9 Best Recovery Shoes for Restoring Muscles After Runs and Workouts

In recent and ongoing evaluations, we've tested dozens of recovery shoes in different styles. Lab pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute have analyzed each of the pairs featured in this guide, a majority of which were tested directly in our Lab as well as sent to consumers for real-world feedback.

Testers wore the recovery shoes featured here for extended periods, between four days and two months (sometimes longer!) and provided in-depth qualitative feedback about their comfort, durability and overall style.

For the few selections that were not tested first-hand in our Labs, editors and analysts chose similarly manufactured shoes from brands that have earned our trust based on performance in other testing categories, including reviews of styles like slides and winners of GH's annual Fitness Awards.

When it comes to shopping for a pair of recovery shoes, runners and athletes alike will need to readily identify the following design features for the best results.

✔️ Ample arch support and sole cushioning: More important than most other design features, the best recovery shoes incorporate more structural support in order to better aid your joints, foot muscles and tender ligaments. Padding at the heel (and sometimes at the tip of the shoe, towards the toes) may help relieve stress on your feet as you naturally roll weight from heel to toe in each step. You may not wear recovery shoes for as long as you do other running shoes or walking sneakers, but they should feel equally (if not more) supportive as the shoes you wear during workouts.

✔️ Size and flexibility: Unlike sneakers or training shoes, experts say recovery shoes should not feel constricting in any way, including along the width of your foot and in the toe area. While padded sole support is key, you should be able to walk as naturally as possible (almost as if you were not wearing shoes at all). Ensuring a good fit in your slides, slip-ons or sandals will help blood flow and circulation in your foot, as well as help relieve any tenderness in your feet after a tough workout.

✔️ Breathability: Most of the best recovery shoes promote airflow in one way or another to ensure any sweat or moisture retained during a workout can effectively dissipate after you leave the gym. Whether that's through intentional design features — like a perforated vamp or cutouts, or the use of airy materials, like mesh — it's important to keep your feet cool and dry.

✔️ Durability: While you should never wear recovery shoes while doing strenuous activities like running, biking, hiking or playing sports, they are often worn outside and should be able to stand up to the elements. Look for textured outsoles (the bottoms of the shoe) that provide good grip and the use of high-quality materials to ensure these shoes last.

✔️ Style: There is a myriad of recovery shoe styles that you can choose from, all built with similar support structures in the sole and toe regions. Think about whether you'd like to walk in slides or sandals or if you'd prefer a slip-on sneaker or a more enclosed mule.

✔️ Toe box: Choosing an open-toe or closed-toe shoe is mostly up to personal preference, but considering where and when you'll wear recovery shoes can help you make a decision. "If you’re planning on sitting around (meaning not actively moving), an open toe is ideal, as it’s less restrictive and more comfortable for your feet," Wu says. The time of year can also impact which option is better, with open-toe shoes offering more breathability in the summer, but not providing enough coverage during colder weather.

"Most importantly, make sure to choose a pair of recovery shoes you’ll actually find yourself wearing. Personal preference always plays a part," Wu says.

"A recovery shoe is a shoe designed with cushioning and support with the goal of helping athletes recover faster from activity," says Anne Sharkey, D.P.M., a practicing podiatrist at the North Austin Foot and Ankle Institute in Texas.

How exactly do these specially designed shoes do this? It's all in a few key features, including the sole cushion and support, increasing blood flow in feet and a structure that allows seamless weight shifting from heels to toes in fluid motion.

"The elevated heel helps reduce strain on the Achilles tendon, alongside additional cushioning and arch support which reduces stress on foot muscles and ligaments," says Dr. Alvarez, a specialist within the Foot & Ankle Centers of America. "Many models feature extra wide toe boxes which allow for better distribution of pressure across the toes, while also providing more room for swelling if needed."

All combined, the design of a recovery shoe may help you reduce pain after strenuous exercise, as well as muscle fatigue. It can lower injury risk while aiding rehabilitation for those who have previous injuries, Dr. Alvarez adds.

Put simply, recovery shoes are especially crucial for those training for physical events or undergoing training regiments. Recovery shoes can help relieve fatigue after exercise.

A recovery shoe is an important resource among other tools that allow people to train hard frequently or even daily, and then feel rested before the next training rolls along, explains Dr. Sharkey. Runners, in particular, experience joint soreness in the legs and feet after long runs — recovery shoes help ease the strain on these joints.

