What is the Most Important Quality in a Running Shoe?
Hint: It is not controlling pronation
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and runners will keep running despite being injured.
A recent study following 161 runners preparing for either a half or full marathon found 9 out of 10 runners reported illness or a running-related injury leading up to the race. At any two-week period of the 16-week study, 1 out of 7 runners experienced an illness or running-related injury.
Did that stop them from competing? Absolutely not.
As a physical therapist, I have long fought the battle of managing injured runners. One of the first strategies any runner, coach, or physical therapist uses is ensuring the correct running shoe is chosen.
Unfortunately, there are many myths about running shoes and injury prevention.
The Global Athletic Footwear Market is expected to reach $114.8 billion by 2022. Many recommendations and decisions are driven by financial motivators and anecdotal experience.
Current research calls into question what qualities of a shoe we should care about.
