Not all cushioning in a running shoe is created equal. Some underfoot cushioning has a softer, more cushy feel whereas others are firmer and less squishy. But, which one is best for injury prevention?
Its been well-reported (references below article) that the worst type of shoe cushioning is the kind that is extra soft and very compressible because it was found to increase mechanical shock on the leg, while mechanically taxing the ankles during running as compared with firmer cushioning and running barefoot or in minimalist shoes.
Presumably for injury prevention, runners would benefit the most in a softer cushioned running shoe, yet we have lots of scientific evidence that proves otherwise.
In a review paper by Robbins & Gouw in the journal, Sports Medicine, the data revealed that the softest running shoe produced the greatest amount of shock, and that runners were better off literally running barefoot or at least in barefoot-simulated footwear.
Why would running without shoes be significantly safer than running in cushy shoes?
- When a runner runs barefoot, the nerves in the feet are most activated which directly prompts a reflex in the leg called the impact-moderating behavior reflex, which helps you engage a forefoot strike, over heel strike, while also engaging a shorter stride, more controlled foot pronation, a safer positioned shin angle and knee-joint at landing.
- All of this adds up to the least amount of net impact than running in any cushioned running shoe because there is no important influence on impact reduction and running form correction than the feel of the ground, which is obviously most optimized when barefoot.
- Equally noteworthy, most of the impact protection in running comes from foot strike whereby forefoot striking is the least force-intensive foot strike pattern because it puts in motion the mechanics, like a shorter stride, a higher-control, controlled foot pronation and safer shin, knee and torso angles that collectively prevents the kind of impacts linked to most injuries as compared with heel strike running.
Conversely, one of the many reasons soft, thick cushioned running shoes keep injuries going is by preventing the impact-moderating behavior reflex from engaging the low impact mechanics listed above, which in turn, exposes the musculoskeletal system to greater shock, and injury risk.
One area vulnerable to injury by soft cushioned running shoes is the ankle.
In their landmark research, Robbins and Guow revealed softer running shoes increases vertical axis stiffening (greater downward force) because the runner struggles to gain secure support in response to an unstable surface (that being the soft running shoe). The result is a sharp increase excessive ankle motions in attempt to stabilize the plantar (underfoot) surface when soft running shoes are worn.
Furthermore, it is well-reported by Leuthi et al. that the ankle angulation rate soared to 112% when barefoot runners ran in soft running shoes.
Why?
Soft running shoes reduces ground-feel at the feet, which in turn, impedes the communication lines between the nerves that line the bottom of the and the ankles, making the ankles less capable of maintaining posture stability of the foot. This is why it is common to get an ankle injuries in these running shoes, and is fundamentally why thick soft cushioned running shoes lack a record of success in preventing injury.
The Take Home Message
To run with less impact in the most sustained way, there has to be higher levels of ground-feel to fully bring on board the impact-moderate behavior reflex because it is this reflex that activates a forefoot strike, a shorter stride, safer knee and shin angles at landing, higher cadence, more stable foot steps and a sturdier ankle. And, the more you run barefoot, or barefoot-like minimalist shoes, the more these immediate improvements that get better with time, and become hardwired in your muscle memory because nerve change with experience. This means, the more you run barefoot or in minimalist shoes, the nerves re-wire to uphold all the right elements that make up a low-impact, high-efficiency running style with less mechanical defections for if you run in cushioned shoes.
This is why you don’t have to ditch your cushy running shoes, you just have to include more barefoot running or minimalist running into your training, so that you can train your brain to run properly in standard running shoes. This is why barefoot running continues to be relevant and effective. In fact, here are all the evidence-backed reasons barefoot running can take your training to new levels, fast.
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References:
Luethi SM, Denoth L, Kaelin X, et al. The influence of the shoe on foot movement and shock attenuation in running. In Jonsson B (Ed.) Biomechanics X-B, pp. 931-935, Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign II, 1987
Robbins SE and Gouw GJ. Athletic footwear and chronic overloading: a brief review. Sports Med, 1990; 9(2):77-85.
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