Running outside at night is not easy. If you usually run after the sun is down, you might know how worrying it can be. Luckily, there are some LED shoe lights and shoe clips for runners that specialize in this matter so that you don’t fall into another pothole or get hit by a car from behind.
The benefits are countless when you decide to become a nighttime runner. From relieving daily stress to a good night’s sleep, it can do only wonders for you.
If your excuses were those dark roads that could lead to injuries and accidents, it is time to put an end to this.
We searched the market and reviewed 11 handpicked running shoe lights that can be attached to your existing shoelace or to the shoe itself. Not only that they will offer added safety, but you will also enjoy your runs more than ever.
Without further ado, let’s explore them!
Top Picks
1. GearLight S1 Clip On + Strap – Best Overall Shoe Light
GearLight S1 strikes the balance between performance and affordability. It is mainly a safety light that can be spotted from a few hundred meters. It can illuminate in three different styles (flash, steady, and strobe) making sure you don’t go unnoticed.
This can be clipped onto a shoe using its build-in clip or you can use one of the included straps to wear it on your hand or foot. The strap makes it possible to attach this to objects (ex. bikes, boats, strollers) and pets (ex. dogs, cats) if you would like to have that option.
The main attraction of this product is that it comes as a bundle of 4 LED lights (two green, two red) with batteries preinstalled, 4 spare batteries, 4 strap bands, and a handy little screwdriver for DIY battery replacement.
The LEDs on them are strong for safety lights but not strong enough if you are looking for something like a lamp that brightens the road ahead. The CR2032 batteries on them are disappointing since they don’t seem to last 100 hours as advertised.
2. Benvo Shoe Clip Lights – Best Budget Shoe Light
Benvo clip lights are fashionable and can get you some compliments on the road. It is lightweight and sits on the back of the shoes using plastic teeth. After a few minutes, it doesn’t feel like you have something clamping onto your shoes.
There are two modes of lighting. One tap on the light will activate the RGB mode that cycles between colors and a second tap will activate flashing mode. There is no option to select one particular color, unfortunately.
One other fact is that, although this light is meant for shoes, it can be worn on the hand and can also be attached to a bicycle. From jogging to horse riding, you can use it in versatile ways.
Similar to GearLight S1, Benvo is a reflective safety light. The LED on this is faced backward which is good for warning vehicles coming from behind. And because it is hanging on the back of the shoe, it will not help you see much what is in front.
Of course, for this being a clip-style light without fasteners, it is prone to falling off. It stays longer and in place when it is worn horizontally parallel to the ground. This light is not recommended for leather shoes though as it could potentially scratch the surface.
3. Night Runner 270 – Best Performing Shoe Light
Night Runner 270 is a proper lamp that will illuminate the road in front of you. This headlamp-free solution appeared on the Shark Tank tv show and snatched people’s attention for its low-hanging fruit.
It features two front-facing LEDs equivalent to 150 lumens which are capable of lighting up to 30 meters ahead. There are also two back-facing and red-colored LED lights that work as a warning light for vehicles coming from behind.
This light serves as a good alternative to headlamps and handheld torches. Unlike other running lights, it lights up the running path and warns vehicles in the back at the same time. They call it 360-degree visibility.
The lights are housed inside a water-resisting frame allowing you to go versatile. You can take it to a run in heavy rain or to the muddiest trail you can imagine. It is also capable of surviving extremely hot and cold weather.
It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery using a micro usb removing the hassle of replacing batteries. The battery life can bounce between 2.5 hours to 5 hours depending on which mode of light you use. High light mode consumes the battery faster.
4. Aywewii LED Shoelaces + Gloves
Aywewii offers some fun lighting systems in the form of shoelaces and gloves. It is oriented to kids aged between 8 to 16 years old. The gloves use a knit material and keep the hand warm, definitely a fit for chilly days.
The light-up shoelaces are 118cm long and should fit all shoes including the adult ones. They are also waterproof allowing you to use them in rain. However, submerging in water is not recommended. The gloves, however, are not waterproof.
In total, there are 3 colors, 6 light modes for the gloves, and multiple colors, 3 light modes for the shoestrings. They can serve as a safety light in the dark, but they are not bright enough to show you the road.
