles and activate blood flow, while also providing a bouncy, well-cushioned platform underfoot with just enough arch support to still feel like a walkable shoe.
It has a stiff upper with little holes for breathability and a chunky style that’s surprisingly lightweight. We found that it’s great for running errands and light hikes, and we also love that it’s recyclable.
Full Review
Key Specs
| Style | Clog |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.9 oz. |
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4
Best for Recovery Runs
Hoka Bondi 8 Recovery Shoe
Pros
- Heel provides excellent impact absorption
- Rocker sole for efficient heel-to-toe transitions
Cons
- Not ideal for faster runs
A dedicated recovery run shoe could be a lifesaver for your joints and stabilizer muscles if you often rock a stiffer, more energetic shoe for training and racing.
The Bondi is one of the most ludicrously cushioned shoes we’ve tested. It has almost 40 millimeters of Hoka’s cloud-like foam under the heel, as well as a congruently soft tongue and heel collar for all-round comfort. We don’t recommend picking up the pace too quickly in these, as they’ll absorb all that extra energy, but recovery runs usually demand a mellower pace anyway.
Key Specs
| Style | Running shoe |
|---|---|
| Weight | 10.8 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W) |
5
Best Plantar Fasciitis Relief
Hyper Arch Motion Recovery Shoe
Pros
- Arch support provides phenomenal plantar fasciitis relief
- Air-cushioned heel
Cons
- Not the looker of this roundup
What it lacks in looks, this recovery shoe makes up for with its stretchy, sock-like upper, supportive memory foam insole, and air-cushioned heel.
Deputy Editor of Reviews Zoë Hannah rocks a pair of these when running errands. She’s unbothered by the look, which she admits is less than attractive; she cares a lot more about the quick relief the shoe provides when her plantar fasciitis is acting up. It’s also her go-to dog walking shoe—a much-needed change after too many hours in “stupid shoes that make her feet hurt all day.”
Key Specs
| Style | Slip-on |
|---|---|
| Weight | Unknown |
6
Best for Campsites
Topo Athletic Topo Athletic Rekovr 2 Recovery Shoe
6
Best for Campsites
Topo Athletic Topo Athletic Rekovr 2 Recovery Shoe
Pros
- Vibram outsole is grippy and durable
- Cushioned footbed hugs your foot
Cons
- Sizes run small
The ridged, textured cushioning in the footbed of these slip-ons feels like a little nerve massage for your feet as you walk off the stress from your latest trail excursion, while the high-traction Vibram outsole makes the shoes durable enough for dicey terrain.
You can walk, hike, and even briefly run in the Rekovr 2s—though the shoes are comfy enough to serve as slippers, they’re also rugged and supportive enough for active recovery efforts. A cozy wool upper makes it so you can happily sport these without socks, too.
Key Specs
| Style | Slip-on |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8 oz. (M), 6.5 oz. (W) |
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7
Best Slip-On
Oofos Oomg Low Recovery Shoe
7
Best Slip-On
Oofos Oomg Low Recovery Shoe
Pros
- Absorbs more impact than traditional shoes
- Easy to slip on and off
Cons
- Outsole not durable enough for long walks
If you like the Oofos Oolala’s impact-absorbing foam footbed but find yourself tripping in sandals or want something a little more substantial for all-day casual wear, the Oomg Low Shoe is a great alternative.
The shoe is made with a breathable, four-way stretch mesh upper that’s easy to slide your foot into, and the footbed has the same thick, squishy foam as the brand’s sandals.
These aren’t shoes you’d want to wear for active recovery or even a long walk, but after a hard workout or race, they’re comfy and luxurious for running errands, wearing around the house, or driving.
Key Specs
| Style | Slip-on |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.4 oz. |
8
Why Rest Days Make You Stronger and How to Get the Best From Your Recovery Shoes, According to Our Expert Budd Coates
RW: What if you have unconventional feet that don’t fit well into any recovery-shoe options?
B.C.: If you can’t find one recovery shoe that works for you, consider getting creative like Coates. He has a Morton’s toe that was cramped by the original Hoka Ora recovery shoe. To make it work, he cut the heel out to get a better fit and added a Foot-Chair Plus insole. “It’s an over-the-counter insole that gives you the opportunity to adjust the arch height, so you can form-fit it to your foot,” Coates said. “And it only costs $43, not $600. So, I modified the Ora to be a custom-fit slide.”
RW: What do you do if you have foot pain after running?
B.C.: Recovery shoes can go a long way in making your feet more comfortable after a workout. But if they’re not enough, and you have active foot pain while running, finding the right recovery shoes isn’t your biggest issue—you need different running shoes, says Coates. “Nine times out of 10 that means you have an inflammation, and you need to get that inflammation down with an ice bath and moving on to a different pair or different size of shoes.”
That said, if you just have foot discomfort after running but not active pain, Coates says to massage the bottom of your foot by rolling it around over a tennis ball or golf ball. “You want to stretch the tendons in the foot arch from the heel to the big toe, the heel to the second toe, the heel to the third toe—get them all,” he says. “All that stress will affect your Achilles tendon and your calves. But once you make them more relaxed, it will take the stress off the metatarsal and your whole foot will feel relief.”
RW: What is active recovery—and why is it important?
B.C.: Walking, yoga, or even running at a very easy pace—all of these are methods of “active recovery,” and can give your body the rest it needs while still maintaining blood flow to your muscles and tissues. Getting the muscles moving helps you increase circulation, which improves healing, because the vitamins and minerals are going into your muscles and joints, Coates says. He recommends walking as a minimal-impact activity that helps your body recover, or easy running for a bit more intensity. Just make sure to put the emphasis on the easy part. “I’ve trained with runners who didn’t want to run with me because I ran too slow on my easy days,” he says. “But some of them never broke into faster times—and often ended up injured. So the two most important things to remember about rest days are ‘don't be afraid to take a day off running,’ and ‘don't be afraid to run easy.’”
Adam Schram
Adam Schram is an Assistant Editor of Commerce at Runner's World, though you might see his byline on Bicycling and Popular Mechanics, too. A lover of all things outdoors, Adam's writing career comes after six years as a bike mechanic in his hometown of State College, PA. His journalism experience is steeped in cycling and running gear reviews, and he's also a published creative nonfiction and satire author. When he's not writing, riding, or running, you can catch Adam at home mixing co*cktails, watching Star Wars, or trying in vain to do the Sunday crossword. You can check out his latest work below.
