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Cold shoes = less cushioning? (Read 183 times)

Mysecondnewname


    This is a goofy question, but since joining the more miles than temperature club this year, I've noticed that my shoes seem to feel a lot stiffer.

     

    I decided to look this up, and have found this reference on the topic:  http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/running-shoes-in-cold-temperatures/

     

    However, I can't find any studies that correlate cold-induced measurement changes with perceived differences by actual runners.

     

    Therefore, just askin':  Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?  If so, has changing to a more cushioned/newer shoe made a discernable difference in cold weather?

    zoom-zoom


    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      I always noticed it when I wore NB.  Perhaps less so with the Nike Frees I've been in for a couple of years, now.  I wonder if some cushioning compounds are more susceptible to this effect…?

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

        It sure seems that way. And, on really warm days, my shoes sometimes feel too soft.


        an amazing likeness

          I should just shake my head in bewilderment and move on...but....


          Really?

          The shoe starts out at room temp.

          Your foot is warm and gets warmer as you run.

          Sure, the ground's cold, but the shoe doesn't get rock hard or anything.

           

          Throw on some thicker socks to offset the slightly stiffer cushioning....call it a wash.  no?

          Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.


          ultramarathon/triathlete

            I used to wear the Asics DS Trainers to race in and when it was really could, I could feel what seemed to be a support brace in the arch that I could not feel when it was warm.  Other friends wearing the same shoes in the same cold said the same thing.  It was weird and uncomfortable.

            HTFU?  Why not!

            USATF Coach

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            Latent Runner

              Can't say I've ever noticed any difference.  I must be an insensitive slob.  Smile

              Fat old man PRs:

              • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
              • 2-mile: 13:49
              • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
              • 5-Mile: 37:24
              • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
              • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
              • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

                Frozen dirt is harder than dry, unfrozen dirt.

                Snow is usually softer than unfrozen dirt.

                 

                These would definitely confound anything I'd see about changes in temperature with respect to shoe being firmer or not.

                 

                 

                That said, years ago when I ran on asphalt, I swore the asphalt got harder in colder temperatures. (it does to some extent, but that may have been the shoe issue with technology from 15+ yr ago)  (our asphalt up here gets soft when we get temperatures in the 90s, so that a bike kickstand will dig in)

                "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
                NikoRosa


                Funky Kicks 2019

                  Can't say I've ever noticed any difference.  I must be an insensitive slob.  Smile

                   

                  Me too.  I have never noticed any difference.

                  Leah, mother of dogs

                    I don't notice a big difference until about -30, but at that point, the shoe is definitely harder.  I specifically remember this happening with Kinveras, but I think just about anything will. Foamed plastic gets more rigid when it gets cold, I don't think this should be a surprise.

                    elodie.kaye


                      I've noticed.  For me, it needs to get down to around 10ºF or below before it's perceptible, but I agree with others that differences in terrain are greater.  I run in an urban environment over a mix of ice, snow, slush and pavement.  The relative variation in surfaces swamps the change in cushioning.

                      That said, I usually rotate 3 or 4 different models of shoes, and prefer firmer midsoles.  Maybe that makes it more likely that I'll notice a difference, I don't know.  I do know that some models I find mushy in the summer feel just right in the winter.  The Kinvaras that were fine in the fall feel a bit harsh now.  I can't say I've ever been injured by this effect.  More commonly I get foot fatigue early in the season from uneven footfalls in rutted hardpack.

                        Totally depends on the shoe, the midsole compound.   EVA does have a lot of temp fluctuations

                        ---------

                          I'm not 100% sure on the exact figures but I was once told by an exercise physiologist that the body absorbs about 85% of the impact when running and the shoes about 15%, so even if the EVA hardens a little in the cold, we are talking peanuts!  Just run!

                          Cyberic


                            Ran at -18 celcius (0 Farenheit I think) today and didn't notice. Never noticed before either.

                            Cyberic


                              Today it was -27celcius (-17 F) on the thermometer (-38C with the wind chill factor (-36.4F) although that doesn't count for the shoes) and I did notice my shoes were harder.