The shoes that feel comfortable to a runner are also the shoes that help their body continue to follow this preferred movement path. His lab found that every person follows an individualized ‘preferred movement path’ while running.This path uses the least energy and is related to positive outcomes in injury, fatigue etc. Benno Nigg in Calgary, Canada (Nigg 2015). This comes from some amazing work done by Dr. What difference does it make?Ģ Key Rules to Follow When Picking Out a Running Shoe More information on these shoes can be found here: Running Shoes. These shoes are called stability or motion control shoes. Shoes with a dense inner midfoot are sometimes recommended for runners who need arch support, have excess foot pronation, or who experience shin splints. Changes between high and low drop shoes needs to be done gradually due to differences in muscle activation, a quick change could result in muscle soreness and possible injury. For example, in the past I have switched to high drop shoes in order to treat Achilles Tendonitis (in an effort to decrease the load on my ankle).
Though there is no optimal heel to toe drop, changing this characteristic could be beneficial if you are having specific types of problems. A traditional running shoe will have a heel drop of about 10mm. Shoes with a lower heel to toe drop encourage a midfoot or forefoot foot strike and distribute higher loads on the ankle/foot (and lower comparative loads to the knee/hip). A higher heel drop encourages a heel strike, which will distribute higher loads on the knee/hip (and lower comparative loads on the ankle/foot). Heel drop refers to the difference in shoe height from the heel to toe base, and will influence running footstrike. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, this is a great resource: Toe Spring in Running Shoes - How It Can Help or Hurt Your Running Consequently, they are an awesome option for people with ankle problems, or achilles tendonitis (I can personally attest to this!), but may not be a great choice for someone with knee problems. Shoes with a large toe spring will likely require less work from the ankle (Sobhani 2017, Boyer 2009), but may increase the load on the knee (Sobhani 2017). Hoka One One is a brand known for producing large toe spring shoes. Shoes with a large toe spring curve give you a ‘spring forward’ sensation when you push off the ground. The toe spring of a shoe refers to the upward turn of the sole that extends from the base to the tip of the toe. This characteristic can be modulated through a plate (carbon fiber, plastic etc.) included in the shoe sole (see diagram).Ĭurrent research tells us that individuals respond to shoe bending stiffness in very different ways! Some people perform best in a flexible shoe, and some in a fairly stiff shoe (McLeod 2020), so it’s important to pay attention to how a shoe feels for you personally when you run/race. These specific types of cushioning may actually improve running performance.īending stiffness refers to how stiff a shoe feels when bent longitudinally (front to back).
Motion control springy shoes pro#
On a different note, shoe cushioning is important to consider when you want to run fast! Performance racing shoes such as the Nike Vaporfly Next % and Saucony Endorphin Pro are effective largely due to the energy return properties of the unique foam cushioning (Healey and Hoogkamer 2021). Contrary to popular belief, while maximalist shoes may increase perception of comfort and decrease foot pressure (Ogston 2019), they may actually increase the vertical forces experienced by the leg joints during running (Pollard 2018, Kulmala 2018)! Consequently, maximalist shoes may be a good choice for those wanting a softer ride or who have foot problems, but they are probably not making running any easier on the rest of the body. Running shoe cushion ranges from a near barefoot experience to the currently trending high cushion maximalist shoe. Choosing a shoe with specific characteristics could benefit running performance and health! The diagram below gives an overview of a few main characteristics of a running shoe. In this blog we’ll talk about a few basic characteristics of running shoes and 2 key rules to follow when picking out a shoe! See post here for special considerations for pregnant and postpartum runners!
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