top of page
Search

What you DIDN'T know about Running Shoes!

Are you 🫵🏻  a Runner?? 🏃


👟 Running shoes are supposed to help you run, not cause injuries! 🚫


🧐What if I told you that the VERY THING these running shoe companies spend money on…


….the things that make your shoes so darn EXPENSIVE…👟


…are actually shown to HURT you, NOT help you….😳


🙊What I am about to share with you MAY shock you!😳🙊🙈🙉









One of the very things that the running shoe industry spends so much money on is their technology! Especially the mid foot support and the cushion of the shoe👟….Not to mention the Heel Toe Off ratio, the springiness and the CUSHION….the angle of how the shoe rocks and the thickness of the CUSHION of the shoe…..🧐need I say cushion one more time???


Now, don’t get me wrong. I love myself a nice cushioned shoe…..but unfortunately, that cushion just might have to go….


We are going to go through some basic research on running shoes and what studies really show us….


…I’ll spare you the minimalist ideas and all the debates…


But I do feel like this is good information to know….


1.  The weight of the shoe matters


I have treated may patients who are severely weak, and just the weight of their shoe is hard for them to lift while trying to walk. Although runners are much stronger than that, the weight of the shoe still matters. The more heavy the shoe, the harder it is for you to swing your leg forward.


2. “Compressive Stiffness” of the Shoe aka THAT CUSHION!


Running shoe developers hypothesized that by providing more cushioning, in a thick and compressive sole, they would reduce injuries because “the collision force would be absorbed by the shoe itself, not the body.”1. However, the opposite actually occurred….

Research has found that although thicker soled and softer running shoes do SLOW the rate of the impact of the ground, the impact of the force actually lasts LONGER

“So while the maximal force is lower than without cushioning, the total impact force is greater because it lasts for longer. This is referred to as the “impact impulse.”1

Research has also found that the ground reaction force impact peak and loading rate is HIGHER in a maximally cushioned shoe.

“This surprising outcome was more pronounced at fast running speed (14.5 km/h), where ground reaction force impact peak and loading rate were 10.7% and 12.3% greater, respectively, in the maximalist shoe compared to the conventional shoe, whereas only a slightly higher impact peak (6.4%) was found at the 10 km/h speed with the maximalist shoe.”5



3.  Flexibility of the Sole of the Shoe

    

Shoe Developers try to support the pronation in your foot and the different types of compensation partly by creating a stiffer sole. This stiffness actually causes more strain on your foot and ankle, specifically at the achilles tendon. As the shoe is more resistant to bending, and less flexible, it creates a longer lever for the achilles tendon to overcome in order to push off and propel the body forward.


“In a study that evaluated runners using shoes with differing sole stiffness, researchers found that the metabolic cost associated with running in stiffer shoes was increased, though there was a relationship to running speed. Running at higher speeds reduced metabolic costs while running at lower speeds increased those costs. This has important relevance for the use of shoes with carbon fiber plates embedded in the soles. Those plates add significant stiffness to the sole of the shoe, and this research would suggest that slower runners may be paying a penalty for using them in the form of a higher metabolic cost than if they used a softer-soled shoe.”1


4.  Larger Heel Toe Offset aka How THICC is that HEEL!!!


The thicker there heel, the larger the drop to the forefoot….See the photo below…


This thicker heel toe offset actually places your foot in more plantar flexion…which does alter the mechanics of the foot and ankle while running. This actually decreases the force that can be produce from the ankle with loading to push off, which may alter your stride and other mechanics.


Also, the thicker the heel, it is supposed to give you more stability, however research has found it to do the opposite and reduce the stability in the ankle.


5.  Decreased Proprioception


Because of the thickness of the cushion, it decreases the ability of your foot to really fell everything going on below it. This may lead to higher likeliness of ankle sprains,


6.  Decreased Intrinsic foot stretch

The stiffer the arch, the more support it gives, but it takes way from the strength of your mid foot and the strength in your foot  throughout loading to push off.


So…what should you do? You JUST BOUGHT a SUPER EXPENSIVE, SUPER CUSHIONY SHOE??? 🙊


Should you just DROP It? And go barefoot???


DEFINITELY NOT!!!


In fact….barefoot running has been shown to increase bone stress in the first 10-12 weeks….especially on modern surfaces….


There is SO MUCH debate and SO MUCH complexity about shoes and running shoes…..


But ULTIMATELY, it really depends on you. You need to feel comfortable and like the shoes.


As a physical therapist, I have mixed feelings. I feel like we need to be barefoot ore.


We need to avoid shoes that have TOO MUCH cushion and not enough.


Have arthritis? Guess what…a cushiony shoe is going to feel better!


Have flat arches that cause your entire leg to have terrible mechanics while running? More support may be best for YOU. But cushion may feel uncomfortable.


Have HIGH arches??? You may not do well in a minimalist shoe….


It really just depends on YOUR BODY…


I see shoes as a brace. We do need to build up the intrinsic strength in our foot. We do need a mobile foot. We do need good balance, appropriate support and we need to have good strength. But that also takes time. And, just like with our posture, our feet are going to get tired at the end of the day. In our modern society, we don’t have the same environment like we did in the past. We need shoes with appropriate support to help us maintain good mechanics by the end of the day, and as we improve the mobility and strength in our foot, then we can work toward a more minimalistic shoe. We may not need so much cushion.




How do your shoes add up?




🤷🏼‍♀️Do your shoes have any of these characteristics??? 👟





⬇️ Comment Below to share!! ⬇️




⬇️”Click” here to get started with me today ⬇️






For further depth and a beautifully written article on what we discussed today, see my references below:



 
 
 

Comments

  • Youtube Follow and Subscribe!
  • Instagram Follow and Subscribe!

©2021 by Journey Physical Therapy. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page