What Running Shoes Should I Buy?
Expert Physiotherapy for Running Injuries
One of the most asked questions we get here at Keilor Road Physiotherapy is, “What running shoes do you think I should buy?”.
Being the Experts in running injuries, we turn to the evidence to make an educated decision on what shoes will best fit your needs - everyone’s different.
What the literature has looked at:
Biomechanics of running - impact & pronation & their contribution to running injury.
Sports Medicine - Running injury as the result of repetitive overloading due to intensity, volume and frequency of training errors. Also contributed to by BMI and previous injury.
Pronation control can be important in running shoes.
Footwear to control impact & pronation
Think Asics Kayano
Cushioning and control footwear aimed at minimising impact & pronation are incredibly popular in todays market. Early evidence disputed the fact that foot type or posture did not influence injury risk [1]. More recent evidence suggests however, that runners with increased medial foot pressure (or flat feet) experienced more Achilles, shin and plantar fascia injuries [2]. This is supported by an interventional study that found that more pronated subjects wearing pronation control shoes reported lower injury rates [3]. Therefore, a control shoe may be suitable for some but not all pronated runners.
Minimalist running footwear
Think Nike Free
In barefoot and minimalist running, proponents argue that variations of forefoot and midfoot strike are encouraged, resulting in [4]:
Smoothing of peak impact
Reduced loading of the knee
Less predictable muscle activation patterns
Improved balance
Classically minimalist running tends to encourage heel strike which is associated with greater landing impacts than forefoot/midfoot strike and studies into minimalist footwear for running have found increased levels of injury and more shin and calf pain [5].
Highly cushioned footwear
Think Hoka Conquest
Highly midsole cushioned shoes are a more recent trend. Historical assumption is that cushioning should reduce impact loads. The opposite has been found in the literature [6], with midsole cushioning resulting in significant differences running mechanics, with the runner’s leg stiffening in contact phase, leading to increased impact when the foot came in contact with the ground.
Nonetheless, a biomechanical study [7] into highly cushioned footwear, showed ankle contact force and load rates were decreased with significant effect with increased cushioning. They suggested that increasing shoe cushioning 10 to 20% may help individuals to unload the ankle and to a lesser extent the knee and hip.
Minimalist, vibram, shod & barefoot running shoes have been shown to contribute to running injuries.
So which shoe is right for you?
If you’ve read our blog “What causes running injuries?” you’ll know that training error and injury risk (high BMI & previous injury in the last 12 months) are the main contributing factors in injuries related to running. Making an informed decision, following a thorough assessment from your KRP physiotherapist, is the best recommendation we can give regarding picking the right shoes for you when it comes to your running.
Keilor Road Physiotherapy are the experts at assessing your running injuries. Servicing Niddrie, Essendon, Airport West, Keilor & Melbourne’s Northern suburbs for over 40 years, you can book with one of our highly trained expert physiotherapists below or call 93794557 to speak to one of our admin superstars.
Related links
References
1) Knapik JJ, Trone DW, Tchandja J, et al.(2014) Injury-reduction effectiveness of prescribing running shoes on the basis of foot arch height: summary of military investigations. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther ;44:805–12.
2) Brund RBK, Rasmussen S, Nielsen RO, Kersting UG, Laessoe U, Voigt M.(2017). Medial shoe-ground pressure and specific running injuries: A 1-year prospective cohort study. J Sci MeSport.Sep;20(9);830834.doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.04.001.
3) Malisoux L, Chambon N, Delattre N, et al. (2016). Injury risk in runners using standard or motion control shoes: a randomised controlled trial with participant and assessor blinding. Br J Sports Med ;50:481–487.
4) Lieberman DE, Castillo ER, Otarola-Castillo E, Sang MK, Sigei TK, Ojiambo R, et al. (2015) Variation in Foot Strike Patterns among Habitually Barefoot and Shod Runners in Kenya. PLoS ONE 10 (7): e0131354. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0131354
5) Ryan M, Elashi M,Newsham-West R, Taunton J.(2014).Examining injury risk and pain perception in runners using minimalist footwear.
6) Kulmala JP, KosonenJ,Nurminen J,Avela J.(2018). Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading.Scientific Reports8:17496 DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-35980-6
7) Meardon SA, Willson JD, Kernozek TW, Duerst AH & Derrick TR. (2018) Shoe cushioning affects lower extremity joint contact forces during running, Footwear Science, 10:2, 109-117 doi.org/10.1080/19424280.2018.1501771
Article by
Scott Sanders | Physiotherapist
Scott graduated from a Science Degree before following his passion to become a Physiotherapist at The University of Melbourne, graduating with a Masters of Physiotherapy in 2011. Scott has worked in private practice since as well as working with multiple sports team including AFL, cricket, basketball and hockey.