A new scientific review suggests that runners should seek comfort over other technical criteria, like shoes designed to reduce strike force or over/under pronation.
According to the new findings, many runners overthink their feet needs when purchasing a pair of running shoes. Nowadays companies are pitching all sorts of shoe advancements, like minimalist shoes, shoes with extra padding or shoes that naturally keep your foot in the right position. All of those options sound nice, but researchers say buyers should opt for the comfy running shoe over the latest technological fad.
For their review of running data, lead researcher Benno Nigg and colleagues examined the validity of some of these technological shoe claims. They first examined pronation as a problem, and they uncovered a study involving nearly 1,000 novice runners. All runners were given the same shoes to run in for a year, and their foot strike and biomechanic strides were analyzed. After the year, researchers uncovered that individuals who overpronated while running actually had fewer injuries than runners who did not overpronate. They led Dr. Nigg and colleagues to conclude “that a pronated foot position is, if anything, an advantage with respect to running injuries.”
They then tackled the issue of ground strike forces, and as we noted in a previous blog, adding extra padding to shoes in an effort to shield the foot from strike forces actually led participants to hit the ground with more force.
Comfort Over All Else
Interestingly, a 2001 study found that comfort reigned over all else. That study, also overseen by Dr. Nigg, asked soldiers to try out six different types of shoe inserts. The shoe inserts addressed different factors, from adding cushioning, adjusting arch height or heel shape, and other factors. Soldiers were asked to pick out the insert that felt most comfortable to them, and to wear that insert during their subsequent training. Another group of soldiers wore standard army issued shoes as a control.
After four months of tracking, researchers uncovered that soldiers who picked out a comfortable insert had fewer instances of injury than those in standard shoes. Dr. Nigg said the findings suggest that our bodies are “very good judges” of how we move and run. He said that when we ignore or try to compensate for our natural movement is when we can run into trouble.
As for picking out the right running shoes, Dr. Nigg recommends trying on “four or five pairs” in the store, and going for a quick jog up and down the aisle to find their fit.
“People can usually tell right away which shoe feels the most comfortable,” Dr. Nigg said. “That is the one to choose.”
Related source: New York Times