Sometimes runners become shocked at the moment when they fall with their new pair of shoes. But all the runners, researchers, and manufacturers are still in a debate with the question of – does the running shoe cause or prevent injury?
Researchers are always trying to figure out if the shoes are designed to prevent injuries or not. On the other hand, the companies claim that their running shoes help end your injuries.
Running injuries are a highly complex issue. 90% of runners get injured every year, which is the ratio of millions of athletes. A new pair of running shoes can change your running style along with raising your risk of injury. So stay careful while you’re choosing your next pair.
In This Post
Do Running Shoes Cause or Prevent Injury?
Most specialists don’t agree with the runners as they impose the role of footwear in injury. Research has been held for four decades in the Journal of Athletic Training, and they have finally reached this opinion that shoes don’t cause any injury.
Suppose you’ve any podiatric issues like compartment syndrome, then you should try suitable running shoes. If you’re searching for running shoes for compartment syndrome for the first time, you should know some factors too. Will they cause injury or not? Will they be beneficial to you?
Here we’ve collected some of the factors that will tell you do running shoes cause or prevent injury or not
Shoe Construction
You have to know that shoe construction and design are different things. However, several studies are comparing minimalist running shoes along with conventional shoes. Actually, there is no strong evidence of running shoe design as well as injury risk.
And the reason for the shortage of data is there are a huge amount of running shoes available. Companies often change the model design year to year. Multiple runners reported that they felt astonished about these possible model ranges.
But the truth is still many runners fell in injuries. These types of running injuries are noticeably occurring over the last few decades. So the question arises what factors in shoe construction are related to injury risk?
Cushioning and Impact Forces
Most runners believed that well-cushioned shoes helped to reduce injury risk. But the theory behind this is they can absorb the impact of the forces then the three times of the runner’s body. But how accurate is the fact? A scientist in Canada collected data over 25 years based on the impact forces along with the foot pronation. In this research, he works with the development of running-related injuries.
Cushioning and Plantar Pressure
In a Finnish study which was published in 2018, they find that increased heel or even wearing midsole cushioning is not a remedy for reducing running injury risk. If you contrast with the controlled shoe, then cushioned shoes can pick pressure and decrease the loading pressure significantly by 17% to 33%.
Lateral Stiffness
Most of the runners overlooked one of the essential factors in the shoe design, which is lateral stiffness. When you wear shoes with a midlevel of torsional stiffness, it can reduce any type of lower extremity injury by more than 49%. Overusing can lower the injury by 52%, which is really great.
How Does Running Shoe Design Affect Injury Risk?
Though there are no typical rules, some show designs can help you to decrease certain aspects of your injury risk
Heel-Toe Drop Does Matter
The way force passes through your legs is affected by how high the heels of your footwear are compared to the forefoot.
Shoes With Higher “drop” or “offset”
You should move the effect into the knee and the hip. As well as take the force from the feet, Achilles, and ankles. This will be the best if you have sore calves but strong knees. Then you should choose shoes with more drops. This will redirect the pressure you’re creating to those more vital parts where it can take.
Shoes With Low Drop
These types of shoes move the impact of the force away from your knees and hips to the other lower parts of the body. Some of the minimalist shoe manufacturers have the idea of preventing injuries to knees and hips. But this type of foot is proper for the runner with robust feet and the people who have knee or hip pain.
Best Way to Prevent Running Injuries
Overuse is the underlying cause of many common running injuries. Runner’s knee is a condition that occurs when the rear of the kneecap begins to wear out and causes pain.
Runner’s knee is a loss of quadriceps strength. This can occur if you aren’t wearing correctly fitted or supportive shoes. Focusing on hip strengthening and your quads to keep the kneecaps aligned to avoid the runner’s knee.
How Do I Pick Shoes That Reduce My Injury Risk?
Ask yourself where you usually get injured when you run. Look for shoes with a lower drop if it’s above the knee. Or look for shoes with more balance and then try it. Select the one that is always the most relaxing. Consider color, brand recognition, and the ones you believe will make you appear the coolest at the local club run.
Best Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
- Wear shoes that fit well and are appropriate for your running needs.
- Running shoes are the only protective equipment that runners have to keep them safe from injury.
- Make a plan for your training. Including strengthening exercises and stretching will help you stay strong and reduce the risk of injury.
- Stretching helps you acquire flexibility by keeping your muscles limber.
The Real Reason You Get Injured
To put it another way, don’t think of shoes as a panacea or the source of your injuries. Instead, see them as part of a comprehensive strategy for avoiding damage. The majority of running injuries are accompanied by the inadequate, repetitive strain that ultimately causes a bodily part to fail.
Finding shoes that allow you to run in your best condition is an excellent place to start. Because this will ensure that the way you absorb the force of impact corresponds to what your body is most adapted for. Rotating between different shoe models should result in more variance in the distribution of impact forces.
But shoes are only one single part of the solution. If you want to change the stresses on your body, then cross-training is another way. You have to consider that you’re running on different surfaces, landscapes, topography, as well as there is day-to-day variety in distance or intensity.
Wrapping Up
In some sense, shoes can cause injury, but the manufacturers are unwilling to accept the fact. As a runner, you can prevent all these injuries in some cases. All the fundamental concepts help reduce stress on the body by changing the impact pressures of running. The second primary strategy to reduce your chance of injury is to improve your body’s ability to withstand stress.
Strength training, appropriate movement patterns, a healthy diet, as well as adequate sleep all contribute to this. Footwear is essential but, in the end, it’s up to you, what you put on your feet to keep you healthy as a runner.