"Recovery shoes provide additional cushioning and comfort that can help reduce the risk of injury," says Dr. Alvarez, who adds that some healthcare providers encourage those with existing injuries to wear recovery shoes to reduce stress on implicated areas. "In wearing recovery shoes during training or competition, it's possible to extend running distances and speed up recovery times… Over time, wearing recovery shoes will enable runners to stay healthy and reach their full potential as an athlete."

Because they are key in reducing soreness and providing extra support for over-strained joints, recovery shoes streamline the body's effort to bounce back from hard workouts. And since faster recovery aids performance, many athletes and runners alike turn to well-made recovery shoes to help them improve performance in the long run.

In addition to wearing them after completing routine exercise (especially an exhausting workout!), you may be advised to wear recovery shoes if you are experiencing foot pain caused by a movement-related injury.

Wearing comfortable, supportive footwear while dealing with a foot injury — or actively recovering from recent podiatric surgery, ranging from fracture repairs to reconstructive procedures — is best in order to promote proper healing. "The shock absorbing and cushioning characteristics of recovery shoes can aid in pain reduction for these patients," Dr. Sharkey explains.

Most commonly, recovery shoes are recommended for extended use for those patients recovering from:

• Plantar fasciitis: "This condition is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue which runs along the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes," Dr. Alvarez explains. "Wearing recovery shoes can help reduce strain on the inflamed area, while cushioning the heel and providing arch support as well as extra room for swelling in the foot."
• Achilles tendonitis: This condition is often triggered by runners who have pushed themselves too far. Dr. Sharkey says that the support in recovery shoes can help soothe an inflamed band of tissue (the Achilles tendon) that connects your back calf muscles to your heel.
• Metatarsalgia: If you've overextended your metatarsals (the bones connecting your ankle to your toes), which normally support the bulk of your body weight while you're walking or running, padded support from a good pair of recovery shoes can help your body stave off painful symptoms as you recover.

Yes! In fact, recovery shoes are only ever used for walking, though not long distances. While you are safe to wear recovery shoes between the gym and your home — or between the field, track, court, pool or stadium and your car, for example — they should never be worn during exercise routines, given that some recovery shoes don't offer the same stability that sneakers and running shoes do. You should not be using recovery shoes for heart-pumping physical activity, Dr. Sharkey adds — just for the interim cool-down period after a hard workout and when you return to your daily routine.

There isn't a set time limit for wearing recovery shoes. They are meant to be worn in the hours after intense exercise, to help your feet and legs feel better — but you should not replace all of your footwear with these specially designed shoes. Elevated heel support and added cushioning may cause the Achilles tendon to shorten over an extended period of time, hampering your flexibility, if you become too accustomed to wearing recovery shoes. "Wearing too much cushioning or arch support may create an imbalance which could lead to further injury," Dr. Alvarez adds.

The products featured in this guide were selected by Grace Wu, the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute. With extensive coursework in both textile engineering and chemistry, Grace has worked on performance apparel, smart clothing and adaptive wear within various academic laboratories and non-profits. Since joining Good Housekeeping, Grace has honed her in-Lab testing skills and worked with consumer testers on evaluating products such as the best hiking shoes, slides for women, compression socks and workout tops, among many other categories.

In his role as health editor, Zee Krstic works hand in hand with analysts in the Good Housekeeping Institute to highlight consumer-facing input from leading health experts; he interweaves doctors' and healthcare providers' expertise into shopping guides to better educate readers about their purchases. He also independently reviews new products in the wellness and fitness space for Good Housekeeping, which he has done previously for Martha Stewart Living and Cooking Light.

For this story, Zee interviewed two patient-facing podiatrists who treat a wide array of patients who are at various activity levels, including those who have experienced sports-related injuries. They are:

• Dr. Gregory Alvarez, DPM, FACFAS, a podiatry specialist with the Ankle & Foot Centers of America currently treating patients in midwest Georgia, just south of Atlanta. He has treated patients at Southern Regional Medical Center and Piedmont Fayetteville Hospital, after receiving his doctorate at the Ohio School of Podiatric Medicine and completing a residency at Atlanta Hospital. Dr. Alvarez is affiliated with the American Podiatric Medical Association, Georgia Podiatric Medical Association, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and the American College of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Medicine.
• Dr. Anne Sharkey, DPM, a Texas-based podiatrist working at the North Austin Foot and Ankle Institute. She specializes in clinical care surrounding ankle sprains, stabilization, Achilles tendon disorders, bunion correction, and heel pain. Dr. Sharkey received her medical degree from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and completed her residency training in podiatric surgery at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago.