Footwear design article review.
Running footwear has changed a lot since the running boom of the 1970s. How do you know what is the best shoe for you? Unfortunately, there is a lot of information out there, but not all of it is supported by research.
I have completed an article review that discusses the 4 most common paradigms for choosing running footwear.
Although more research needs to be done, there appears to be pretty strong support for not choosing a pronation control shoe. (I run in one actually, but I do deal with posterior tib pain now and then…humm).
Impact force modification also has studies that show that wearing a minimalist shoe does not mean you will change your foot strike and that means you will actually have a higher impact peak than being in a “normal” shoe. Maximalist shoes may have some protective value as it seems to be less likely to cause running pain or time lost from running than people who wear minimalist shoes, but no change was round in multiple studies for ground reaction forces and vertical impact peaks.
The last two paradigms of habitual joint motion path and comfort filter have minimal to no evidence to support using them as a selection at this time, but these are newer models.
As the article stated the general consensus on performance is this: lightweight shoes that are comfortable. This indicates efficiency of movement and comfort.
Bear in mind that this is just one article review, but I found it interesting and insightful. I hope it gets your mind thinking about what goes into choosing a running shoe.