"Some evidence to suggest". These "scientists" love to make sensational claims. I have a pair of Asics Nimbus, and without cushioning I have all my leg hurt badly after 5 miles. Each person is different.
Since this is based on a lot of science and science is exact (records, data, test, etc), I can give my “anecdotal” experience first and then my data. I’m 52 now. I ran a lot in my youth in high school, played tons of soccer and was very active. After college I stopped. In my late 30’s I began suffering of high BP and other health issues and was overweight. Began running again, slowly and very short distances. Had all kind of injuries and issues. Bought different type of shoes, did tons of stretches, had gait analysis done, experts looked my gait, worked with a coach, etc. Still injuries. finally just went to swim and bike and no more running. Until someone suggested to just get rid of the shoes and try running barefoot. No one issue running... I did have to build my feet strength so started slowly and short. But no more knee pain, hip pain, plantar fasciitis, sciatica pain and throwing money on shoes. The only limiting factor for me is distance because I mostly run on concrete and yes eventually feet tire more on concrete, so no more than 5-6 miles. Longer in trails. When I want to run more I do wear medium cushion shoes with zero drop. Take your shoes off and your gait corrects itself, your cadence jumps to 180 and your heart rate slows. Now the data I see, with my Garmin I can see the data and prove that. I can even see in the data how different values like vertical oscillation, ground contact time, contact time balance and heart rate change with and without shoes. Barefoot I’m way more efficient. I hardly ever get injured now, run 4 times per week with a long run on weekends of 10+ miles which I normally do half barefoot (yes people look at me funny running with my shoes in my hands). Anyway, hope that helps someone else.
@@mikepeligro agree, i remembered when i first got my nike frees, they hurt alot in the first few weeks. but afterwards, much better for everything compared to my cushioned shoes
Personally, I don’t think we as humans were meant to run on artificially hard surfaces I.E: asphalt/concrete. So, I feel for running on concrete, shoes are really necessary for a large majority of runners.
Cade Granier very good point! Trail running is much softer most of the time. Really, cushioning is only there to mitigate the effects of the surfaces we have.
Every time people talk about barefoot running there is always someone bringing up "artificially hard surfaces'. Those artificially hard surfaces are actually much more forgiving and easier to run through than trails and uneven rocks/ mixed surfaces. Asphalt and concrete are non issue is you develop proper form and transition slowly.
@The Spammons i partially agree with your beginner comments, but i would like to say your pretentious attitude doesn't help get your points across, infact they actually make people less likely to see your point of view
I moved to minimalist shoes 5yrs ago because I was having to alter the insoles in one shoe (due to a knee problem), more and more. This started to affect my other leg. I read and practiced the exercises in Proprioception-making sense of barefoot running. I haven’t looked back, my knee doesn’t bother me anymore. I love my Merrell shoes. I make sure I exercise my feet and ankles regularly. I’m 62 and still running. 😊
same here, I was competitive running and had shin spline and knee pain. No matter which brand and tech of shoes i changed to, it doesnt help, i did some research on farefoot running and started with minimalist, all the injures never came back.. that is the power of cushion shoes marketing, it makes you think they work...
Since switching to barefoot running/walking and stretching the hip-flexors (tight from too much sitting) my knee and back problems have 95% gone away. I had patella tendinitis issues for years... and within 1-2 weeks of doing the above it went away.
@@unknownninja4430 Don't let the majority of your weight be shifted to your heel. Instead, your weight should first strike below the dourtbabd fifth metatarsal (the ones connected to your pinky and the toe next to it). Do to increased flexibility of the fourth and fifth metatarsal (compared to the 1st which is the one connected to your big toe) you'll be able to decrease the experienced force on your knees. This is because your foot will rotate inwardly from the outside of your foot, to your forefoot. The longer this rotation takes, the less impact you will feel. Cooperatively, a heel strike instantly transfers the impact of your weight directly to the shin through your knee. Which can easily result in injury.
Using barefoot shoes was nothing short of a revelation. Gone was the knee pain, in came a good perception of the lower body. Of course your muscles will hurt in the first weeks or months, but they adapt.
Same story. After thinking I'd never run again, suddenly in the middle of a shroom trip I figured it all out, and went for a five mile run after having never run in years. I couldn't believe how much I missed it. I was only going to run down the street and back, thinking I'd need to knock my body back into position even if the technique worked, but ended up getting water and a red bull in a gas station miles from home and planning out my new exercise routine for the rest of my life.
Q: Are Cushioned Running Shoes Making You Injured? A: Shoes do not make a runner injured, running makes an athlete injured. our natural way of running can be easiest be found by running barefoot on wet sand [that is, unless a coach has accuses to a force plate] … the critical point is if wishing to run more naturally, changing an athletes run form will take upward of one year (It is not a case of simply changing ones shoes) … most athletes chose to not make such extreme changes (or chose not to make such changes until injury forces them to) Great to hear mentioned the most overlooked area for the majority of triathletes: feet It is a fact that too many athletes cycle in less than ideal shoes which result in less than ideal preparation for the following run. good work Mark & GTN Wishing you all a great Easter [great in this context refers to a state of mind]
Triscuit 1896 That is true but that is due to the way you run. If you get neutral shoes for a foot that pronates on impact, the force from the ground goes up your ankle/shin which will cause shin splints/stress reactions. So everything connects to one another around the way you run
CoachW I agree in that it can take upwards to a year or more in changing your form to run in a more natural way. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes full time for the past four years due to having IT band syndrome. That injury moved me to changing the shoes i wear into the form i run in. It took me about a couple years to get the hang of running effectively and enjoy it fully. It has been hard work and more than plenty of learning through trial and error, but it has been a change i do not regret at all.
True to certain extent. But I used to run on well cushioned shoes, like NB, Nike, and Asic for years. I have visited doctors at least 4 times over my foot/leg/knee injuries. One of the doctors, who was a running expert, advised me to switch to minimalist shoes like Merrell and Altra (for Zero Drop). I did that and I am please to report that I am injury free for the last 6 years.
Agreed, i'm coming back from an injury (after a few months of switching from minimalist to cushioned), just rand a half marathon barefoot on my injury actually felt better!
It is impressive that there is no study on this considering the number of practitioners of this sport. I think it is not in the interest of manufacturers that we know about this.
The conspiracy idea needs to die. Companies want to sell shoes. If the shoes see a redsign for specific reasons, then more shoes will be sold. Ultimately, they aren't going to hold back a bunch of data because they like the current design.
As an ex track athlete, who runs barefoot, I see technique as the main difference between shod and unshod runners. I also think that when people first think about starting running, they automatically think about shoes and not technique.
Agreed. And to add to this, a typical consumer isn't likely to walk into the store to purchase shoes having done a lot of research about technique and how this relates to shoe construction. It's most probable that the store has minimally trained sales persons. The consumer looks at the available stock, likely all heavily cushioned, and assumes that this is the way things ought to be. A purchase is made based on price, appearance, and how the shoe feels if they are able to try it on in the store. To say that shoe manufacturers are simply providing what consumers demand is a bit disingenuous. The culture was steered in this direction of cushioned shoes decades ago without regard to any actual science, and it has been the dominant way of thinking ever since then.
Yep, Im working on transitioning to some minimal shoe running. My main reason to do so is that I struggle at faster paces. I've never been a terribly fast runner, but I can't push faster than 8 minute miles because my knees end up hurt. I strike the ground way too hard because my form is awful. My thought is to transition to minimalist shoes to force myself into better form, and then mix in different levels of cushioning depending on what I'm doing. For example, I really like Kinvara's because of their weight, and even though they're minimal cushioning, they feel super cushiony after being in barefoot shoes all day.
I always wore converse and the used Nike free run shoes 4mm drop , naturally used them for walking and gym and then just ran with them with zero issue . I did actually do research about running styles and decided I’d learn to properly run with my front of the foot and stop the heel striking I was used to in the past The few times I ran . Iv never had pain running or weird issues. I have recently tried on some cushioned shoes with 8mm drop, they feel cool but I have a slight concern over what that will do over time
He doesn't know because he's selling shoes in this video! And running as a sport would barely exist without the shoe business. It's hard to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not knowing it. But the answer is known. The simple truth is we shouldn't really need shoes unless we're walking on something sharp, hot, cold etc. Just google the Tarahumara Indian feet. Those things are dirty and sometimes an ugly toe nail, but otherwise they are strong and healthy. What do they wear? A pad of rubber tied on with a strap that let your toes flatten splay out, your heel to stay flat, your skin to breath, and your natural gait mostly unchanged.
@@tayloranderson456 Great response. Thank you for responding. I think the invention of concrete and since that is what most people run on now has fueled the obsession to these shoes with pads, foam, etc.
The woman explains the science, so they have to get the 2nd guy, a shoe-lobby ass, into the video which then scrambles the thoughts of everything you just heard by the women spitting real science. The bald lobby guy just says "some people walk wrong" as if this is an argument... the women just freaking told us IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SHOES people walk wrong... when watching this kinda "argument" I feel like i'm watching a dog licking his balls thinking he is learning something new.
@@tayloranderson456 the funny thing is he tells the "truth" as if all people have changed their way of walking over 1000's of years, while there are still millions of people TODAY walking barefoot. Its just not commercially interesting to look at how much better their feet are compared to our ugly crippled feet, because it doesn't sell more shoes.
I can say from my own and my fathers experience that cushioned shoes definitely caused us more injuries. We both had knee injuries and about 10 years ago we switched to minimalist shoes after our chiropractor suggested it. We also started trail running and have since done many 1/2 and full marathons on trails. We both noticed some pretty interesting things. At first our calves hurt a lot but after a few months we got used to it. We both noticed our shoe sizes shrunk 1-2 sizes due to the arches in our feet getting higher. Our forefoot got wider so we switched to minimalist shoes with a wide toe box. All of our injuries went away and we haven't had any since. Neither of us will ever go back to cushioned shoes.
@@Emmanny I do wear them all the time. My daily shoes, hiking boots, running, mtn biking, disc golf. All minimalist shoes. The only exception are my work boots, but even those are zero drop and I only wear them when I have to.
@@finproductions I still wear my vibram 5 fingers around the yard gardening, but I don't run in them anymore. My favorite running shoes have been the New Balance Minimus, Vivo Barefoot Primus Trail, and the Altra Lone Peakes (For something with a little more cushion). These are all zero drop shoes with wide toe boxes.
Ran with cushioned shoes for eight years and was injured on average twice a year, usually pulled my calf muscle. I've been running in crocs for three years now, no injuries.
@@Diego.fromheaven there's this one family that all runs in Crocs cuz they get tons of mileage and are cheap. I actually ran a 4x800 in my Crocs as a joke and it wasn't bad lmao. The next year a kid ran a 10:03 at our home meet in the 3200 in Crocs
The Tarahumara people from Mexico are some of the best long distance runners in the world, mainly running barefoot but also using pieces of discarded car tyres and string for makeshift shoes
For me, when I first started long(er) distance running, I ran in some vibrams and then some 2-3mm drop shoes, and my form improved _a lot._ I think that minimalist shoes forced me to have good form; it was either that or get injured. Those African runners who basically started out running barefoot already learned good form early on. Their biomechanics are superior from running; probably partly genetic, but I also think it has a lot to do with minimalist running shoes, or even barefoot. Your entire strides adjusts; you're more conscious, less sloppy with foot striking/placement. People who start running later on in life, like after high school or college, picking it up in their mid-20's or 30's, don't really have the muscle memory, and then they get into these super cushiony shoes and are just sloppy, heel striking and all that bad stuff.
11:55 Mark, please please please go through the drills, stretches and strength routine you will return to in a new video. I guess some of it is what you mentioned at 9:17. Would make for a perfect video shot at home during the corvid-19 period.
"When Marathon Running was added to the Olympics in 1896"--The modern Olympics started that year, so yes it was added--along with all the other sports.
I got injured wearing Hokas. Now I wear altra racing flats(minimal and zero drop) and have been for almost a year and have been injury free since(touch wood🤞)
When you support muscles they stop working and weaken, I run for 20 years in cushioned gave me flat feet and hammer toe my calves were getting injured every other week. So I transitioned to Vibram five fingers took along time had big problems with plantar fasciitis but know I get injured very occasionally. The shoe companies make millions and injury rates are not going down
If you start out running with flats it’s practically impossible to use incorrect form because it will literally hurt, ur body is born with the knowledge of how to run correctly so let it do it’s job, feet are made to feel not to be cushioned with foam and air
I've been banging on about form and injuries and it's connection to gait as well for some time. I started running in a neutral shoe and was getting great times for a beginner. Eventually though I got lazy with my form and let my feet be more and more passive. I developed a heel strike and ended up over pronating and needing a support shoe to protect my knees. I've spent 18 months or so working on form an foot strike and have been able to switch back to neutral road shoes and even use the 'barefoot' Altra Lone Peaks for trail running. This just reinforces my belief that poor form is probably the biggest factor in running injury.
Running barefoot or close to it makes it near impossible to run with poor form as you will quickly get a pain feedback loop when you're doing something wrong. If people started using barefoot type shoes and stopped sitting all day ... you'd see a radical decrease in low-back, knee, and foot problems.
@@Micloren Yep, I have no idea how people run with a heel strike. Anytime I do it for even 10 meters I feel a lot of strain on my knees. I can only run with a forefoot strike.
Nightmare En absolutely correct. I’m a barefoot runner most of the time. I usually end up with injuries when wearing a running shoe for running on gravel.
