Running Shoes - Can They Affect Your Injury Risk?
Ahh the running shoe search.
Walking into the store to see 73 pairs of shoes…
Zero drop.
Max-cushion.
This pair has a carbon plate…do I need that?!
It can get easily get VERY overwhelming.
If you’re wondering how in the heck to simplify down your search for running shoes to find out what shoes are best for you….
Even which shoes will reduce your risk of injury
..all backed by the latest running science and research.
Here’s your article.
First things first….
Can shoes reduce your risk of injury?
In some ways, yes, but probably not for the reasons you think…
It’s tempting to think there’s a MAGIC shoe out there that will cure all your injuries, clear your to-do list, make your runs feel easier and even make that morning coffee taste better.
And honestly, shoe companies would love you to believe so.
Some running companies have even had lawsuits placed against them for leaving the public to believe their shoes reduce risk of injury, when there was no science to support their claims. Oops.
Here’s the truth.
Running shoes, when used appropriately, can be a factor in helping you recover better and reduce your overall injury risk.
But they’re not the end-all-be-all.
So, let’s break down what you need to know the next time you’re shopping for a new pair of kicks.
And what research shows actually affects how you feel in your shoes (plus your injury risk).
Ready?!
Minimalist vs Maximalist
Been told that a “minimal shoe” will cause less injury because it allows the foot to move in a more “natural” way?
Every pair of running shoes has a specific amount of elevation in the heel, relative to the toe box.
The height of the purple lift under the heel shown here is the “drop”. By measuring the difference in height between the toes and the heel, this is where the number comes from (ranges anywhere between 0-14mm, depending on the make/model of shoe).
Some people are told that having higher heel elevation or lower heel elevation is “better for injury risk”.
Is it true?
Well, this one’s a myth.
Here’s what the science really says.
Research shows that having a “zero drop” versus a shoe with a 6mm or 10mm elevation shows no difference in injury risk.
However, changing the elevation or “drop” in your shoe can substantially affect knee pain with running and Achilles pain with running (more on this in #4).
This means you can go more based on comfort and the guidelines I’m showing you below the next time you’re in the store!
2. Wearing multiple pairs of shoes
Rotating through 2 or more pairs of running shoes has been shown to reduce injury risk by 39%.
When runners were tracked for 22-week period, those who ran in more than one pair of running shoes saw a decreased injury rate compared to the runners who used only one pair of shoes.
Every pair of shoes is going to work your muscles slightly differently, so by varying the shoes - you’re varying which muscles are working hardest, which decreases the chance that one area gets way overloaded and leads to injury.
The runners that rotated shoes rotated through 3.6 pairs on average. So, while having 4 pairs of shoes isn’t the most economical solution for everyone financially, we can assume that more pairs is better than less.
Interestingly, the runners who also spent more time doing other sports outside of running, saw a decreased injury risk as well - supporting the benefits to cross training.
So, if having multiple pairs isn’t feasible, it’s worth considering doing other sports outside of running to cross-train!
3. Do flat feet or high arches matter when choosing shoes?
Ahh the classic “you have high arches so you need these shoes” or “you have flat feet so you need these shoes”.
So many myths around flat feet and high arches…which I’ll get to another time.
Back to shoes…is there any merit to this?
Well, it’s a mixed bag.
Here’s what you need to know:
There is some research showing that people who tend to pronate more when running have a decreased risk of injury when training in shoes with more motion control.
So, if you pronate a lot when you run, you may benefit from having shoes with a little more “stability”.
NOW - here’s the important thing.
How your feet move and how your feet appear in standing still are two vastly different things.
What’s important is how your feet move with running - not how they appear when you’re standing still.
That’s because another study shows that selecting shoes based on feet appearance alone (high arches or flat feet when you stand still) doesn’t really hold up to snuff.
So, the takeaway here is that - if you tend to pronate more than average with running - you may benefit from more of a stability style shoe.
But, if you’re being recommended specific shoes based on the shape of your feet in standing alone - there’s not much evidence to support this affecting your injury risk at all..
You’d be better served with the topic I covered in #2 - rotating pairs of shoes.
4. The Heel Drop
You may have heard of zero drop running shoes or barefoot shoes?
Let’s break down what this means….
Every pair of running shoes has an amount that the heel is elevated relative to your toes (see the image in #2 as a refresher!)
This difference in height is called the “heel drop” or “heel-to-toe differential” and varies between 0-14mm, depending on the shoe.
Here’s what you need to know about this.
When we compare how a shoe with a 0mm versus 14mm challenges your calves and knees…
The results are very different!
So, this is why if you’re currently dealing with Achilles tendonitis, knee pain or plantar fasciitis - changing this drastically can either help reduce pain or possibly increase it.
If you want to learn more about the heel drop of your shoe and how it can impact you and your body, I’ve created a Free Guide that teaches you all about the science of the heel drop and how it can affect your knees, Achilles, calves and ankles.
Sign-up below to get it delivered to your inbox now!
Citations:
Malisoux L, et al. (2016). Influence of the Heel-to-Toe Drop of Standard Cushioned Running Shoes on Injury Risk in Leisure-Time Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 6-Month Follow-up.
Malisoux L, et al. (2013). Can parallel use of different running shoes decrease running-related injury risk?
