Several years ago, it was common to see headlines touting the benefits of barefoot running. The fad was to throw out the old clunky shoes and run faster, and more efficiently with little to nothing under our feet. As with most fads this slowly faded and gave way to popularity of “maximally cushioned” shoes such as Hokas, swinging the pendulum in the entirely opposite direction. The rationale now was that everyone needed more support. The buzz of this has also died down leaving runners with a wide variety to choose from in the market of running shoes.
The truth of the matter is there is no one shoe type that works for everyone.
Additionally, what type of shoe you wear (or don’t wear) can change HOW you run. A large part of the argument for barefoot running is that we run lighter on our feet and land on our forefoot without a cushioned shoe. This is true for some but not all individuals. A percentage of runners will continue landing on their heels once the cushion is taken away. If this doesn’t seem like a big deal, imagine hopping in place but landing on your heel instead of your forefoot.
So what about more cushion? The difficulty in this lies in how much and what type of cushion is in a shoe. If you run and land on your heels you certainly need a cushioned shoe of some sort. Though this is a normal landing pattern for walking, it is debatable if landing on your heels when running is optimal (regardless of footwear). The potential downfall of a shoe that is too cushioned (either too much or the cushion is too soft for example) is a reduction in sensory input to your feet and thus potential instability in the first link of the kinetic chain to hit the ground with every step.
When we think about footwear, what reduces one’s risk of running related injury? Here are a few bullet points to consider:
A general rule of thumb in the running world is to replace your shoes every 6 months or roughly every 300-500 miles. Stick to it.
When replacing your shoes, if you’re not having any pain and your running isn’t going to change, stick with the same style. If you currently use a neutral shoe, don’t purchase a minimalist shoe for example. Again, switching style of shoe can potentially change how you run and without preparation that can lead to injury.
Many running injuries relate to too much change too soon. Even if you update your shoes & they are the same style, you should break them in before adding mileage or more running days to your calendar.
If you are already feeling aches or pains associated with running and want to try something different, first think about seeing a Physical Therapist that specializes in running. They can review your footwear and more importantly running form. Doing this can find the source of the problem and get you going again, pain-free!
This blog is written by Melissa Belcher MSPT, CAPP-OB, physical therapist and running guru at Jade Integrated Health. Along with traditional physical therapy schooling, Melissa has participated in continuing education courses focusing on the rehabilitation of running injuries, including courses at Harvard Running Medicine in 2018 and 2019. She enjoys the challenge of helping runners return to their activity without pain.