Throughout my twenties and thirties I ran with heavily cushioned shoes for over pronation. I say ran - I mostly picked up injuries and stopped running a few weeks later. Fast forward to my forties and I find myself in the park running after my nephews in fashionable trainers with no support. It was a revelation. I bought myself some normal running shoes with no cushioning and now I run regularly.
Man, I hate how there’s so many people just blaming one brand for their running injuries. I wish people were more specific. Like which model of the shoe were you wearing? Do you need stability, or are you neutral? Some people never get fitted for running shoes, just buy a shoe because it’s on sale and end up with a whole load of problems. Maybe you need more support, or maybe you don’t...it truly just depends on your biomechanics. My advice? Go to a running specialty store, get fitted. If you still have injuries after that, talk to a doctor.
May be the manufacturers should be clear on whose the shoes are for. Just having a size on the shoe and box means nothing. You think they have zero responsibility. They are greedy and want to sell everything. If the put what’s the shoe for , who’s it for and what happens as a result they simply cannot sell. You need to stop blaming people for this. The tech is from the manufacturers and they are fully accountable ...
@@beamboy420 If people put even a minute of research into any running shoe from a large/ successful brand it will tell you exactly what the shoe is for. Neutral/ supportive/ cushioned/ fast/ light etc etc. Just because the box doesn't say "don't run in this shoe if you if you pronate/ have wide feet/ have an improper gait" doesn't make manufacturers responsible hahahaha
@@WilloughbyBoys a proper running/ movement shoe for humans really only has a simple job: protection without correction. All the built in orthotics (that’s what motion control shoes basically are) do nothing for pronation, or add stability. Stability comes from being low to the ground, the forefoot being able to splay, and strong feet and ankles. All of which are only found when either barefoot or in as minimal a shoe as possible
I was thinking the same thing maybe not necessarily a video but a list of the drills. I also take my shoes off indoors and walk like a cat, forefoot, not pounding my heels as I see others do and occasionally use a wobble board for lower leg strength
When i first started running, i was told by a “running professional” at a running store. Was told to buy a show for pronation correction and a 12mm drop. Was getting IT band injury over injury. My physiotherapist found i run better bare foot. So i transitioned over two years to minimalistic shoes ie: Altra escalante. I never got an IT band injury since. Ran 6 marathons in them.
The last time I ran with cushioned shoes 10+ years ago, it felt like my knee was desintegrating. Since I switched to Nike Free and Merrell Gloves I've had zero pain.
I had Nike Free, I wouldn’t call them minimal. They still have quite a bit of cushioning. I recommend checking outs something like Altra Kayenta. They are zero drop, wide toe box, low stack height and flexible in every direction. However, they offer more cushioning than Merrill Gloves, so they are great on longer runs too and rough surfaces.
I liked the New Balance Minimus with Vibram soles for the light weight and direct feel but they stopped making them. Now i have Salomon road shoes and they are great for support and light enough. Got cushioning but it isnt over done. They know how to do trail shoes so i am giving them a go. They also look cool in light blue and white.
I have only been running just over 40 years had lots of injuries in the past wearing cushioned shoes in the last 3 years converted to fully barefoot and minimalist running, have had next to no problems once I built up to running barefoot. I would never go back too cushioned shoes the shoe manufacturers cannot beat nature.
@@edgaravila675 That might be true but the runners are wearing shoes to earn money from sponsorship not for the longevity of their bodies. All I know is when I did long hilly runs and walks my knees would ache towards the end, since transiting to barefoot/ minimalist running I have no pains, enjoy my runs more and enjoy having no blisters or black toe nails.
@@edgaravila675 unfortunately actually doing the research incredibly slow. The differences in shoes are enormous and all we have is anecdotes to go on, so in that situation anecdotes is what you get. It's kind of ridiculous given how long the debate has been raging.
@@edgaravila675 While it's ironic that it's put out by a shoe brand, this ruclips.net/video/x_rDFa6kZfI/видео.html is worth watching. My anecdotal experience agrees with it.
interesting, I never experimented with lots of cushion when I went from cycling to marathons, I exclusively wore 'barefoot' running shoes just because I heard they were the best for form and all that; never failed me
'Im a mid foot striker and dealt with minor aches and pains in my achilles and knees periodically. I predominantly ran in 4mm drop minimal shoes. I have currently logged over 200 km in the new Nike Infinity run which is very cushioned shoe with a 10mm drop. Not only have I not suffered any minor aches, I have also managed to increased my running load significantly. I feel a properly tuned foam(not too squishy or too firm) coupled with a 8-10mm drop along with a mid foot strike is the magic sauce when it comes to training! As for barefoot running..my answer is cavemen may have ran for miles and miles barefoot but they didn't do it on concrete!
In my opinion, the cushioning have forced us to change technique and run heel striking. The more natural way to run is midfoot/forefoot striking in order to propulse forward, instead of using the heels as breaks. I would tell Mark that we don't have records of the cavemen, but we can still learn from the tribes in Africa that still hunt by chasing animals runing them until they die of exhaustion. You also have the Raramuri tribe in the North of Mexico, who are the best ultra runners of the world. They run in sandals (no cushioning) and midfoot (less impact on our legs). Running with a big cushion in the heel creates the temptation to use the heel because that's the way we walk, so we see it as natural, when its not for running. Using midfoot/forefoot we get to use the Achiles tendon to return energy and move us forward (think of a kangaroo how their Achiles tendons absorb and return energy as they hop at crazy fast speeds). By using heavily cushioned trainers we neglect that use of the Achiles tendon, and in fact we load it with pressure, causing injuries. A bit too long but I hope you find this interesting 😊
@@EddieOdora There are still a few bushman tribes in Africa that run they're prey down until it collapses from exhaustion. It used to be more common but times have changed.
@@amblincork And that makes it untrue? They're are many books written about the same things Jose has mentioned. Heel striking is not a natural running form.
I find it rather interesting that a lot of the comments here were in favour of minimalist shoes and many commented that they experience more injuries with cushioned shoes. I have the opposite experience. Minimalist shoes causes more feet and joint aches for me. Cushioned shoes has enabled me to run with zero injuries and run longer distances. I enjoy running more now with cushioned shoes.
Its great to see this channel talking about this. Its anecdotal but sore knees, hip joints and curiosity pushed me to minimalist shoes. It took me many months but my running is better and injury free. I run up to half marathon distances in minimalist shoes on concrete and I would never consider using cushioned shoes for long distances anymore. Those who are not serious runners dont care and are happy with their shoes which is fine - that was me a few years back. These people probably make up the majority of the market so I get why shoe companies advertise and make cushioned shoes. There is no proof that any cushioned shoe will decrease injury however its known that running how were were designed to, is the best and most injury free way. A lot of people stop running after a few weeks because they get sore knees and I cant help think that in the right shoes they could continue to run. There is a huge lack of studies on this and maybe because the shoe companies dont want them. If shoe companies could prove their shoes decrease injuries they would have done it years ago.
I started running back in October and I went straight for the Vivobarefoot. I had no problems with them in my feet, it was legs, my quads. I felt knackered. I have recently switched to 'On'. So far I really like them, they are just enough and my form even improved from them.
I switch between Hokas (Clayton 2’s, Rincons and Carbon X) and On Cloudflows depending on what session I’m doing. I also never run in the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. I used the Carbon X for my 70.3 races last year and my first IM, they’re my go to race shoe now!
Thank you for discussing this topic. I've gone through a couple pairs (different brands) of very soft/high cushion shoes and have come to the conclusion that you can have too much of a good thing. I'm in my mid-50's. Easing the wear and tear on my knees and reducing knee soreness was my main goal when I bought soft shoes and I think it helped. Interestingly, my knee discomfort seems to have been much more closely tied to eating a high carbohydrate diet with too many simple sugars...the soreness has nearly vanished since experimenting with keto and switching to a low/moderate carbohydrate diet, but that's a different video. The negative aspect of the soft, thick soles for me has been using them on technical trail runs where there are lots of roots, rocks, uneven footing, etc. I think what happens is that as my foot is searching for something solid to push off of, my foot/ankle has to flex just a little bit farther than normal, on account of the squishy sole. This possibly increases my risk of rolling an ankle, and reduces my stability, agility, and safety. Also, "softness" is going to vary from person to person. A soft shoe for a light person might provide sufficient support and response, yet the same shoe might be super squishy and inappropriate/injury inducing for a heavier person. In general, I think using squishy soles too much puts too much unnatural strain on the tendons and ligaments in my feet and ankles. I've relegated my super soft shoes for an occasional short run on the road.
Eating too much sugar will increase joint pain. Avoiding carbohydrates will make you weak and give you no energy. You need carbohydrates to run, but you must choose healthy complex carbohydrates. I eat maize, brown or black rice, and oatmeal with chia seeds during my long runs and I never run out of energy.
I have always found when I run with cushioned shoes, I get more injuries... But when I run minimalist, nothing (including multiple marathons, half marathons, and two half IRONMANs)! I understand that I could change HOW I run, but I always find myself falling back into bad habits when I have cushioning, and injuring myelf. I find minimalist shoes to be so much easier to run in a way that I don't injur myself - my feet just fall more naturally!
Cushioned shoes made me lazy (sloppy heelstrike technique) and I gave myself plantar fasciitis along with knee pain. Ouch! I've been running in barefoot shoes for 7-8 years and those issues haven't returned ... Merrell Vaporglove, Trailglove and occasionally barefoot!
Don't know about ALL of the claims for barefoot running but my vivobarefoots did sort out my gait which is why i got them. im flat footed but my arch is getting stronger, did injure myself a couple of times transitioning to barefoots but now i can run further than i could and have a nice forefoot strike. i needed the lack of cushioning to stop me heel striking though
I started running in minimalist shoes but my knees always hurt afterwards. I then got hoka and will never wear anything else. I feel they protect my feet and knees.
@@ndk4 i prefer more of a forefoot strike. I use to run short distance track and the changeover to a lower drop just in the training shoe was tremendous in making me faster. It was uncomfortable at first and my calves needed to gain strength but after I got use to it, I'm better now for it. Right now I'm riding in the saucony freedom iso
More cushion helps recovery from long runs and shoes with forefoot cushioning promote forefoot landing. Heel cushioning is necessary when tired (end of long run or race) or hilly runs encountering steeper downhills
One of the better videos I've seen on this topic. Glad you pointed out the issues with comparisons to "what we used to do". given surfaces change, speeds change, and unknown injury rates, it is an argument that has no supporting data. I've had a non-running injury that has kept me from running for a time, and now I have had to go to my cushioned shoes because my weight has increased and my form has crumbled. One day I know I will get to less cushioned, lighter shoes. But as of right now, those shoes would be terrible given my increased loading force and poor ergonomics. My cushioned shoes are unlikely to cause more injuries than bringing out my racing flats when I'm 30 lbs over race weight. I liked your second guest. Run in what makes running feel good to you. it may change as you develop as a runner. And that is fine.
I think one has to remember that back in the 1950/60s the average weight for a runner was about ten and a half stone. It was only serious competitive athletes who ran. Today people are much heavier we have an obesity epidemic and many people are running to get fit or lose weight. One also must remember the average age of a runner has gone up to about 40yr+. Today shoes must, therefore, fill very different functions to the shoes of the past. In the past lightweight shoes were needed to enhance performance. Today with a much heavier runner cushioning becomes more important this, of course, leads to a more heavy shoe but this is now being offset with carbon plates which again absorb much of the impact.
Interesting video. I find it an interesting subject to watch with me personally going through a bit of a "shoe journey" in the last few months as I have started marathon training. It started when I noticed over winter then my "main" running shoes had a horrendous wear pattern on the heel. My research led me to the science behind running, with things like cadence (running with a cadence between 180-200 is proven to be the most efficient) and body posture. I have since introduced minimalist shoes with a higher cadence. With better posture and technique, knee pain has been significantly reduced. You mentioned around 11 minutes about a lot more of the general public taking up running. This could be the direct catalyst in brands making cushioned shoes. The general population that I see running in my local park drag their feet, barely lifting their knees and their hands/arms not actively moving (in front of their chest, with fists clenched). Back up 100 years, if you were a "runner"- you ran and the shoes were ironically lighter and more simple design. The local park runners today would, of course, choose to have a cushioned sole for their weekly 5km. I also don't think it's fair to use sprinters shoes from 100 years ago and compare them with a mainstream shoe you can buy in any store. Those "sprinter shoes" actually haven't changed in design. Anyone nowadays, can buy 200dollar Nikes and call themself a runner. Cushioned shoes don't tell the brain to run at our highest efficiency, and I think that has to lead to increased injuries with knees and hips from runners who have bad posture.
I think its specific to the individual. For example I am older and a little heavier than I should be. I find the extra cushion is exactly what I need! To me the answer is embedded in what the individual needs and I am happy to see so many choices out there.
Speaking only of my own experience, I used to run cross-country every day with minimal cushioning, and it was great! Then I went to Uni in a city, suddenly I needed way more cushioning- I assumed that it was the difference in terrain, but in hindsight, I think it was more to do with ho much I was running. At high school I was running 5-6 times a week, competing in races, etc, so my form was good and my body was setup. I was also running up and down sand dunes and across fields so my gait had lots of variety. At Uni I was running maybe twice a week and drinking beer and eating pizza like there was no tomorrow, so I was way out of tone and I developed a stiffer technique. That's when I made the switch to a more cushioned shoe and the injuries started to pile up. Now I'm back on running with low cushioning 2/3 times a week, cycling and swimming, and I've been relatively injury-free.
This is really interesting. I can only give you my opinion as I am not an expert - except on my own experience! My take is that it's a lot more subtle and nuanced than whether cushioning is good or bad. I think it can depend where the cushioning is and in what layer of the shoe. I think the job of the outer-sole, midsole and insole are all relevant and where the cushioning is is as important as whether there is any. After years of wearing standard shoes for most activities, I was persuaded to try very squishy outer-soled Skechers, which I believe ruined my feet gradually over about 3 years. I got a pre-stress metatarsal fracture after using them for miles on very hard ground. My podiatrist blamed the shoes. I think he was right. We must remember that nowadays many people's homes have hard wooden floors and it is like being on concrete all day - especially during lockdown! I believe it does not help our feet as the soil and grass which our ancestors ran most on are more similar to carpets than hard floors. Back to shoes...what I find now is that squishy, soft outer-soled or soft-lugged shoes sink into hard ground and my feet get no protection - they may as well be hitting the concrete directly. It's false protection. Similarly, shoes that are hard-soled with no cushion and have no centre to strike the ground alongside the heel or toe are also bad for me. They have next to no cushion on hard surfaces. What I find works is shoes with a tough or hard outer-sole (or lugs) and a fairly cushioned (though also quite unsquishy) midsole. So Brooks and New Balance do some walkers like that and they work. Finally, the insole can make a difference depending on what type of arches you have. Mine are fairly average, but I do find that having some low-level arch support means that the load is shared out across my foot and no just on the heel and toe areas. My own experience will be different to others, but what I can say is having tried shoes with cushioning in all 3 areas, I think it's midsole cushioning that works best for me, and outer-sole cushioning that works least well. After all, if we think of cars, the cushioning/supension works in different ways in different layers - tyres, coil-springs, seats etc. Our bodies are very different to cars, but I do believe that where and how you put the cushioning (suspension if you like) is important. Hoka are getting a bad rap from some people, but I find them a mixed bag - their recovery shoes (not slides) are great on hard indoor floors as they have hard outer-soles and hard but plentiful mid-sole cushioning. The Bondi has a very squishy outer sole which is terrible for me, but the Stinson has a hard outer sole and a cushioned mid-sole which works nicely. Finding the perfect shoe isn't easy, but I have found some things that work for me and some that don't.
I alternate running between vibram five fingers and nike free's which have a small amount of stack height and heel-toe drop. The difference in running economy, biomechanics, and feel with the vibrams is unreal despite just a few mm of cushion difference. I also spent six months hiking the 2000 mile Appalachian Trail and progressively switched to more and more minimalist shoes during the hike. One important thing i noticed when wearing minimalist shoes is that its almost impossible to twist/roll an ankle. My feet, legs, and low back have all benefitted + hypertrophy since steering away from bulky shoes half a decade ago.
Bought a pair of mid range running shoes which are heavily cushioned. I had used much firmer trail shoes previously. The result was a knee injury - perhaps it was the change of shoe but I recon the 2 significant cushion effects (cussioned insole and main sole) were the cause because my leg had to react first to soft cushioning then encounter the more firm effect. I changed the insole to a simple filler insole (no cushion) to raise the level on the shoe to allow the arch support to be the right height. This resolved the problem. I tried the insole again recently and had the same injury.
been a barefoot runner for 15 years. 3-5 miles a day. recently upped my miles to 10 or more, and recovery was abysmal until i gave cushioned shoes a try again. now that i'm using cushion, soreness is way more manageable. i've decided to still walk around and train in minimalist shoes, but use the cushioned shoes for long distance. i think if you're a heel striker, you should train yourself to become a forefoot striker. i think heel striking is what causes injuries.
I can tell you two things from a life time of running in all different kind of terrains, once your knees are damaged (like mine with cartilage damage). 1st: if you continue running, you'll end up semi crippled, 2nd: if you use shoes without cushioning (even for walking after the damage) you'll make the damage even worse. The other bit of advice is give up running when your 50 and use bike instead, I kept on running until I was 62 and then next day after a good 8 mile run (last 4 miles 7 min/miles) I could hardly walk. No indication, no prior warning, they just went; sometimes you get a warning that something is going wrong (which many fanatical runners like me would have ignored anyway, I suspect). A year after that my left foot arch collapsed, probably due to the compensating way I was now walking. The next mistake I made was following the suggestions of another runner and use bare foot shoes for walking, this exacerbate everything and then some. Six years later and now I require the support of shopping trolley to get round the supermarket just to make it tolerable, I can walk on pavement for around 5 minutes, I can walk on soft surfaces like grass and sand for a couple of miles but that's about it. I bought a pair of Cloudmonster running shoes a month back and found that they make it significantly easier to walk on hard surfaces, you can draw your own conclusions from that, Cloudmonster are about the most cushioned shoes you can get.
I'm just going by my history with shoes. It seems to be mirroring others. I am a larger runner so I went with the more cushioning to, as was said, to reduce the force. It was fine for a while. Found that my favorite shoe was the Dyad 7. Then they "tweeked" the design and things started to go south with my knees. I had a hard time finding a shoe that worked for me. THen our local shoe store had it's annual shoe sale. I wante to give other shoes with the large heel foam a try. I could feel each one of them in my knees (yes, Hoka was the worst). Why not go in the opposite direction, less heel. I found that the Brooks Levitate was my Godsend. Less heel and my knees were feeling good. So yes, I'm in agreement that less heel is better....but that's just me. You're mileage may vary.
It's really annoying that no one has the guts to give a definitive answer. I know that there isn't a definitive answer, but something along the lines of "from what we currently know, shoes X are best at preventing injuries". I run for health reasons, so I don't give a damn about performance, and the amount of ambiguity is super annoying.
Tbh this video is somewhat of a joke. First they get a scientist that confirms the connection between heal strikes and injuries, and the correlation to higher stack shoes. Guy doesn't like it, so he invites a shoe geek who almost drools every time he says the word shoe. Guy agrees with the shoe aficionado because it reflects his experience (pure confirmation bias at work). Science is rarely ever complete and definitive. But it does not take a massive leap of imagination to argue that nothing about our evolution favors the heal strike or in fact cushioning. They are unfit solutions for problems we created. Feet have the highest density of nerve endings in the entire body. The achliles tendon is meant as a spring, not a shock absorber. Even running on concrete only requires cushioning if improper form is use (some sort of protection from gravel, glass, etc. is not a bad idea tho). The dots are there for us to connect. There is not a definitive answer because people are never taught how to run properly (anyone remember being taught how to run in school?), so we use band-aid fixes and wonder why our knees ache and why we get shin splints.
My first half marathon was completed in a New Balance Minimus with zero drop and today I use a Nike Zoom Fly 3 which is a whole different world. But for trail (and that's my natural habitat) I use 6 different types of shoes to rotate how the load applies to my legs and core. I have my fav as all of us have but I force myself to sometimes choose the more challenging vs the easiest.
Great topic... I'm what used to be called a Clydesdale, currently 215lbs, ~200-205 for race weight (6'5"). I tend and train towards being a forefoot runner but my technique can not be considered better than average...though I do have a neutral foot and strong arch. What I notice is the deterioration of "form" over longer distance races that in my case seemed to require wearing a more cushioned shoe from the start...I can't maintain the forefoot running for the whole race. While I can run in a Saucony Kinvara for anything under 10K and on the treadmill, I seem to have to step up the cushioning for the 1/2 marathon and longer distances to a Mizuno Wave Rider. I would love to be able to run the whole race in the Kinvara, so light and comfortable. Seems the answer might be as simple training for both strength and form...or to eat less pizza.
Brilliant comment. I agree that when going beyond 15 km that I become less focused on correct foot strike because I get tired and later in the race I just could not care how my feet land because road gets loooong. So good cushioning in my opinion, is safer.
Nice video Mark ! ... depends ... 90% of my training I use running shoes with good or hight cushioning ... and intense but short training with low cushioning ... in fact these running shoes (low cushioning) I use in competition
What also helps imo, when using a midfoot or forefoot strike is the calf muscles take up some of the load as a shock absorbent rather than it being directly transferred to the knee Running in heavily cushioned shoes allows us to be sloppy with our form, inevitably so because there is lack of direct feedback to the brain blocked by all that soft and squishy material. Not everybody knows how to run right from the get go, but that lack of direct contact with the ground extends that inability to learn which causes injuries eventually.
so I've been running in Asics since ages and then got myself the Nike Vaportfly which were the best shoes that I've ever had!!! I was getting ready for a marathon and around 3-4 weeks before the marathon this year got a severe pain in my knee... went to the doctor and after very thorough examination it turned out that the Nike shoes were not really suitable for me as they created imbalance in my leg when I was running a lot and got a little tired... so basically they intensified my already preexistant, although very slight imbalance... :( the doctors helped me a lot with therapy, etc, so I switched back to my Asics and managed to run the marathon beginning of March 2020 and came 4th among women:) Lesson learned - the super cushioned shoes should be used with care for some like me. When my slight imbalance is healed I'll try to slowly go back to Vaporfly... they are really incredible...
Thanks for the video ! Here are my thoughts on some of the arguments : 1) "Some people need cushioning based on how they run" : we were born and evolved without cushioned shoes but a majority of people can't run unless they have them ? Where is the evidence to back this up ? For me it is like watching a child go down because they can't swim and say "oh your swimming technique requires you to use a pull-buoy forever" first you need to teach him how to swim... 2) "There is no evidence to say that wearing cushioned shoes weakens the feet" : I get that it would be really hard to prove through a scientific study. However if there is no weakening how would you explain that people need a (long) transition period to get to more minimalist footwear or risk getting injured (and that they seem to be fine afterwards) ? Why couldn't I just take off my shoes or put them back on as I please ? 3) "We do not know the injury rate in prehistoric times" : obviously there is no record, but nowadays we run as a hobby so getting injured is not as big a deal. If at that time they ran miles and miles every day it was for survival. If you can't run there is no food, or you get eaten. Would you expect a pack of wolves to survive if half of them are injured every year (not counting accidents) and can't run for extended period of time ? Cushioned shoes have only existed for a few decades and injury rates are really high : where is the evidence that by wearing cushioned shoes from our early age we prevent injuries ?
Thomas in response to 2). The cushions and closed toed, very often narrow toed shoes compress your foot muscles and tendons. Makes your foot like a lever of bone, rather than a fleshy appendage. With sandals or barefoot the muscles and tendons and toes are able to splay and all of the muscles in the feet are activated each step and each liftoff. I mean the stride has tensed or flexed(relaxedly of course) muscles from landing to liftoff to cycle around to landing again. Form degrades with cushions. It’s apparent and appealing to see it happen.
I think it’s just on the basis that it’s better to run on the balls of your feet most people have flat feet which means the heel strike the running shoes with cushion make it more easy to heel strike because it doesn’t hurt and feels good to an extent. All in all it’s important to run /walk on the balls of your feet because it keep your whole body’s form intact. When you have flat feet you get pelvic tilt knee pain hip pain back pain headaches head becoming more forward you get rounded shoulders. These all lead to and are cause by muscle imbalances
Interesting video. Talking with the veteran's members of my old running club at Reading, who ran in road relays back in the 60's & 70's they used just plimsols and always laughed at all these new running shoes with Cushing.
I feel a lot of running injuries come about partly because it is such an easy sport to get in to. People often start up with no previous background and poor footwear and pick up injuries very quickly. If you invest in a well fitting pair of shoes, build up slowly while doing technique drills and some strength work then I suspect your injury risk will be highly reduced whether you run in minimal or maximal footwear!
If there's one thing that's clear from this, it's that "footware knowledge" is largely hokum and no one is very good at predicting the injury outcome of wearing a particular shoe. Kind of pathetic really given the size of the industry.
You have to take into account runners with average running form and high mileage. I run 120 kms per week at the moment and rotate between 3 different pairs of shoes some more cushioned than others. Well tomorrow is my Triumphs 17 day and let me tell you that i'm more than glad about having an easy very cushioned run !
Same here. I rotate through higher and lower cushioned shoes. The less cushioned shoes I take on less than 10km runs, the higher cushioned shoes on everything over 10km. I totally love each type of shoe within the context of the purpose I am using them fore.
ITBS led me here, and I have been doing a lot of research recently into whether switching from a stability to neutral shoe can help reduce the risk of IT band strain and injury. Ultimately I think strengthening is key to long-term success, and it would be useful to see some examples of the foot/ankle exercises you cited in this video?
I think it’s about everything being balanced. Run in minimal, run in maximal. But specialising in one over another leads in imbalances in muscle development that one style of shoe gives over another. The main goal is finding the most efficient running form for you, and not being pleased with settling with your pre-existing form and always striving for better! But that’s me 🤪
Great video. I personally prefer low drop with minimal caushioning as I feel I cam go faster and land on my mind foot rather than heel but especially begginers can end up having more injuries running like that. As said in the video it depends on your running form at the time.
I think barefoot running is the most natural way to go - except for the fact that before I started serious running training at age 14 I had been wearing shoes for, let's say, 12 years! Most of these everyday shoes had some sort of heel, and still do. to think that you can go from walking around in everyday life in shoes to running unshod is a bit unrealistic. Interestingly, Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon barefoot because he said shoes felt uncomfortable; born in Ethiopia in the 1930s he had spent most of his early life walking and running around barefoot. However, in his 1964 victory he wore shoes - a Puma racing flat I believe. In the 1960s Ron Hill and several other UK runners raced on the track barefoot. Ron ran the 10K in Mexico in 1968 without shoes and if memory serves he was the first runner home who had either not been born at altitude or spent months and months preparing for the games at altitude.
I suffered foot pain from the fascia for 10 or more year(from age 45) it’s has improved and almost gone away after moving to more cushioned shoes(Hoka). Cave man never had to deal with older humans fascia
Cushion shoes crippled my running. Switched to barefoot, haven’t been injured since. Now, on ultra long runs I will use some cushioning in zero drop shoes
@@supernoodles908 I mainly run mountain trails. With too much cushion I immediately tear something. It’s really hard finding showed that provide just enough protection. Especially for the ultra long runs
If I am not wrong, I read that NIKE actually borrowed the shoes idea from a Japanese company with a label "Tiger". The owner of NIKE (before NIKE was around) imported TIGERs from Japan and phenomenally successful in US. But later, Japanese could not supply any more shoes, NIKE began to manufacture its own shoes (with agreement from Tiger).
There's no problem running in more cushioned shoes AS LONG AS you have the proper technique. So, midfoot to forefoot strikes only, as landing on your heel absorbs the shock through a single point of impact and sends it across the body, affecting overextended knees, creating shin splits, back ache and other issues over a longer period of time. If your technique is lacking, I'd recommend transferring to the more minimalist shoes for at least a couple of months to a year, to allow your body to adjust and get used to the proper, more natural running form. Remember, as we see in this video, cushioning really hasn't been around all that long, so we didn't evolve with pillows on our feet. But we did evolve a built in absorption mechanism, which is our toes, that spread out on impact, receiving the initial shock over a wider surface and acting as a spring when lifting our foot.
I have had 2 tibial stress fractures in the past 2 years. Been Marathon running for over 10 years and was never injured, now starting to suspect my Zoom Fly’s are too unstable and squishy and causing tibial stress. Anyone else had this feeling?
I switched to brooks glycerin last year as my podiatrist said the extra cushioning would help with my plantar fasciitis. I'm not sure if they helped with that or not, but after a while I did start to develop shin splints for the first time in my life. I'm wondering too if more cushioning means a less stable landing on each step, so our muscles have to overwork to stabilise. I don't know. I realise your comment was a few years ago. Have you found any solutions/answers since then?
@@gus577 since I wrote this I think max cushioned shoes have become more stable. I do think it’s the wobble that makes it hard on your shins. The new iteration of the Alphafly (v2) really works for me but soooo expensive.
I feel like it depends on the person. I am a soccer player and I occasionally run. I started to run since I was about 13, I am 21 now but I never really learned the proper technique until I got older. I did track my senior year of high school. I ran the 800m and 1600m in a pair of Nike Pegasus 29 which have a decent amount of cushion. I tried running in mid distance spikes but I feel like the extra cushion in distance spikes and the Nike Pegasus are what I’m used to. I still prefer cushioned shoes over minimalistic ones. Maybe an actual runner will prefer minimalistic shoes since their form is better but idk just a thought.
You are only 21, practically a baby (I mean that as a compliment). Your body is still brand new. Wait until you hit 30 and older. Then various injuries really start to stack up. At your super young age, I don’t think any shoes make much of a difference (at least at first). You can run in clogs and be perfectly fine. But as you get older, footwear will make more of a difference.
As a runner for over 20 years, started in middle school, I have seen the fad of minimal shoes come and go and now it’s trying to come back. People have said they run injury free in minimal shoes but I think that comes back to the fact that they realize they have to back off the mileage to transition. How many people starting out new to running are actually overdoing it. Many injuries are due to repeating the same simple movement over and over. We generally run forward but that creates weakness in other parts of the body. Every elite runner I know uses multiple plain training, such as sideways movements agility, functional strength training and balance training. Most people don’t do this extra work. I see many new runners with shin splints or IT band issues. ITBS contributes to knee pain and that’s not from shoes. That’s overall imbalances and weekends in hips, glutes and core. So before we throw shoes out the window we should consider what actually goes into training which is more than running.
@Hasi Mausi well and I’ll quote a pro runner who once said “I’ll run and race barefoot once someone beats me running barefoot.” Since I haven’t seen anyone get close to Olympic standard for 5k on up to marathon distances barefoot. I’ll have to say competing barefoot isn’t going to get anyone close to the ability that we’re seeing to date in racing.
" When marathon running was added to the Olympics games in 1896" - bizarre statement which suggest that Olympics Games ( modern) had been taking place before 1896. The 1896 Olympics were the first Olympics of the modern area
I have been running in minimalist shoes since i started running about 5 years ago, i am currently running in Saucony Bullet a 1970 track shoes but i also run in Nike and Saucony endorphine but i can definitely feels and see a difference in my running, I can do speed drills faster but my easy pace completely breaks down after a couple of km
I'll help y'all wondering out: wear minimalist shoes for trail, semi-cushioned zero-drop for urban running (concrete, treadmill, running tracks), and finally allow yourself a generous cushion for every day walking around shoes. Last point especially, since think about it: when we walk, we literally hill-strike on concrete all day and all night. Wanna cushion against that! Probably not something crazy like Super Shoes, though. Reality is, that our biomechanics react to how hard the surface impact is, and when the actual surface is hard but the signals (due to excessive cushioning) we receive tell us it's soft we react to the hard floor as if it was soft. It causes all sorts of weird things you really don't have to expose yourself to. ...I guess it's a bit of a headache needing three different pairs (and maybe spares for those too), but that would be the best solution IMO. Barefoot? Let's be honest, we're not wild animals anymore, do you really want to dirty your feet and risk stepping into sharp rocks, or glass, or getting in contact with insects? We defeated ringworm by convincing people to wear shoes all the time outside, let's not retrace our steps there, fellows. PS. Some people would swear by minimalist shoes even for urban running: to each their own! That's something you'd want to experiment with yourself honestly.
Noone knows the long term impact/changes they are causing yet, but what is for sure is they are allowing people to train more with less doms/better recovery. They are also allowing ageing runners to continue competing and train hard. The pros outweigh the cons.
I resumed running only a couple of months ago after a nearly 40 year hiatus (I mostly cycle). In that short time I've gradually moved toward *less thick* soles, but it's possible the better tech of the shoes with thinner soles is the key. Well... that, and improved conditioning. My first month of jogging felt like I was floundering around like a catfish trying to jog. I started with adidas retro-vibe 1980s-'90s style joggers, basically dad shoes with rather thick EVA or Adiprene soles, which felt a bit sluggish and dead. Then I moved to adidas Solar Boost, a bit thinner yet very cushy. And a week ago I tried Under Armour Hovr Sonic, about the same thickness as the Solar Boost but, to me, a far better running feel. And the Hovr's Bluetooth doodad confirms that I'm doing a bit less heel strike, although my running form is still pretty awful. Anyway, I suspect it's mostly improved conditioning and better tech, rather than simply physical thickness of the soles. I also have a pair of adidas Adizero Prime Boost waiting to try when the weather warms up -- the open weave knit isn't quite right for sub-freezing temps. But the sole is quite a bit thinner than the Solar Boost so it should be interesting to compare. By spring I may be able to handle continuous 10 mile runs. So far I've progressed to 5 miles continuous runs, and occasionally 7-8 miles with intermittent walking.
I ran a barefoot 5k once. HAd to refrain from running for the next 6 days since the bones in the feet hurt so much and developed some blood callouses on the foot. I am never going to give up cushioned shoes.
It’s hardly a scientific study, but when I began running, I used 20/30mm heel drop running shoes for maybe 9 months. I was able to get through a couple half marathons, but did have a dull hip pain for several months. I then switched to the Vibram 5 fingers just to strengthen my feet and stabilizing muscles a couple days a week (I was that guy...). I ended up switching entirely to them and ran my first 7 marathons in them, injury free. I developed a quicker cadence with a mid foot strike. The shoes began to fall out of fashion and were increasingly difficult to find the performance oriented models. I switched to zero drop minimalist shoes (New Balance), and ran 4 more marathons in them. I was injured once using these shoes, but possibly due to other factors. I then took up cycling exclusively and have tried to come back to running off and on but now find it is almost impossible to find a zero drop racing flat (even more so now that I live in France). I refuse to buy into the mega cushion trend, I know it will mess up sound mechanics I have built up throughout the years. Long story short, the current trend in running shoes is kind of preventing me from diving back into running. If there are any zero drop / long distance shoes you can recommend, im all ears :)
Not a barefoot runner but i love ruuning in Asics Tarther RP, or edge. And hyperspeed. I recently tried yhe novablast, and the cushion tore my knees up. I love to almost feel what im running on.
I hate running in my minimalist shoes on the road. Spikes are for the track XC and minimalist shoes are for trails. The cushion compensates for running on the road instead of grass. I mix up the shoes based on the situation.
Tried those ON1s couple years back. Loved the fit, feel and weight. But every single run, no matter the surface i had stuff stuck in the bottoms that i had to stop and get out. Had to give them up.
Just watched the video for the first time and a lot of the theory makes sense but what i have recently discovered is the "type of cushioning" that makes a difference (certainly to me). I went from a Brooks Ghost 6 high heel-toe drop to a hoka clifton One(because of an ankle injury) and now back to a pair of brooks Ghost 13 because i was getting knee and calf issues from the Hoka trainer which have now gone away with the brooks.
When i was long distance running. Air cushioned shoes caused very painful knees and ankles. I ran best with tennis shoes. I also avoided to much running on hard surfaces. Except when racing.
Im 13 years old and I've never once in my life wore a running shoe , I've run 6-7 minute miles in Nike blazers, converse etc. i know its not a good option for me but i dont see why i should wear running shoes, and how it would benefit me the cushion feels restrictive as if it gives you feet false hope for good results, but as soon as a put on a older basketball or just sneaker it feels rougher. As if im running barefoot and ive never had a problem. Ive heard the benefits of running with minimal shoes or barefoot but with older sneakers its close to that feeling. I say wear what you think is right for you.
I'm running 4 years now (I'm at sub 1:30 21k now) and started with a high cushioning shoe (Adidas Supernova), which I love and use until today. I try to alternate the running shoes I choose (for 3 runs in a week, two would be in Supernovas, one in Nike Pegasus, or Pegasus Turbo), between a high and medium cushioning. I heard it helps prevent injury - I guess it was working for me well over the last few seasons.
Max Cushion running shoes keep my foot pain, shin splints and plantar at bay. Stiffer lower running shoes help my knees and hips. I rotate to keep all injuries at bay. I've run in Hokas but after hitting 60-70 miles per week my hips and knees went south. That was just for the pure pounding. My body probably wasn't made for that much pounding but Hokas let me hit my max miles as a runner. Altra has one called the Olympus and those are great. I'm rotating Asics right now. I have the GT 1000,Nimbus and Novablast. Other than soreness and runners knee I'm good. I dont think you can ever be pain free it's a brutal sport.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
What running shoes do you wear?
Nike Pegasus 36
Global Triathlon Network Altra Escalante!
Ultraboost 19
"Some evidence to suggest". These "scientists" love to make sensational claims. I have a pair of Asics Nimbus, and without cushioning I have all my leg hurt badly after 5 miles. Each person is different.
I switch between some Brooks Adrenaline which are more cushioned and some ON-Cloudflow which are less cushioned...
Since this is based on a lot of science and science is exact (records, data, test, etc), I can give my “anecdotal” experience first and then my data. I’m 52 now. I ran a lot in my youth in high school, played tons of soccer and was very active. After college I stopped. In my late 30’s I began suffering of high BP and other health issues and was overweight. Began running again, slowly and very short distances. Had all kind of injuries and issues. Bought different type of shoes, did tons of stretches, had gait analysis done, experts looked my gait, worked with a coach, etc. Still injuries. finally just went to swim and bike and no more running. Until someone suggested to just get rid of the shoes and try running barefoot. No one issue running... I did have to build my feet strength so started slowly and short. But no more knee pain, hip pain, plantar fasciitis, sciatica pain and throwing money on shoes. The only limiting factor for me is distance because I mostly run on concrete and yes eventually feet tire more on concrete, so no more than 5-6 miles. Longer in trails. When I want to run more I do wear medium cushion shoes with zero drop. Take your shoes off and your gait corrects itself, your cadence jumps to 180 and your heart rate slows. Now the data I see, with my Garmin I can see the data and prove that. I can even see in the data how different values like vertical oscillation, ground contact time, contact time balance and heart rate change with and without shoes. Barefoot I’m way more efficient. I hardly ever get injured now, run 4 times per week with a long run on weekends of 10+ miles which I normally do half barefoot (yes people look at me funny running with my shoes in my hands). Anyway, hope that helps someone else.
Running in minimalist shoes took away my injuries forever!
I need to try running barefoot for my short runs which is 4 miles
Wow, this helped me. Very inspirational comment. Thanks!
@@mikepeligro agree, i remembered when i first got my nike frees, they hurt alot in the first few weeks. but afterwards, much better for everything compared to my cushioned shoes
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏🏾
Personally, I don’t think we as humans were meant to run on artificially hard surfaces I.E: asphalt/concrete. So, I feel for running on concrete, shoes are really necessary for a large majority of runners.
@The Spammons Whats difficult about running on grass and sand?
Cade Granier very good point! Trail running is much softer most of the time. Really, cushioning is only there to mitigate the effects of the surfaces we have.
Every time people talk about barefoot running there is always someone bringing up "artificially hard surfaces'. Those artificially hard surfaces are actually much more forgiving and easier to run through than trails and uneven rocks/ mixed surfaces. Asphalt and concrete are non issue is you develop proper form and transition slowly.
This is probably the most sensible comment here and makes this video a grand waste of time.
@The Spammons i partially agree with your beginner comments, but i would like to say your pretentious attitude doesn't help get your points across, infact they actually make people less likely to see your point of view
I moved to minimalist shoes 5yrs ago because I was having to alter the insoles in one shoe (due to a knee problem), more and more. This started to affect my other leg. I read and practiced the exercises in Proprioception-making sense of barefoot running. I haven’t looked back, my knee doesn’t bother me anymore. I love my Merrell shoes. I make sure I exercise my feet and ankles regularly. I’m 62 and still running. 😊
same here, I was competitive running and had shin spline and knee pain. No matter which brand and tech of shoes i changed to, it doesnt help, i did some research on farefoot running and started with minimalist, all the injures never came back.. that is the power of cushion shoes marketing, it makes you think they work...
My knees would ache when I do barefoot running, I prefer cushion. How do you do it?
Since switching to barefoot running/walking and stretching the hip-flexors (tight from too much sitting) my knee and back problems have 95% gone away. I had patella tendinitis issues for years... and within 1-2 weeks of doing the above it went away.
@@unknownninja4430
Don't let the majority of your weight be shifted to your heel. Instead, your weight should first strike below the dourtbabd fifth metatarsal (the ones connected to your pinky and the toe next to it). Do to increased flexibility of the fourth and fifth metatarsal (compared to the 1st which is the one connected to your big toe) you'll be able to decrease the experienced force on your knees. This is because your foot will rotate inwardly from the outside of your foot, to your forefoot. The longer this rotation takes, the less impact you will feel.
Cooperatively, a heel strike instantly transfers the impact of your weight directly to the shin through your knee. Which can easily result in injury.
what minimalist shoes are you wearing?
Using barefoot shoes was nothing short of a revelation. Gone was the knee pain, in came a good perception of the lower body.
Of course your muscles will hurt in the first weeks or months, but they adapt.
Same story. After thinking I'd never run again, suddenly in the middle of a shroom trip I figured it all out, and went for a five mile run after having never run in years. I couldn't believe how much I missed it. I was only going to run down the street and back, thinking I'd need to knock my body back into position even if the technique worked, but ended up getting water and a red bull in a gas station miles from home and planning out my new exercise routine for the rest of my life.
Wtf 🧐
Ah your muscles adapt just like at the gym
I’m horrified that me trying bare foot shoes will cause planter factious. It runs in the family
@@osamabinlagging3511 it probably is going to prevent it. Buy them, try them, and slowly use them more if you really want to be cautious
Q: Are Cushioned Running Shoes Making You Injured?
A: Shoes do not make a runner injured, running makes an athlete injured.
our natural way of running can be easiest be found by running barefoot on wet sand [that is, unless a coach has accuses to a force plate] … the critical point is if wishing to run more naturally, changing an athletes run form will take upward of one year (It is not a case of simply changing ones shoes) … most athletes chose to not make such extreme changes (or chose not to make such changes until injury forces them to)
Great to hear mentioned the most overlooked area for the majority of triathletes: feet
It is a fact that too many athletes cycle in less than ideal shoes which result in less than ideal preparation for the following run.
good work Mark & GTN
Wishing you all a great Easter
[great in this context refers to a state of mind]
CoachW if you choose shoes that aren’t right for your feet they can cause injuries.
Triscuit 1896 That is true but that is due to the way you run. If you get neutral shoes for a foot that pronates on impact, the force from the ground goes up your ankle/shin which will cause shin splints/stress reactions. So everything connects to one another around the way you run
CoachW I agree in that it can take upwards to a year or more in changing your form to run in a more natural way. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes full time for the past four years due to having IT band syndrome. That injury moved me to changing the shoes i wear into the form i run in. It took me about a couple years to get the hang of running effectively and enjoy it fully.
It has been hard work and more than plenty of learning through trial and error, but it has been a change i do not regret at all.
True to certain extent. But I used to run on well cushioned shoes, like NB, Nike, and Asic for years. I have visited doctors at least 4 times over my foot/leg/knee injuries. One of the doctors, who was a running expert, advised me to switch to minimalist shoes like Merrell and Altra (for Zero Drop). I did that and I am please to report that I am injury free for the last 6 years.
Agreed, i'm coming back from an injury (after a few months of switching from minimalist to cushioned), just rand a half marathon barefoot on my injury actually felt better!
It is impressive that there is no study on this considering the number of practitioners of this sport. I think it is not in the interest of manufacturers that we know about this.
The conspiracy idea needs to die. Companies want to sell shoes. If the shoes see a redsign for specific reasons, then more shoes will be sold. Ultimately, they aren't going to hold back a bunch of data because they like the current design.
@The Spammons there is such thing as a bad idea. Bad ideas should be killed and preserved before they infect too many people.
@The Spammons awfully judgy for one interaction. I might not be the hopeless one.
@The Spammons no shit. Come back when you have something to contribute.
There are a ton of studies on this. Thousands of hours go into R&D for the high end running shoes
As an ex track athlete, who runs barefoot, I see technique as the main difference between shod and unshod runners. I also think that when people first think about starting running, they automatically think about shoes and not technique.
Agreed. And to add to this, a typical consumer isn't likely to walk into the store to purchase shoes having done a lot of research about technique and how this relates to shoe construction. It's most probable that the store has minimally trained sales persons. The consumer looks at the available stock, likely all heavily cushioned, and assumes that this is the way things ought to be. A purchase is made based on price, appearance, and how the shoe feels if they are able to try it on in the store. To say that shoe manufacturers are simply providing what consumers demand is a bit disingenuous. The culture was steered in this direction of cushioned shoes decades ago without regard to any actual science, and it has been the dominant way of thinking ever since then.
Yep, Im working on transitioning to some minimal shoe running. My main reason to do so is that I struggle at faster paces. I've never been a terribly fast runner, but I can't push faster than 8 minute miles because my knees end up hurt. I strike the ground way too hard because my form is awful.
My thought is to transition to minimalist shoes to force myself into better form, and then mix in different levels of cushioning depending on what I'm doing. For example, I really like Kinvara's because of their weight, and even though they're minimal cushioning, they feel super cushiony after being in barefoot shoes all day.
I always wore converse and the used Nike free run shoes 4mm drop , naturally used them for walking and gym and then just ran with them with zero issue . I did actually do research about running styles and decided I’d learn to properly run with my front of the foot and stop the heel striking I was used to in the past The few times I ran .
Iv never had pain running or weird issues. I have recently tried on some cushioned shoes with 8mm drop, they feel cool but I have a slight concern over what that will do over time
TLDR: Answer is "He doesn't know."
He doesn't know because he's selling shoes in this video! And running as a sport would barely exist without the shoe business. It's hard to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not knowing it. But the answer is known. The simple truth is we shouldn't really need shoes unless we're walking on something sharp, hot, cold etc. Just google the Tarahumara Indian feet. Those things are dirty and sometimes an ugly toe nail, but otherwise they are strong and healthy. What do they wear? A pad of rubber tied on with a strap that let your toes flatten splay out, your heel to stay flat, your skin to breath, and your natural gait mostly unchanged.
@@tayloranderson456 Great response. Thank you for responding. I think the invention of concrete and since that is what most people run on now has fueled the obsession to these shoes with pads, foam, etc.
The woman explains the science, so they have to get the 2nd guy, a shoe-lobby ass, into the video which then scrambles the thoughts of everything you just heard by the women spitting real science. The bald lobby guy just says "some people walk wrong" as if this is an argument... the women just freaking told us IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SHOES people walk wrong... when watching this kinda "argument" I feel like i'm watching a dog licking his balls thinking he is learning something new.
@@tayloranderson456 the funny thing is he tells the "truth" as if all people have changed their way of walking over 1000's of years, while there are still millions of people TODAY walking barefoot. Its just not commercially interesting to look at how much better their feet are compared to our ugly crippled feet, because it doesn't sell more shoes.
thanks! i hate when the youtubers are not succinct
I can say from my own and my fathers experience that cushioned shoes definitely caused us more injuries. We both had knee injuries and about 10 years ago we switched to minimalist shoes after our chiropractor suggested it. We also started trail running and have since done many 1/2 and full marathons on trails. We both noticed some pretty interesting things. At first our calves hurt a lot but after a few months we got used to it. We both noticed our shoe sizes shrunk 1-2 sizes due to the arches in our feet getting higher. Our forefoot got wider so we switched to minimalist shoes with a wide toe box. All of our injuries went away and we haven't had any since. Neither of us will ever go back to cushioned shoes.
Same here
So do you wear minimalist shoes all the time or only running since the switch over
@@Emmanny I do wear them all the time. My daily shoes, hiking boots, running, mtn biking, disc golf. All minimalist shoes. The only exception are my work boots, but even those are zero drop and I only wear them when I have to.
@Nate Ha Please can you give me examples/models of your minimalist shoes you use as your experience and forefoot sounds very similar to mine. Thanks.
@@finproductions I still wear my vibram 5 fingers around the yard gardening, but I don't run in them anymore. My favorite running shoes have been the New Balance Minimus, Vivo Barefoot Primus Trail, and the Altra Lone Peakes (For something with a little more cushion). These are all zero drop shoes with wide toe boxes.
Ran with cushioned shoes for eight years and was injured on average twice a year, usually pulled my calf muscle. I've been running in crocs for three years now, no injuries.
mike loshak 🤣🤣🤣🤣 the man sayin crocs
@@Diego.fromheaven there's this one family that all runs in Crocs cuz they get tons of mileage and are cheap. I actually ran a 4x800 in my Crocs as a joke and it wasn't bad lmao. The next year a kid ran a 10:03 at our home meet in the 3200 in Crocs
Gotta respect the Crocs. lol
Your calf injury has no relation to your shoes. The fact that you would even try to run in Crocs says everything about you. Fucking idiot.
Supernova chill out. Take a joke
The Tarahumara people from Mexico are some of the best long distance runners in the world, mainly running barefoot but also using pieces of discarded car tyres and string for makeshift shoes
For me, when I first started long(er) distance running, I ran in some vibrams and then some 2-3mm drop shoes, and my form improved _a lot._ I think that minimalist shoes forced me to have good form; it was either that or get injured. Those African runners who basically started out running barefoot already learned good form early on. Their biomechanics are superior from running; probably partly genetic, but I also think it has a lot to do with minimalist running shoes, or even barefoot. Your entire strides adjusts; you're more conscious, less sloppy with foot striking/placement.
People who start running later on in life, like after high school or college, picking it up in their mid-20's or 30's, don't really have the muscle memory, and then they get into these super cushiony shoes and are just sloppy, heel striking and all that bad stuff.
I run Marathons and Ultra-Marathons in FiveFinger shoes. Every time I try cushioned shoes, my knee starts to hurt after only 4k or so.
Vibram 5 fingers need a comeback. Best running shoes I've ever used
11:55 Mark, please please please go through the drills, stretches and strength routine you will return to in a new video. I guess some of it is what you mentioned at 9:17. Would make for a perfect video shot at home during the corvid-19 period.
"When Marathon Running was added to the Olympics in 1896"--The modern Olympics started that year, so yes it was added--along with all the other sports.
Bet you were fun in maths lessons
@@GoodFoShizzle it’s fun to be right ,believe me 😁
I just posted a similiar comment before seeing your post !
@@GoodFoShizzle He makes a valid point and frankly this was just lazy commentary by narrator which doesnt inspire confidence in the video
@@amblincork really mean. How many superb videos do you post every day and how soon can we subscribe.
Overlooking so many aspects, not as simple as ‘is it the shoe’. Lifestyle and sedentary rate plays a huge part in how your body reacts to the ground.
I got injured wearing Hokas. Now I wear altra racing flats(minimal and zero drop) and have been for almost a year and have been injury free since(touch wood🤞)
for me it was the opposite. The minimal or zero were hurting m feet so much, and changed to hoka and been pain free since (touch wood as well) XD
@@dirarose1 you can get zero drop shoes with cushioning - minimal is not the same as zero.
I need a 10mm or so drop. Weak Achilles and weak ankles.
@@amyx231 hope you have strong knees!
@Essex Runner
Asphalt or Trail?
Escalante, Torin?
When you support muscles they stop working and weaken, I run for 20 years in cushioned gave me flat feet and hammer toe my calves were getting injured every other week. So I transitioned to Vibram five fingers took along time had big problems with plantar fasciitis but know I get injured very occasionally. The shoe companies make millions and injury rates are not going down
did you get rid of plantar fasciitis
If you start out running with flats it’s practically impossible to use incorrect form because it will literally hurt, ur body is born with the knowledge of how to run correctly so let it do it’s job, feet are made to feel not to be cushioned with foam and air
Exactly. Your body will naturally force itself to run properly
I've been banging on about form and injuries and it's connection to gait as well for some time.
I started running in a neutral shoe and was getting great times for a beginner. Eventually though I got lazy with my form and let my feet be more and more passive. I developed a heel strike and ended up over pronating and needing a support shoe to protect my knees.
I've spent 18 months or so working on form an foot strike and have been able to switch back to neutral road shoes and even use the 'barefoot' Altra Lone Peaks for trail running.
This just reinforces my belief that poor form is probably the biggest factor in running injury.
Yip, bang on. And you can't do that on cushions.
Running barefoot or close to it makes it near impossible to run with poor form as you will quickly get a pain feedback loop when you're doing something wrong. If people started using barefoot type shoes and stopped sitting all day ... you'd see a radical decrease in low-back, knee, and foot problems.
@@Micloren
Yep, I have no idea how people run with a heel strike. Anytime I do it for even 10 meters I feel a lot of strain on my knees. I can only run with a forefoot strike.
Nightmare En absolutely correct. I’m a barefoot runner most of the time. I usually end up with injuries when wearing a running shoe for running on gravel.
Throughout my twenties and thirties I ran with heavily cushioned shoes for over pronation. I say ran - I mostly picked up injuries and stopped running a few weeks later. Fast forward to my forties and I find myself in the park running after my nephews in fashionable trainers with no support. It was a revelation. I bought myself some normal running shoes with no cushioning and now I run regularly.
Man, I hate how there’s so many people just blaming one brand for their running injuries. I wish people were more specific. Like which model of the shoe were you wearing? Do you need stability, or are you neutral? Some people never get fitted for running shoes, just buy a shoe because it’s on sale and end up with a whole load of problems. Maybe you need more support, or maybe you don’t...it truly just depends on your biomechanics. My advice? Go to a running specialty store, get fitted. If you still have injuries after that, talk to a doctor.
relax, this is just youtube
So true alot of people don't know about their feet and run in the wrong shoes.
May be the manufacturers should be clear on whose the shoes are for. Just having a size on the shoe and box means nothing. You think they have zero responsibility. They are greedy and want to sell everything. If the put what’s the shoe for , who’s it for and what happens as a result they simply cannot sell. You need to stop blaming people for this.
The tech is from the manufacturers and they are fully accountable ...
@@beamboy420 If people put even a minute of research into any running shoe from a large/ successful brand it will tell you exactly what the shoe is for. Neutral/ supportive/ cushioned/ fast/ light etc etc. Just because the box doesn't say "don't run in this shoe if you if you pronate/ have wide feet/ have an improper gait" doesn't make manufacturers responsible hahahaha
@@WilloughbyBoys a proper running/ movement shoe for humans really only has a simple job: protection without correction. All the built in orthotics (that’s what motion control shoes basically are) do nothing for pronation, or add stability. Stability comes from being low to the ground, the forefoot being able to splay, and strong feet and ankles. All of which are only found when either barefoot or in as minimal a shoe as possible
Can you make a video of these strengthening exercises please 😊
Yes please!!
Yes !
One really good one, which sounds silly, is to brush your teeth while standing on one foot with our eyes closed. I do this every night.
I was thinking the same thing maybe not necessarily a video but a list of the drills. I also take my shoes off indoors and walk like a cat, forefoot, not pounding my heels as I see others do and occasionally use a wobble board for lower leg strength
Walk around barefoot get those muscles working again
Interesting video. I’ve come across runners who run in slippers! And one of them ran so fast I could not keep up!
When i first started running, i was told by a “running professional” at a running store. Was told to buy a show for pronation correction and a 12mm drop. Was getting IT band injury over injury. My physiotherapist found i run better bare foot. So i transitioned over two years to minimalistic shoes ie: Altra escalante. I never got an IT band injury since. Ran 6 marathons in them.
The last time I ran with cushioned shoes 10+ years ago, it felt like my knee was desintegrating. Since I switched to Nike Free and Merrell Gloves I've had zero pain.
Same here
I had Nike Free, I wouldn’t call them minimal. They still have quite a bit of cushioning. I recommend checking outs something like Altra Kayenta. They are zero drop, wide toe box, low stack height and flexible in every direction. However, they offer more cushioning than Merrill Gloves, so they are great on longer runs too and rough surfaces.
No cushion hurt my feet!!!
I liked the New Balance Minimus with Vibram soles for the light weight and direct feel but they stopped making them. Now i have Salomon road shoes and they are great for support and light enough. Got cushioning but it isnt over done. They know how to do trail shoes so i am giving them a go. They also look cool in light blue and white.
I have only been running just over 40 years had lots of injuries in the past wearing cushioned shoes in the last 3 years converted to fully barefoot and minimalist running, have had next to no problems once I built up to running barefoot. I would never go back too cushioned shoes the shoe manufacturers cannot beat nature.
barefoot dog walker Except that all records are by people wearing shoes....
@@edgaravila675 That might be true but the runners are wearing shoes to earn money from sponsorship not for the longevity of their bodies. All I know is when I did long hilly runs and walks my knees would ache towards the end, since transiting to barefoot/ minimalist running I have no pains, enjoy my runs more and enjoy having no blisters or black toe nails.
barefoot dog walker that’s more of a personal anecdote than a actual fact
@@edgaravila675 unfortunately actually doing the research incredibly slow. The differences in shoes are enormous and all we have is anecdotes to go on, so in that situation anecdotes is what you get. It's kind of ridiculous given how long the debate has been raging.
@@edgaravila675 While it's ironic that it's put out by a shoe brand, this ruclips.net/video/x_rDFa6kZfI/видео.html is worth watching. My anecdotal experience agrees with it.
interesting, I never experimented with lots of cushion
when I went from cycling to marathons, I exclusively wore 'barefoot' running shoes
just because I heard they were the best for form and all that; never failed me
'Im a mid foot striker and dealt with minor aches and pains in my achilles and knees periodically. I predominantly ran in 4mm drop minimal shoes. I have currently logged over 200 km in the new Nike Infinity run which is very cushioned shoe with a 10mm drop. Not only have I not suffered any minor aches, I have also managed to increased my running load significantly. I feel a properly tuned foam(not too squishy or too firm) coupled with a 8-10mm drop along with a mid foot strike is the magic sauce when it comes to training!
As for barefoot running..my answer is cavemen may have ran for miles and miles barefoot but they didn't do it on concrete!
In my opinion, the cushioning have forced us to change technique and run heel striking.
The more natural way to run is midfoot/forefoot striking in order to propulse forward, instead of using the heels as breaks.
I would tell Mark that we don't have records of the cavemen, but we can still learn from the tribes in Africa that still hunt by chasing animals runing them until they die of exhaustion. You also have the Raramuri tribe in the North of Mexico, who are the best ultra runners of the world. They run in sandals (no cushioning) and midfoot (less impact on our legs).
Running with a big cushion in the heel creates the temptation to use the heel because that's the way we walk, so we see it as natural, when its not for running.
Using midfoot/forefoot we get to use the Achiles tendon to return energy and move us forward (think of a kangaroo how their Achiles tendons absorb and return energy as they hop at crazy fast speeds).
By using heavily cushioned trainers we neglect that use of the Achiles tendon, and in fact we load it with pressure, causing injuries.
A bit too long but I hope you find this interesting 😊
I think tribes in Africa are farming rather than hunting.
you are simply repeating what you have read online !
@@EddieOdora There are still a few bushman tribes in Africa that run they're prey down until it collapses from exhaustion. It used to be more common but times have changed.
@@amblincork And that makes it untrue? They're are many books written about the same things Jose has mentioned. Heel striking is not a natural running form.
@@Nicroh there are a lot of junk books written, so dont be too gullible about books either. some are good, some arent.
I find it rather interesting that a lot of the comments here were in favour of minimalist shoes and many commented that they experience more injuries with cushioned shoes. I have the opposite experience. Minimalist shoes causes more feet and joint aches for me. Cushioned shoes has enabled me to run with zero injuries and run longer distances. I enjoy running more now with cushioned shoes.
That has also been my experience.
try harder
It can also be the form of your run
Its great to see this channel talking about this.
Its anecdotal but sore knees, hip joints and curiosity pushed me to minimalist shoes. It took me many months but my running is better and injury free. I run up to half marathon distances in minimalist shoes on concrete and I would never consider using cushioned shoes for long distances anymore.
Those who are not serious runners dont care and are happy with their shoes which is fine - that was me a few years back. These people probably make up the majority of the market so I get why shoe companies advertise and make cushioned shoes. There is no proof that any cushioned shoe will decrease injury however its known that running how were were designed to, is the best and most injury free way. A lot of people stop running after a few weeks because they get sore knees and I cant help think that in the right shoes they could continue to run.
There is a huge lack of studies on this and maybe because the shoe companies dont want them. If shoe companies could prove their shoes decrease injuries they would have done it years ago.
I started running back in October and I went straight for the Vivobarefoot. I had no problems with them in my feet, it was legs, my quads. I felt knackered. I have recently switched to 'On'. So far I really like them, they are just enough and my form even improved from them.
I switch between Hokas (Clayton 2’s, Rincons and Carbon X) and On Cloudflows depending on what session I’m doing. I also never run in the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. I used the Carbon X for my 70.3 races last year and my first IM, they’re my go to race shoe now!
Thank you for discussing this topic. I've gone through a couple pairs (different brands) of very soft/high cushion shoes and have come to the conclusion that you can have too much of a good thing.
I'm in my mid-50's. Easing the wear and tear on my knees and reducing knee soreness was my main goal when I bought soft shoes and I think it helped. Interestingly, my knee discomfort seems to have been much more closely tied to eating a high carbohydrate diet with too many simple sugars...the soreness has nearly vanished since experimenting with keto and switching to a low/moderate carbohydrate diet, but that's a different video.
The negative aspect of the soft, thick soles for me has been using them on technical trail runs where there are lots of roots, rocks, uneven footing, etc. I think what happens is that as my foot is searching for something solid to push off of, my foot/ankle has to flex just a little bit farther than normal, on account of the squishy sole. This possibly increases my risk of rolling an ankle, and reduces my stability, agility, and safety.
Also, "softness" is going to vary from person to person. A soft shoe for a light person might provide sufficient support and response, yet the same shoe might be super squishy and inappropriate/injury inducing for a heavier person.
In general, I think using squishy soles too much puts too much unnatural strain on the tendons and ligaments in my feet and ankles. I've relegated my super soft shoes for an occasional short run on the road.
Eating too much sugar will increase joint pain.
Avoiding carbohydrates will make you weak and give you no energy. You need carbohydrates to run, but you must choose healthy complex carbohydrates. I eat maize, brown or black rice, and oatmeal with chia seeds during my long runs and I never run out of energy.
I have always found when I run with cushioned shoes, I get more injuries... But when I run minimalist, nothing (including multiple marathons, half marathons, and two half IRONMANs)! I understand that I could change HOW I run, but I always find myself falling back into bad habits when I have cushioning, and injuring myelf. I find minimalist shoes to be so much easier to run in a way that I don't injur myself - my feet just fall more naturally!
Cushioned shoes made me lazy (sloppy heelstrike technique) and I gave myself plantar fasciitis along with knee pain. Ouch! I've been running in barefoot shoes for 7-8 years and those issues haven't returned ... Merrell Vaporglove, Trailglove and occasionally barefoot!
Don't know about ALL of the claims for barefoot running but my vivobarefoots did sort out my gait which is why i got them. im flat footed but my arch is getting stronger, did injure myself a couple of times transitioning to barefoots but now i can run further than i could and have a nice forefoot strike. i needed the lack of cushioning to stop me heel striking though
I started running in minimalist shoes but my knees always hurt afterwards. I then got hoka and will never wear anything else. I feel they protect my feet and knees.
I have the same experience. Cushioned shoes enabled me to run farther with less injuries. I could never enjoy running on minimalist shoes
Me too. Minimalist shoes hurt my fragile knees
Just wondering are you a heel striker or forefoot striker?
Charlton Cruz i am still a bit of a heel striker. But not as much as back then. I am currently using ultraboost 19. You?
@@ndk4 i prefer more of a forefoot strike. I use to run short distance track and the changeover to a lower drop just in the training shoe was tremendous in making me faster. It was uncomfortable at first and my calves needed to gain strength but after I got use to it, I'm better now for it. Right now I'm riding in the saucony freedom iso
More cushion helps recovery from long runs and shoes with forefoot cushioning promote forefoot landing. Heel cushioning is necessary when tired (end of long run or race) or hilly runs encountering steeper downhills
One of the better videos I've seen on this topic. Glad you pointed out the issues with comparisons to "what we used to do". given surfaces change, speeds change, and unknown injury rates, it is an argument that has no supporting data. I've had a non-running injury that has kept me from running for a time, and now I have had to go to my cushioned shoes because my weight has increased and my form has crumbled. One day I know I will get to less cushioned, lighter shoes. But as of right now, those shoes would be terrible given my increased loading force and poor ergonomics. My cushioned shoes are unlikely to cause more injuries than bringing out my racing flats when I'm 30 lbs over race weight. I liked your second guest. Run in what makes running feel good to you. it may change as you develop as a runner. And that is fine.
I think one has to remember that back in the 1950/60s the average weight for a runner was about ten and a half stone. It was only serious competitive athletes who ran. Today people are much heavier we have an obesity epidemic and many people are running to get fit or lose weight. One also must remember the average age of a runner has gone up to about 40yr+. Today shoes must, therefore, fill very different functions to the shoes of the past. In the past lightweight shoes were needed to enhance performance. Today with a much heavier runner cushioning becomes more important this, of course, leads to a more heavy shoe but this is now being offset with carbon plates which again absorb much of the impact.
tbh most people dont consider obesity a disease or a medical condition and its sad. obesity is the indirect cause of death for many
Interesting video. I find it an interesting subject to watch with me personally going through a bit of a "shoe journey" in the last few months as I have started marathon training. It started when I noticed over winter then my "main" running shoes had a horrendous wear pattern on the heel. My research led me to the science behind running, with things like cadence (running with a cadence between 180-200 is proven to be the most efficient) and body posture. I have since introduced minimalist shoes with a higher cadence. With better posture and technique, knee pain has been significantly reduced.
You mentioned around 11 minutes about a lot more of the general public taking up running. This could be the direct catalyst in brands making cushioned shoes. The general population that I see running in my local park drag their feet, barely lifting their knees and their hands/arms not actively moving (in front of their chest, with fists clenched). Back up 100 years, if you were a "runner"- you ran and the shoes were ironically lighter and more simple design. The local park runners today would, of course, choose to have a cushioned sole for their weekly 5km.
I also don't think it's fair to use sprinters shoes from 100 years ago and compare them with a mainstream shoe you can buy in any store. Those "sprinter shoes" actually haven't changed in design. Anyone nowadays, can buy 200dollar Nikes and call themself a runner. Cushioned shoes don't tell the brain to run at our highest efficiency, and I think that has to lead to increased injuries with knees and hips from runners who have bad posture.
