If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you or someone you know owns a pair of ultra-cushioned running shoes, like HOKA’s.
They are the biggest fad in the running shoe industry, and every manufacturer out there keeps up with the Joneses and does their best to make the most oversized midsoles out there.
Unfortunately, a recent study of 700 runners found that these foot marshmallows cause more injuries.
Researchers from the University of Florida’s Sport Performance Center examined over six years’ worth of data about the injury history and shoe type features—weight, cushioning, and heel height—of more than 700 racially and ethnically diverse endurance runners ages 12 to 77. They also used special treadmills and motion capture videos to analyze running gait. They asked participants to identify their running “foot strike,” which refers to how the foot first touches the ground (1).
The studies’ findings showed that those wearing thick-heeled sneakers while running had a higher injury rate.
Additionally, runners with thicker heels weren’t as accurate at identifying their foot strike as runners with less cushioned shoes (i.e., foot dyskinesia), a likely factor in the high injury rates.
Why?
- Increase of ground reaction force. The extreme cush dampens your brain and body’s ability to sense the ground, increasing the force we put into the ground. So, instead of the regular 1000-1200 Newtons of force we put into the ground, it could be double that number in super-padded shoes.
- Loss of proprioception. Just like standing on a foam pad challenges your balance and control, these shoes reduce your brain’s ability to sense your body in space, forcing you to rely more on the shoe for stability instead of your muscles and joints, increasing the risk of injuries like ankle sprains or knee pain.
So, should we all burn our HOKA’s?
No. The ultra-cush shoes are suitable for something, but not as our daily running shoes.
Here are five tips to help you buy the RIGHT running shoes the next time you are at the store.
- Make sure the insole is wide enough for your feet by pulling it out and standing before buying.
- Make sure the shoe break lines up with your foot’s break by doing this test.
- Go for a test run in the shoes and make sure there are no hot spots (i.e. material creating and abrasion).
- Make sure they are the right shoe for the right purpose (i.e., don’t wear trail shoes if you’re a road runner or vice versa).
- Get a Foot ID scan at a place like Fleet Feet. They are a great tool to help you select the right shoe.
I hope this helps all my running friends out there avoid injuries. However, if you are dealing with something you can’t kick, you should come in and see me for a gait analysis, soft tissue work, and a rehab program. I am a super nerd for this stuff and love to help runners keep running.
Sources
- Accuracy of self-reported foot strike pattern detection among endurance runners https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1491486/full
- Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35980-6