5. Apace Vision EverLightFX Safety Lights
Apace Vision iterated this product last year and the new EverLightFX now comes with rechargeable batteries. The battery life on this got better as well. However, the idea of plastic clips is a disappointment. It can break easily now.
One thing I like about this safety light is that it comes with a variety of bands. There are two short velcro bands that can be worn on the arms or legs. If they are too short, there are two other large bands for you. They are loop bands making them easy to wear on and off.
Other interesting features are the IPX4 waterproof design, 6 different lighting patterns (flashing/steady), and a carrying pouch. Everything looks good about this product except that it is slightly expensive for this category.
6. LiHai LED Light Up Shoelaces
LiHai shoelaces are pretty cheap but serve well as an alternative to light-up shoes. In fact, you can light up your current pair of running shoes without buying a shoe with built-in lights. When you don’t need the lights, take them off and you are good to go.
One thing that stands out is the large switch box. It is not uncomfortable but can hurt the aesthetic of your shoes. If this is something that might bother you, this pair of nylon shoelaces is not for you.
It is waterproof so you have nothing to worry about if you are planning to use it on rainy days. However, it is not machine washable, and submerging in water can kill it. Each of the shoestrings takes two CR2025 batteries which can last up to 60 hours (dependent on the lighting pattern used).
7. Hiverst Shoe Lights + Headband
Hiverst is one of the most versatile running lights on our list. It can be used as a shoe clip, headband, or waistband. It comes with an additional reflective vest for free of cost where you can attach this light as well.
The feature that stands out the most is the brightness. Each of these lights is 500 lumens bright and it can light up to 33 feet ahead of you. The angle of light is adjustable up to 60 degrees giving you the option to point the beam how you want.
This light has three modes (low, medium, and high) depending on how bright you want it to be. There are physical buttons on the light but you can also wave within 10cm in front of the light to turn it on and off. That is helpful when you have a dirty hand.
The battery life of these is solid. It will work up to 12 hours if you use the low beam. The high beam will consume the battery in less than 4 hours. They are rechargeable, charge fast but it comes with one cable in the pack when each of the lights needs to be charged separately.
8. MapleSeeker Clip On Lights
These safety lights from MapleSeeker are small as a quarter and weigh around 3.2 grams each. It comes as a pack of two and does the job of warning vehicles at night.
For its size, the LEDs are quite bright. It can be clipped to shoes and clothes, you will not even feel you are wearing something. However, the way you turn it on and off (by twisting the light) is a little gimmicky. A simple press switch would have been a much better option.
Other than that, it is made out of good-quality plastic. It makes the impression that it will last except for the CR927 battery that you will have to replace from time to time. Depending on which lighting mode you use, it can last up to 80 hours.
9. SOL STRONG Night Running Shoe Lights
SOL STRONG shoe light features three bright LEDs on the front to show you the road ahead up to 35 meters and one safety light on the side for oncoming vehicles. Similar to Night Runner, it offers 360-degree night visibility.
It uses full-size AA batteries, however, it doesn’t have a charging system. You have to have your own rechargeable batteries that you can swap out. It doesn’t even come with batteries in the default packaging which is disappointing.
The angle of this light is adjustable up to 80 degrees and it has four snapping points. It has a good waterproof built which will perform regardless of the weather. The gliding base of the light makes it easy to wear and switch between shoes.
10. Dresbe LED Shoes Clip Lights
This light from Dresbe comes with 120 beads LED screen that can create fun and text-based light patterns. It clips on the back of shoes with the help of some anti-skid material.
It has a 180mAh that lasts about 8 hours on one charge. The ABS and PP material alongside the waterproof makes it usable on rainy days and hikes.
From the visual point of view, it is quite attractive. Not only that it will work as a safety light in dark, but can also earn you some compliments.
One thing that they didn’t mention on the product page is that it sells as one piece. So you have to buy two of them for two feet which is strange for a footwear.
11. ZKZNsmart Shoes Clip Lights
ZKZNsmart is the last one on our list here which is another clip-style safety light. It clips on the back of the heal and creates 270-degree visibility. The LEDs are bright and can be noticed from a good distance.
The only concern of the product is the fit. The recommended width for the heel is 5-9 cm, however, it can still be a hit or miss due to various shapes of the human heel.
It is rechargeable and comes with 2 micro USB cables to charge them at the same time. Although the company didn’t explicitly say how long the battery life is, it seems to last several days on moderate usage.
