The Great Shoe Debate

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For the last couple of years there has been a raging debate in the running community around what's the best shoe to wear.   For many years the thought was that the best way to prevent injury was to make running shoes that had thicker soles and elevated heels which would control pronation of the foot.   Theoretically this was to reduce the impact of the foot striking the ground.   The problem was that there was no evidence to prove that adding this extra cushion helped.  It did make replacing shoes frequently a necessity, which brought in more money to shoe companies.   I've heard the advice to replace my running shoes every 300 miles (which for me can be years or 3 or 4 months depending if I'm on a running kick. )

Then came the book Born to Run and along with it a newfound craze to run as close to barefoot as possible.   

Let's all run barefoot guys!

I've read the book and I really enjoyed it.  I think it's a good read and has an interesting take on the history of running.  It's a good motivator for running if you need one.    It also makes the argument for barefoot running, or minimalist running.   The idea being that we were born without shoes, and that our bodies were made to run without shoes, so we should find shoes that replicate the barefoot experience.   This would help minimize injuries.  However, there has been little data to prove this and there have been a couple of studies which may suggest that this isn't the case.  If you want a good article that is much more articulate at describing the debate go to this website.  

The reality is that there isn't a lot of evidence that matters on either side.  A lot of studies look at biomechanical differences, which I don't care that much about.   What I always try to look for in any scientific study on humans is what is the actual impact on the person.  How many injuries are associated with each type of shoe.   It also has to be free from bias - read not paid for by a shoe company.  It looks like there may be a randomized control trial coming up that may shed some light on the subject.

So what shoe do you use?  Does it work for you?  Do you struggle with injuries?   I have converted to the minimalist shoe, but only after a prolonged break in period.  It's pretty easy to break them in when you're starting from no running at all.   The biggest issue I see with barefoot running is that people make the change too quickly and exchange one set of injuries for another.   

I really like my minimalist shoe.   The main reason is that it got me jazzed about running again and as I've mentioned previously, getting me excited about running can be challenging.   I'd love to hear form folks that run about what shoe they like to use. 

If all else fails you can try these: