Could this revolution in shoe design be the ‘holy grail’ for athletes seeking an end to running injuries?
The human foot was never designed for wearing shoes. It functions best when walking barefoot on soft natural ground, yet most of us in developed countries spend our lives entrapped in supportive and restrictive footwear and walk on hard, flat surfaces. We can say with some confidence that where an individual has a particular foot type (pronator or supinator) involving excessive movement, the wearing of shoes/trainers that limit or restrict these movements is likely to be beneficial in limiting or reducing the risk of injury. On the other hand, shoe support can simply mask the underlying problem without tackling the weakness that may result in injury. It’s little wonder foot problems are so common – and not just amongst runners with punishing training schedules. Now a fundamental new design in shoes holds out the promise of strengthened foot musculature, and an associated reduction in injury. In Running Biomechanics: increase efficiency, strength & speed we survey the evidence for this
