323,776 Reviews Say "Expensive Workout Shoes Aren't Worth It"

Table of contents Are expensive workout shoes worth it?Key Findings Price vs Rating: Users more satisfied with lower-priced shoes What are the best workout shoe brands?

Overview

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The analysis below is based not on our lab reviews, but on expert and user reviews from other sites. To learn more about how we lab test shoes, see our methodology page here, You prefer a shoe with a rubber outsole for excellent grip and traction.

Are expensive workout shoes worth it?

This study analyzed 323,776 reviews of 336 workout shoes from 20 different brands.

The analysis focused on the pricing, rating, and savings for shoes across the entire category as well as individual brands.

The data makes it clear that expensive workout shoes are not better than more affordable ones and are not needed to enjoy the benefits of working out.

In fact, the inexpensive workout shoes are overall rated better than the more expensive workout shoe options.

Key Findings

The cheaper a shoe is the higher ratings and user satisfaction are.
The top 10 most expensive workout shoes cost 183.05% more and had a 2.3% lower rating on average than the 10 cheapest workout shoes.
The three worst workout shoe brands: Merrell, Vivobarefoot, The North Face.
Techloom Blissh sneakers.
The three cheapest workout shoe brands: Avia, Skechers, Ryka.
Sneaker Politics X Reebok Alma Mater.

Price vs Rating: Users more satisfied with lower-priced shoes

All 336 workout shoes from our database had their prices and ratings plotted against each other.

This data produced a trend line that clearly indicates a steady decrease in user satisfaction as the price increases.

expensive-workout-shoes-aren't-worth-it

Average price of shoes at each rating

This trend holds up when we analyze the average price for all shoes with the same score.

To do this, all shoes with the same score were “bucketed” or put into “groupings”.

The average price for each “bucket” of shoes was then calculated and plotted. Providing a graph that shows the average price for all shoes with the same score, anywhere between 0-100.

The same significant findings appear that workout shoes with higher ratings are cheaper overall.

affordable-workout-shoes-are-better

Basketball Hoops Sky Modern White Red New Men Shoe

To further investigate this, we pulled the top 10 most expensive and top 10 most affordable shoes in our database.

10-most-expensive-workout-shoes-vs-10-most-affordable-workout-shoes

Hiking Boots MACIEJKA 05324-03 00-5 Popiel!

Not only are the top 10 most affordable shoes significantly less expensive they also had a 2.3% greater user rating and user satisfaction.

WS237 low-top sneakers 7CA:

Uno Rugged Womens Boots
Avia Avi-Edge
La sneaker qui porte le nom dune ville nest seulement lapanage dAdidas
Skechers Haniger
Avia Avi-Tangent
Avia Avi-Rival
The Wheat 6-Inch Boot is a classic choice for the Winter season
The Jack Rogers Palm Beach sandal in white
Avia Avi-Verge
Avia Avi-Solstice

Top 10 most expensive workout shoes:

drawstring low-top sneakers Green
Gemini Krosslace chunky sneakers
Vivobarefoot Motus
Its a stripped-down racing shoe for fast distance running
La running avec une empeigne
Vibram FiveFingers KMD EVO
Tommy Hilfiger side stripe mesh sneakers
The Jack Rogers Palm Beach sandal in white
Reebok Froning
Reebok CrossFit Nano Pump Fusion

What are the best workout shoe brands?

To determine how each brands’ workout shoes compared against one another, the prices and ratings of each brands’ shoes were analyzed.

Brand Matrix: Average price vs average rating

Analyzing the brands started by plotting the average score and rating of each brands’ workout shoes.

The data produced the below brand matrix which provides a clear visualization of the value offered by each brand.

Using the eye-test, look at the top half brands (from ASICS and above). It's clear the majority of these brands are producing very similar quality products, minus a few outliers.

It is the pricing that seems to go from one extreme of $63.11 (Skechers) to the other like $129.00 for NOBULL and $123.75 for Inov-8.

We can also analyze these two factors of average price and rating individually for each brand.

Prices-of-workout-shoe-brands