AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY relies on our belief that there is no such a thing as the right running shoe. There’s only one problem with all this, researchers at the University of Exeter, UK, say ‘about three-quarters of runners typically get injured each year.’
A pair of 1972 Nike running shoes became the most expensive sneakers ever sold at auction, fetching $475,500. They were purchased by Canadian entrepreneur, Miles Nadal, and were part of a collection of 100 of the rarest sneakers ever made.
The shoes were made by Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman, who used his wife’s waffle iron to create a new kind of running shoe with a waffle-patterned sole to help runners improve speed. Nike made 12 pairs of the shoes for runners in the 1972 Olympic trials, and the design went on to help Nike become a global sneaker powerhouse. The pair being sold were the only ones that had never been worn.
Running shoes are no longer just shoes to run in. They have everything that could make you a better runner, and even buying a pair has become a minefield with the bewildering choice available. You can choose cushioned trainers, partial barefoots, springs or coils in the heels full minimalists, and partial cushioned trainers. And, of course, there trainers for flat feet over arched feet, normal” feet, under- and over-pronated feet. If all that isn’t enough for you, there are specialist running stores that offer bespoke fitting and gait assessments.
What consumers don’t tend to research is the scientific evidence to back up all the claims made about the technology going into all these shoes, and the evidence is there to show that there is no such thing as the right running shoe.
The US specialist magazine, Runner’s World, said that, despite the technological advances in running shoes over the past 50-odd years, they have had little impact on injury rates. They go on to state that cross-training is to blame for runner’s injury rates not coming down. People run to finish, no matter how overweight they are or how badly they run on hard pavements.
My marathon pal, Abdi, says that running technique – not the shoe – is a key factor to avoiding injury. When you land on the balls of your feet you reduce loading rates and therefore your risk of injury. Runners who use cushioned footwear fall into bad habits by landing on their heels, which creates a vertical impact force each time the foot lands on the ground.
Abdi says that most competitive runners are going into events carrying injuries – at pretty much the same rate as boxers take injuries into a title fight. The New Year will see your average ‘Jo Runner’ launching themselves into an intense running schedule that they read is good for their cardio system. What they fail to consider is that their musculo-skeletal system needs much more time to adapt.
So, it’s not about expensive running shoes – it simply doesn’t matter how much you spend. It’s about how you prepare your body for the hammering it will endure.
Abdi wears a cheap pair of trainers. I asked him why and he simply said; ‘Because they’re comfortable!’. I asked him if he has ever been to a running shop to have his gait analysed? “What’s the point? I’ve only got one leg but that aside all they do is look at the feet, which is pointless. What’s needed is a proper biomechanical analysis of pelvic and hip control. All they do is concentrate on price and comfort. The perfect shoe doesn’t have to be expensive, so I’ll stick with the trainers I bought at TK Maxx.”
The training shoe business continues to expand with a market value close to $100 billion. Go to any running-shoe shop and say I just want a pair of trainers that are comfortable to run in. I guarantee you’ll end up leaving with the latest pair of trainers that are slick, funky, super soft, and super technical. Will they stop your knees from aching? Maybe, but probably not. We have to ask: isn’t this just more of the same non-essential stuff that we don’t need?
