Running shoes and injuries (again) (Read 783 times)

Hey SkBunny - I'd like to read your article but can't get the link to work. If it's just me, ignore me. If not, could you fix it?

That is why we have Nike Frees and Vibrams.

The great irony is that the google ads on the side of this blog are all for shoe stores...

the article doesn't mention that in the last few thousand years where people went unshod and had no injuries (although it doesn't say how that conclusion was reached) they didn't run primarily on asphalt/tarmac/concrete surfaces. Personally i have had no problems from shoes although I've only been running for around 9 months (i have 3 pairs in rotation). There's absolutely no way i will be running barefoot on any of the surfaces i currently run on. I have tried running on a treadmill barefoot - and the arches of my feet hurt before i've done a mile. If I run in my regular trainers the same happens. Sorry but i think it's bunkum....maybe it'll work for others but it's not for me. Running shoes definitely work for me. Seems to me that more injuries are caused by people choosing the wrong shoes, or being mis-sold dodgy pairs.

Cushioning is one thing - I for one welcome some cushioning. High heels and wedged soles are another thing, they force your feet to move in an awkward way and yet it is impossible to find a shoe without things. I also find that the wedges are in such a way as to make it easier for you to sprain an ankle! [All shoes have a firmer medial midsole that further contributes to that, but some shoes seem to have at least a higher lateral, though still softer, insole]. These design decisions seem to be quite random to me... I talked to an 8i0-yo ex champion hurdler - he says that when they did longer training sessions they used to raise the heel a little bit with a bit of rubber in order to relieve the ankle joint from doing too much work..

I have suspected this for some time:

The authors conclude that running injury rates are greatest in users of the most expensive shoes because advertising has deceived these users into believing that the shoes provide a superior level of safety thereby inducing an attenuation of impact moderating behavior, increasing impact and injury.

I usually shell out about between $89-$95 for a pair of shoes. I always look at the $135 shoes but, just don't think another 40 bucks are going to make me a much better runner. I think running shoes are like stereo equipment. You have to be willing to make an investment to get a decent shoe but, beyond a certain point you're spending big dollars for incremental differences. That being said, I retired my Mizunos yesterday (411 miles) for a new pair of Gel Asics. Although it's hard to make a definitive judgement from just one run, I like the extra cushioning. On an 8+ mile run yesterday the knee pain & the hip discomfort I'd been getting late in my runs were gone.