At 11:04, he says that those shoes from the 1800-1900s were marathon shoes as well as sprinting shoes
I think its specific to the individual. For example I am older and a little heavier than I should be. I find the extra cushion is exactly what I need! To me the answer is embedded in what the individual needs and I am happy to see so many choices out there.
I think a key thing is the surface you're running on
lol what about your knees dude
@@josecarlosxyz what about yours?
Speaking only of my own experience, I used to run cross-country every day with minimal cushioning, and it was great! Then I went to Uni in a city, suddenly I needed way more cushioning- I assumed that it was the difference in terrain, but in hindsight, I think it was more to do with ho much I was running.
At high school I was running 5-6 times a week, competing in races, etc, so my form was good and my body was setup. I was also running up and down sand dunes and across fields so my gait had lots of variety.
At Uni I was running maybe twice a week and drinking beer and eating pizza like there was no tomorrow, so I was way out of tone and I developed a stiffer technique. That's when I made the switch to a more cushioned shoe and the injuries started to pile up.
Now I'm back on running with low cushioning 2/3 times a week, cycling and swimming, and I've been relatively injury-free.
Ah... in college now, and I just had a horrendous amount of pizza and beer. Lol. Maybe I should watch that
A very convincing argument for running barefoot if presented in the book "born to run". It's very cool and I would suggest it to anyone.
This is really interesting. I can only give you my opinion as I am not an expert - except on my own experience!
My take is that it's a lot more subtle and nuanced than whether cushioning is good or bad. I think it can depend where the cushioning is and in what layer of the shoe.
I think the job of the outer-sole, midsole and insole are all relevant and where the cushioning is is as important as whether there is any.
After years of wearing standard shoes for most activities, I was persuaded to try very squishy outer-soled Skechers, which I believe ruined my feet gradually over about 3 years. I got a pre-stress metatarsal fracture after using them for miles on very hard ground. My podiatrist blamed the shoes. I think he was right.
We must remember that nowadays many people's homes have hard wooden floors and it is like being on concrete all day - especially during lockdown! I believe it does not help our feet as the soil and grass which our ancestors ran most on are more similar to carpets than hard floors.
Back to shoes...what I find now is that squishy, soft outer-soled or soft-lugged shoes sink into hard ground and my feet get no protection - they may as well be hitting the concrete directly. It's false protection. Similarly, shoes that are hard-soled with no cushion and have no centre to strike the ground alongside the heel or toe are also bad for me. They have next to no cushion on hard surfaces.
What I find works is shoes with a tough or hard outer-sole (or lugs) and a fairly cushioned (though also quite unsquishy) midsole. So Brooks and New Balance do some walkers like that and they work.
Finally, the insole can make a difference depending on what type of arches you have. Mine are fairly average, but I do find that having some low-level arch support means that the load is shared out across my foot and no just on the heel and toe areas.
My own experience will be different to others, but what I can say is having tried shoes with cushioning in all 3 areas, I think it's midsole cushioning that works best for me, and outer-sole cushioning that works least well.
After all, if we think of cars, the cushioning/supension works in different ways in different layers - tyres, coil-springs, seats etc. Our bodies are very different to cars, but I do believe that where and how you put the cushioning (suspension if you like) is important.
Hoka are getting a bad rap from some people, but I find them a mixed bag - their recovery shoes (not slides) are great on hard indoor floors as they have hard outer-soles and hard but plentiful mid-sole cushioning. The Bondi has a very squishy outer sole which is terrible for me, but the Stinson has a hard outer sole and a cushioned mid-sole which works nicely.
Finding the perfect shoe isn't easy, but I have found some things that work for me and some that don't.
I alternate running between vibram five fingers and nike free's which have a small amount of stack height and heel-toe drop. The difference in running economy, biomechanics, and feel with the vibrams is unreal despite just a few mm of cushion difference. I also spent six months hiking the 2000 mile Appalachian Trail and progressively switched to more and more minimalist shoes during the hike. One important thing i noticed when wearing minimalist shoes is that its almost impossible to twist/roll an ankle. My feet, legs, and low back have all benefitted + hypertrophy since steering away from bulky shoes half a decade ago.
Bought a pair of mid range running shoes which are heavily cushioned. I had used much firmer trail shoes previously. The result was a knee injury - perhaps it was the change of shoe but I recon the 2 significant cushion effects (cussioned insole and main sole) were the cause because my leg had to react first to soft cushioning then encounter the more firm effect. I changed the insole to a simple filler insole (no cushion) to raise the level on the shoe to allow the arch support to be the right height. This resolved the problem. I tried the insole again recently and had the same injury.
been a barefoot runner for 15 years. 3-5 miles a day. recently upped my miles to 10 or more, and recovery was abysmal until i gave cushioned shoes a try again. now that i'm using cushion, soreness is way more manageable. i've decided to still walk around and train in minimalist shoes, but use the cushioned shoes for long distance. i think if you're a heel striker, you should train yourself to become a forefoot striker. i think heel striking is what causes injuries.
I can tell you two things from a life time of running in all different kind of terrains, once your knees are damaged (like mine with cartilage damage). 1st: if you continue running, you'll end up semi crippled, 2nd: if you use shoes without cushioning (even for walking after the damage) you'll make the damage even worse. The other bit of advice is give up running when your 50 and use bike instead, I kept on running until I was 62 and then next day after a good 8 mile run (last 4 miles 7 min/miles) I could hardly walk. No indication, no prior warning, they just went; sometimes you get a warning that something is going wrong (which many fanatical runners like me would have ignored anyway, I suspect). A year after that my left foot arch collapsed, probably due to the compensating way I was now walking.
The next mistake I made was following the suggestions of another runner and use bare foot shoes for walking, this exacerbate everything and then some. Six years later and now I require the support of shopping trolley to get round the supermarket just to make it tolerable, I can walk on pavement for around 5 minutes, I can walk on soft surfaces like grass and sand for a couple of miles but that's about it. I bought a pair of Cloudmonster running shoes a month back and found that they make it significantly easier to walk on hard surfaces, you can draw your own conclusions from that, Cloudmonster are about the most cushioned shoes you can get.
I'm just going by my history with shoes. It seems to be mirroring others. I am a larger runner so I went with the more cushioning to, as was said, to reduce the force. It was fine for a while. Found that my favorite shoe was the Dyad 7. Then they "tweeked" the design and things started to go south with my knees. I had a hard time finding a shoe that worked for me.
THen our local shoe store had it's annual shoe sale. I wante to give other shoes with the large heel foam a try. I could feel each one of them in my knees (yes, Hoka was the worst). Why not go in the opposite direction, less heel. I found that the Brooks Levitate was my Godsend. Less heel and my knees were feeling good.
So yes, I'm in agreement that less heel is better....but that's just me. You're mileage may vary.
Same here - I had no problems decades back with the Saucony Courageous. After it went off the market I could not find a better shoe ever since...
It's really annoying that no one has the guts to give a definitive answer. I know that there isn't a definitive answer, but something along the lines of "from what we currently know, shoes X are best at preventing injuries". I run for health reasons, so I don't give a damn about performance, and the amount of ambiguity is super annoying.
Tbh this video is somewhat of a joke.
First they get a scientist that confirms the connection between heal strikes and injuries, and the correlation to higher stack shoes. Guy doesn't like it, so he invites a shoe geek who almost drools every time he says the word shoe. Guy agrees with the shoe aficionado because it reflects his experience (pure confirmation bias at work).
Science is rarely ever complete and definitive. But it does not take a massive leap of imagination to argue that nothing about our evolution favors the heal strike or in fact cushioning. They are unfit solutions for problems we created. Feet have the highest density of nerve endings in the entire body. The achliles tendon is meant as a spring, not a shock absorber. Even running on concrete only requires cushioning if improper form is use (some sort of protection from gravel, glass, etc. is not a bad idea tho). The dots are there for us to connect.
There is not a definitive answer because people are never taught how to run properly (anyone remember being taught how to run in school?), so we use band-aid fixes and wonder why our knees ache and why we get shin splints.
Could you do a video explain the drills you are doing to improve technique? Xxxx
Run faster.... Don't bash your heels into the ground... Through away your hokas they are for the elderly ( 80+)
My first half marathon was completed in a New Balance Minimus with zero drop and today I use a Nike Zoom Fly 3 which is a whole different world. But for trail (and that's my natural habitat) I use 6 different types of shoes to rotate how the load applies to my legs and core. I have my fav as all of us have but I force myself to sometimes choose the more challenging vs the easiest.
Thanks for once again doing such a smart job on running topics.
Glad you like them!
Great topic... I'm what used to be called a Clydesdale, currently 215lbs, ~200-205 for race weight (6'5"). I tend and train towards being a forefoot runner but my technique can not be considered better than average...though I do have a neutral foot and strong arch. What I notice is the deterioration of "form" over longer distance races that in my case seemed to require wearing a more cushioned shoe from the start...I can't maintain the forefoot running for the whole race. While I can run in a Saucony Kinvara for anything under 10K and on the treadmill, I seem to have to step up the cushioning for the 1/2 marathon and longer distances to a Mizuno Wave Rider. I would love to be able to run the whole race in the Kinvara, so light and comfortable. Seems the answer might be as simple training for both strength and form...or to eat less pizza.
Brilliant comment. I agree that when going beyond 15 km that I become less focused on correct foot strike because I get tired and later in the race I just could not care how my feet land because road gets loooong. So good cushioning in my opinion, is safer.
Nice video Mark ! ... depends ... 90% of my training I use running shoes with good or hight cushioning ... and intense but short training with low cushioning ... in fact these running shoes (low cushioning) I use in competition
What also helps imo, when using a midfoot or forefoot strike is the calf muscles take up some of the load as a shock absorbent rather than it being directly transferred to the knee
Running in heavily cushioned shoes allows us to be sloppy with our form, inevitably so because there is lack of direct feedback to the brain blocked by all that soft and squishy material. Not everybody knows how to run right from the get go, but that lack of direct contact with the ground extends that inability to learn which causes injuries eventually.
The ironic thing is, the only shoe that got me injured was from ON. Never again
Maybe a Video on foot strengthening and technique drills and training?
so I've been running in Asics since ages and then got myself the Nike Vaportfly which were the best shoes that I've ever had!!!
I was getting ready for a marathon and around 3-4 weeks before the marathon this year got a severe pain in my knee... went to the doctor and after very thorough examination it turned out that the Nike shoes were not really suitable for me as they created imbalance in my leg when I was running a lot and got a little tired... so basically they intensified my already preexistant, although very slight imbalance... :( the doctors helped me a lot with therapy, etc, so I switched back to my Asics and managed to run the marathon beginning of March 2020 and came 4th among women:)
Lesson learned - the super cushioned shoes should be used with care for some like me.
When my slight imbalance is healed I'll try to slowly go back to Vaporfly... they are really incredible...
Wow good recovering in that short time and congrats with being 4th.
Gg
Thanks for the video ! Here are my thoughts on some of the arguments :
1) "Some people need cushioning based on how they run" : we were born and evolved without cushioned shoes but a majority of people can't run unless they have them ? Where is the evidence to back this up ? For me it is like watching a child go down because they can't swim and say "oh your swimming technique requires you to use a pull-buoy forever" first you need to teach him how to swim...
2) "There is no evidence to say that wearing cushioned shoes weakens the feet" : I get that it would be really hard to prove through a scientific study. However if there is no weakening how would you explain that people need a (long) transition period to get to more minimalist footwear or risk getting injured (and that they seem to be fine afterwards) ? Why couldn't I just take off my shoes or put them back on as I please ?
3) "We do not know the injury rate in prehistoric times" : obviously there is no record, but nowadays we run as a hobby so getting injured is not as big a deal. If at that time they ran miles and miles every day it was for survival. If you can't run there is no food, or you get eaten. Would you expect a pack of wolves to survive if half of them are injured every year (not counting accidents) and can't run for extended period of time ?
Cushioned shoes have only existed for a few decades and injury rates are really high : where is the evidence that by wearing cushioned shoes from our early age we prevent injuries ?
Thomas in response to 2). The cushions and closed toed, very often narrow toed shoes compress your foot muscles and tendons. Makes your foot like a lever of bone, rather than a fleshy appendage. With sandals or barefoot the muscles and tendons and toes are able to splay and all of the muscles in the feet are activated each step and each liftoff. I mean the stride has tensed or flexed(relaxedly of course) muscles from landing to liftoff to cycle around to landing again. Form degrades with cushions. It’s apparent and appealing to see it happen.
I think it’s just on the basis that it’s better to run on the balls of your feet most people have flat feet which means the heel strike the running shoes with cushion make it more easy to heel strike because it doesn’t hurt and feels good to an extent. All in all it’s important to run /walk on the balls of your feet because it keep your whole body’s form intact. When you have flat feet you get pelvic tilt knee pain hip pain back pain headaches head becoming more forward you get rounded shoulders. These all lead to and are cause by muscle imbalances
Poluer I agree with what you say a hundred percent
Interesting video. Talking with the veteran's members of my old running club at Reading, who ran in road relays back in the 60's & 70's they used just plimsols and always laughed at all these new running shoes with Cushing.
I feel a lot of running injuries come about partly because it is such an easy sport to get in to. People often start up with no previous background and poor footwear and pick up injuries very quickly. If you invest in a well fitting pair of shoes, build up slowly while doing technique drills and some strength work then I suspect your injury risk will be highly reduced whether you run in minimal or maximal footwear!
If there's one thing that's clear from this, it's that "footware knowledge" is largely hokum and no one is very good at predicting the injury outcome of wearing a particular shoe. Kind of pathetic really given the size of the industry.
