Every runner feels invincible the moment they put on a new pair of shoes. But runners, scientists, and shoe designers all over the world still debate this question: do running shoes prevent injury? Running shoe companies desperately claim their shoes will end your injury woes, while scientists try to figure out if there is actually any truth to all that running store hubbub.
We’ve all seen the ads…
If a shoe could prevent all injuries, then every runner would wear them. It’s that simple. Running injuries are a giant and complicated problem. Some studies estimate that as high as 90% of runners get injured every year – that’s millions of athletes! If you could go into a store, spend a hundred bucks, and never get injured again, the sport would be totally different, and every lunatic (like me) would run 100 miles per week!
Sadly, this is not the case. In fact, several large studies analyzing thousands of runners over long periods of time, found almost no change in the prevalence of running injuries since the 1970’s despite “advances” in shoe technology. (study)
How does running shoe design affect injury risk?
Although there are no magic shoes, some aspects of shoe design can help runners reduce certain aspects of their injury risk. Here’s what we know:
(Image from REI)
Heel-Toe drop does matter. How much higher the heel of your shoe is than the forefoot affects the way force moves through your legs…
Shoes with higher “drop” or “offset” (8-12mm) move impact force up to the knees and hips and take force off the feet, achilles, and ankles. This can be a good thing! If you’re like me and frequently sore calves, but bulletproof knees, then shoes with more drop can help redirect pressure to where you’re stronger and can take it! (study)
Shoes with low drop (0mm-6mm) move impact force away from the knees and hips to the feet, ankles, calves, and achilles tendons. The minimalist shoe companies in particular are OBSESSED with the idea that their shoes prevent injury, which might be true, but only if you’re talking about knee and hip injuries. If you’re talking about foot injuries, then they’re flat LYING (study) to get you to buy their boots. Sad, but true. Low drop or minimalist shoes can be fantastic for people with robust feet and a history of knee or hip pain, but they are not a miracle cure.
Comfort Matters. If your shoes hurt, they might hurt you. This may seem simple on the surface, but it’s actually pretty complicated. Long story short, when your body tells you “these shoes are comfortable” it might actually be trying to say “these shoes allow me to follow a familiar movement pattern which means i’m more likely to tolerate training load pain free”(study)
What else do we know about running shoes and injury?
Other than these two points, there are very few pieces of solid science to answer the question: “do running shoes prevent injury?” Things like pronation and foot-strike are far more complicated than shoe companies would have you believe and scientific analysis shows very little in the way of clear trends. Some studies hint at interesting ideas like that rotating multiple pairs of shoes while training might make you less likely to get injured (study) but these studies are small compared to the giant reviews referenced above.
It’s also a good idea to track the age of your shoes. How quickly they wear out will be factor of the shoe model, how frequently you run in them, your shoe size, your height and weight, your running stride, and the surface you run on, so you’ll have to do some experimentation to figure out when you need new ones. But, when shoes wear out, their geometries change and that can change the way force is distributed in the leg. Best to keep them reasonably fresh! If you haven’t tried it, Strava has a cool shoe tracking feature that we love!
So how do I pick shoes that reduce my injury risk?
First ask yourself, “where do I usually have pain from running?”
If it’s the knee or above, look at shoes with lower drop.
If it’s below the knee, look at shoes with more offset.
Then try on a bunch of options…
Pick the ones that are the most comfortable.
That’s where the science stops. At that point, consider things like color, brand allegiance, and which ones you think make you look coolest at the local club run…
If shoes aren’t the solution to all running injuries, then what is?
The best way to avoid injury is to be careful about your training load. Too much too soon is the primary cause of injury in most cases, and when you have pain from running, it’s because you exceeded the amount of load your body is used to tolerating. Things like reducing your mileage when you’re stressed, not racing too frequently, and avoiding bringing your mileage up too quickly can help! Oh, and be sure to take some rest days 😉
The second best thing you can do is strength train. Runners mostly neglect resistance or weight work, but strength training can reduce overuse injury rates in athletes by almost HALF! (study) If only you could buy a season of strength training off the rack at a running store for $120.
For the best strength training tool for runners, we recommend the recover athletics app. We designed it in partnership with sports medicine doctors and professional runners. All of the injury prevention routines are 100% evidence based. Try it out and don’t stress too much about your shoes!