Totally agree
You have to take into account runners with average running form and high mileage. I run 120 kms per week at the moment and rotate between 3 different pairs of shoes some more cushioned than others. Well tomorrow is my Triumphs 17 day and let me tell you that i'm more than glad about having an easy very cushioned run !
Same here. I rotate through higher and lower cushioned shoes. The less cushioned shoes I take on less than 10km runs, the higher cushioned shoes on everything over 10km. I totally love each type of shoe within the context of the purpose I am using them fore.
ITBS led me here, and I have been doing a lot of research recently into whether switching from a stability to neutral shoe can help reduce the risk of IT band strain and injury. Ultimately I think strengthening is key to long-term success, and it would be useful to see some examples of the foot/ankle exercises you cited in this video?
I think it’s about everything being balanced. Run in minimal, run in maximal. But specialising in one over another leads in imbalances in muscle development that one style of shoe gives over another. The main goal is finding the most efficient running form for you, and not being pleased with settling with your pre-existing form and always striving for better! But that’s me 🤪
I've been a heal striker my whole life and never had any injuries or problems until I bought a pair of Nike Renew shoes that have the big foam heels.
Great video. I personally prefer low drop with minimal caushioning as I feel I cam go faster and land on my mind foot rather than heel but especially begginers can end up having more injuries running like that. As said in the video it depends on your running form at the time.
This was a wonderful, balanced and well put together video. Glad you got actual experts to put their two cents in!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think barefoot running is the most natural way to go - except for the fact that before I started serious running training at age 14 I had been wearing shoes for, let's say, 12 years! Most of these everyday shoes had some sort of heel, and still do. to think that you can go from walking around in everyday life in shoes to running unshod is a bit unrealistic.
Interestingly, Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon barefoot because he said shoes felt uncomfortable; born in Ethiopia in the 1930s he had spent most of his early life walking and running around barefoot. However, in his 1964 victory he wore shoes - a Puma racing flat I believe. In the 1960s Ron Hill and several other UK runners raced on the track barefoot. Ron ran the 10K in Mexico in 1968 without shoes and if memory serves he was the first runner home who had either not been born at altitude or spent months and months preparing for the games at altitude.
I suffered foot pain from the fascia for 10 or more year(from age 45) it’s has improved and almost gone away after moving to more cushioned shoes(Hoka). Cave man never had to deal with older humans fascia
Cushion shoes crippled my running. Switched to barefoot, haven’t been injured since.
Now, on ultra long runs I will use some cushioning in zero drop shoes
If I'm road running, cushion shoes. If I'm running on grass, sand, off road etc I wear minimal
@@supernoodles908 I mainly run mountain trails. With too much cushion I immediately tear something.
It’s really hard finding showed that provide just enough protection.
Especially for the ultra long runs
If I am not wrong, I read that NIKE actually borrowed the shoes idea from a Japanese company with a label "Tiger". The owner of NIKE (before NIKE was around) imported TIGERs from Japan and phenomenally successful in US. But later, Japanese could not supply any more shoes, NIKE began to manufacture its own shoes (with agreement from Tiger).
There's no problem running in more cushioned shoes AS LONG AS you have the proper technique. So, midfoot to forefoot strikes only, as landing on your heel absorbs the shock through a single point of impact and sends it across the body, affecting overextended knees, creating shin splits, back ache and other issues over a longer period of time. If your technique is lacking, I'd recommend transferring to the more minimalist shoes for at least a couple of months to a year, to allow your body to adjust and get used to the proper, more natural running form. Remember, as we see in this video, cushioning really hasn't been around all that long, so we didn't evolve with pillows on our feet. But we did evolve a built in absorption mechanism, which is our toes, that spread out on impact, receiving the initial shock over a wider surface and acting as a spring when lifting our foot.
I have had 2 tibial stress fractures in the past 2 years. Been Marathon running for over 10 years and was never injured, now starting to suspect my Zoom Fly’s are too unstable and squishy and causing tibial stress. Anyone else had this feeling?
I switched to brooks glycerin last year as my podiatrist said the extra cushioning would help with my plantar fasciitis. I'm not sure if they helped with that or not, but after a while I did start to develop shin splints for the first time in my life. I'm wondering too if more cushioning means a less stable landing on each step, so our muscles have to overwork to stabilise. I don't know. I realise your comment was a few years ago. Have you found any solutions/answers since then?
@@gus577 since I wrote this I think max cushioned shoes have become more stable. I do think it’s the wobble that makes it hard on your shins. The new iteration of the Alphafly (v2) really works for me but soooo expensive.
@@martincornwellmckeown6019 great, thanks the reply :)
I feel like it depends on the person. I am a soccer player and I occasionally run. I started to run since I was about 13, I am 21 now but I never really learned the proper technique until I got older. I did track my senior year of high school. I ran the 800m and 1600m in a pair of Nike Pegasus 29 which have a decent amount of cushion. I tried running in mid distance spikes but I feel like the extra cushion in distance spikes and the Nike Pegasus are what I’m used to. I still prefer cushioned shoes over minimalistic ones. Maybe an actual runner will prefer minimalistic shoes since their form is better but idk just a thought.
You are only 21, practically a baby (I mean that as a compliment). Your body is still brand new. Wait until you hit 30 and older. Then various injuries really start to stack up. At your super young age, I don’t think any shoes make much of a difference (at least at first). You can run in clogs and be perfectly fine. But as you get older, footwear will make more of a difference.
11:40 Always amazed by the tenacity people have. They don’t let their shortcomings get the best out of them.
As a runner for over 20 years, started in middle school, I have seen the fad of minimal shoes come and go and now it’s trying to come back. People have said they run injury free in minimal shoes but I think that comes back to the fact that they realize they have to back off the mileage to transition. How many people starting out new to running are actually overdoing it. Many injuries are due to repeating the same simple movement over and over. We generally run forward but that creates weakness in other parts of the body. Every elite runner I know uses multiple plain training, such as sideways movements agility, functional strength training and balance training. Most people don’t do this extra work. I see many new runners with shin splints or IT band issues. ITBS contributes to knee pain and that’s not from shoes. That’s overall imbalances and weekends in hips, glutes and core. So before we throw shoes out the window we should consider what actually goes into training which is more than running.
@Hasi Mausi well and I’ll quote a pro runner who once said “I’ll run and race barefoot once someone beats me running barefoot.” Since I haven’t seen anyone get close to Olympic standard for 5k on up to marathon distances barefoot. I’ll have to say competing barefoot isn’t going to get anyone close to the ability that we’re seeing to date in racing.
" When marathon running was added to the Olympics games in 1896" - bizarre statement which suggest that Olympics Games ( modern) had been taking place before 1896. The 1896 Olympics were the first Olympics of the modern area
I have been running in minimalist shoes since i started running about 5 years ago, i am currently running in Saucony Bullet a 1970 track shoes but i also run in Nike and Saucony endorphine but i can definitely feels and see a difference in my running, I can do speed drills faster but my easy pace completely breaks down after a couple of km
I'll help y'all wondering out: wear minimalist shoes for trail, semi-cushioned zero-drop for urban running (concrete, treadmill, running tracks), and finally allow yourself a generous cushion for every day walking around shoes.
Last point especially, since think about it: when we walk, we literally hill-strike on concrete all day and all night. Wanna cushion against that!
Probably not something crazy like Super Shoes, though. Reality is, that our biomechanics react to how hard the surface impact is, and when the actual surface is hard but the signals (due to excessive cushioning) we receive tell us it's soft we react to the hard floor as if it was soft. It causes all sorts of weird things you really don't have to expose yourself to.
...I guess it's a bit of a headache needing three different pairs (and maybe spares for those too), but that would be the best solution IMO.
Barefoot? Let's be honest, we're not wild animals anymore, do you really want to dirty your feet and risk stepping into sharp rocks, or glass, or getting in contact with insects?
We defeated ringworm by convincing people to wear shoes all the time outside, let's not retrace our steps there, fellows.
PS. Some people would swear by minimalist shoes even for urban running: to each their own! That's something you'd want to experiment with yourself honestly.
Noone knows the long term impact/changes they are causing yet, but what is for sure is they are allowing people to train more with less doms/better recovery. They are also allowing ageing runners to continue competing and train hard. The pros outweigh the cons.
I resumed running only a couple of months ago after a nearly 40 year hiatus (I mostly cycle). In that short time I've gradually moved toward *less thick* soles, but it's possible the better tech of the shoes with thinner soles is the key. Well... that, and improved conditioning. My first month of jogging felt like I was floundering around like a catfish trying to jog.
I started with adidas retro-vibe 1980s-'90s style joggers, basically dad shoes with rather thick EVA or Adiprene soles, which felt a bit sluggish and dead. Then I moved to adidas Solar Boost, a bit thinner yet very cushy. And a week ago I tried Under Armour Hovr Sonic, about the same thickness as the Solar Boost but, to me, a far better running feel. And the Hovr's Bluetooth doodad confirms that I'm doing a bit less heel strike, although my running form is still pretty awful.
Anyway, I suspect it's mostly improved conditioning and better tech, rather than simply physical thickness of the soles. I also have a pair of adidas Adizero Prime Boost waiting to try when the weather warms up -- the open weave knit isn't quite right for sub-freezing temps. But the sole is quite a bit thinner than the Solar Boost so it should be interesting to compare. By spring I may be able to handle continuous 10 mile runs. So far I've progressed to 5 miles continuous runs, and occasionally 7-8 miles with intermittent walking.
I ran a barefoot 5k once. HAd to refrain from running for the next 6 days since the bones in the feet hurt so much and developed some blood callouses on the foot. I am never going to give up cushioned shoes.
It’s hardly a scientific study, but when I began running, I used 20/30mm heel drop running shoes for maybe 9 months. I was able to get through a couple half marathons, but did have a dull hip pain for several months. I then switched to the Vibram 5 fingers just to strengthen my feet and stabilizing muscles a couple days a week (I was that guy...). I ended up switching entirely to them and ran my first 7 marathons in them, injury free. I developed a quicker cadence with a mid foot strike. The shoes began to fall out of fashion and were increasingly difficult to find the performance oriented models. I switched to zero drop minimalist shoes (New Balance), and ran 4 more marathons in them. I was injured once using these shoes, but possibly due to other factors. I then took up cycling exclusively and have tried to come back to running off and on but now find it is almost impossible to find a zero drop racing flat (even more so now that I live in France). I refuse to buy into the mega cushion trend, I know it will mess up sound mechanics I have built up throughout the years. Long story short, the current trend in running shoes is kind of preventing me from diving back into running. If there are any zero drop / long distance shoes you can recommend, im all ears :)
Hey! You inspire me to make RUclips Videos about running. Thank you for making videos...
🥳🏃♂️☺️
Nice history of the running shoes! And some sensible advice.
Not a barefoot runner but i love ruuning in Asics Tarther RP, or edge. And hyperspeed. I recently tried yhe novablast, and the cushion tore my knees up. I love to almost feel what im running on.
I hate running in my minimalist shoes on the road. Spikes are for the track XC and minimalist shoes are for trails. The cushion compensates for running on the road instead of grass. I mix up the shoes based on the situation.
Tried those ON1s couple years back. Loved the fit, feel and weight. But every single run, no matter the surface i had stuff stuck in the bottoms that i had to stop and get out. Had to give them up.
Just watched the video for the first time and a lot of the theory makes sense but what i have recently discovered is the "type of cushioning" that makes a difference (certainly to me). I went from a Brooks Ghost 6 high heel-toe drop to a hoka clifton One(because of an ankle injury) and now back to a pair of brooks Ghost 13 because i was getting knee and calf issues from the Hoka trainer which have now gone away with the brooks.
When i was long distance running. Air cushioned shoes caused very painful knees and ankles. I ran best with tennis shoes.
I also avoided to much running on hard surfaces. Except when racing.
Im 13 years old and I've never once in my life wore a running shoe , I've run 6-7 minute miles in Nike blazers, converse etc. i know its not a good option for me but i dont see why i should wear running shoes, and how it would benefit me the cushion feels restrictive as if it gives you feet false hope for good results, but as soon as a put on a older basketball or just sneaker it feels rougher. As if im running barefoot and ive never had a problem. Ive heard the benefits of running with minimal shoes or barefoot but with older sneakers its close to that feeling. I say wear what you think is right for you.
I'm running 4 years now (I'm at sub 1:30 21k now) and started with a high cushioning shoe (Adidas Supernova), which I love and use until today. I try to alternate the running shoes I choose (for 3 runs in a week, two would be in Supernovas, one in Nike Pegasus, or Pegasus Turbo), between a high and medium cushioning. I heard it helps prevent injury - I guess it was working for me well over the last few seasons.
radkiewicz Whats your 5K pr?
@@Diego.fromheaven 19:17 :)
radkiewicz good job, how old are you? I kinda have the same numbers☺️
34 :), 178cm, 80kg
radkiewicz Im 180cm 70kg and 20☺️
Max Cushion running shoes keep my foot pain, shin splints and plantar at bay. Stiffer lower running shoes help my knees and hips. I rotate to keep all injuries at bay. I've run in Hokas but after hitting 60-70 miles per week my hips and knees went south. That was just for the pure pounding. My body probably wasn't made for that much pounding but Hokas let me hit my max miles as a runner. Altra has one called the Olympus and those are great. I'm rotating Asics right now. I have the GT 1000,Nimbus and Novablast. Other than soreness and runners knee I'm good. I dont think you can ever be pain free it's a brutal sport.
Everyone body response diffrent with how they run and how often. I dont think its a one size fits all method for everyone.