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Alyssa Jochen
Adam Padgett
ENGL 102
November 14, 2016
How Running Shoes Affect Running Related Injuries
Running injuries are a common occurrence among the running community. The majority
of runners have gotten an injury from running at some point in their life. Most people believe
that its their shoes that are causing all of their problems. So, to combat this, shoe companies are
always coming out with the latest and greatest in running shoe technology. They are always
adding more cushion and more support and coming up with different things to add to their shoes
that they think might help stop injuries. So, most people believe that all of the new running shoe
technologies are really going to help decrease the risk of injury, but I have concluded that it is
other factors, not the running shoes, that affect the rate and risk of injuries.
One of the reasons running shoes dont reduce injuries is because they make runners have
an unnatural running pattern. The running stride that we were born with is not flawed, otherwise
we would have adapted to have a different stride. Its the same reason we walk and run on two
legs instead of on four. If one observes a group of people running barefoot across a smooth, flat
area, they will all have a very similar stride and landing pattern that is due to the anatomy of the
human body. But, when a running shoe is added, the cushion in the heel area of the shoe makes
the heel area heavier which in turn causes the majority of runners wearing the shoe to strike heel
first. This heel strike is the unnatural part as it would be way too painful if we tried to strike heel
first while running barefoot. Since the human body is great at repairing itself, barefoot running
will naturally convert habitual [shoed], heel strike runners to a [Natural Heel Strike] pattern

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(An, 1). An states that vertical loading rates are a risk factor of running injuries (An, 1), so a
lower vertical loading rate means a lower risk of injury and a higher vertical loading rate means a
higher risk of injury. A runners natural stride is one where their foot strikes on the ball of the
foot rather than the heel. Landing on the ball of the foot decreases the amount of shock that goes
into ones body while running. The authors study concluded that VALR [Vertical Average
Loading Rate] and VILR [Vertical Instantaneous Loading Rate] of runners who NHS [Non Heel
Strike] were significantly lower than those who ran with HS [Heel Strike] (An, 3). This shows
that the unnatural stride pattern that running shoes give the wearer puts them at a higher risk for
injury because they would have a higher vertical average loading rate and a higher vertical
instantaneous loading rate than a barefoot runner or someone who runs and strikes on the ball of
their foot. And, since advanced and specialized running shoes create an unnatural stride, these
shoes could not reduce the risk of injury.
Many people assume that the more advanced, or specialized, a running shoe is, the better
it will be at preventing injury. Specialized shoes tend to have a lot of support and cushion in
them, so the theory is there will be less shock absorption by the body while running which can
lead to a lower risk of injury. This isnt always the case. Blaise Dubois found that there was no
significant difference in injury occurrences in runners that wear traditional shoes compared to
runners that wear minimalist shoes. This shows that shoes with heavy support and cushioning
performed just as well as shoes with almost no cushioning and support and whose only job is
to provide protection from the running surface. Although, Dubois did state that a larger study
would need to be conducted with a total of 116 subjects per group would be needed to detect a
clinically significant difference of 20% (Dubois, 161). In fact, Martin Schwellnus and George
Stubbs contradicted this as well when they conducted a study which showed that even when

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runners who [underwent] a structured lower limb clinical biomechanical assessment and [were]
then given advice on running shoes (based on matching the lower limb alignment to the shoe
characteristics), did not report a lower incidence of running injuries when compared to runners
who did not receive this advice (Schwellnus and Stubbs, 149). This shows that even when
someone was given professional advice and was professionally fitted for running shoes that were
perfect for their feet, they still had the same risk of injury as someone who picked out a
random pair of running shoes or a pair of running shoes that they thought would be the best for
them. When someone has a good running economy, their risk of injury is decreased due to their
body being more efficient. Running economy (RE) is typically defined as the energy demand
for a given velocity of submaximal running, and is determined by measuring the steady-state
consumption of oxygen (VO2) and the respiratory exchange ratio (Saunders, 465). Sarah Ridge
conducted a study in which a group of runners were a control group with traditional shoes, and
another was a group that transitioned to minimalist running shoes to test if their running
economy was improved, stayed the same, or got worse. She found that both groups showed
improvement in running economy (Ridge, 646), which shows that both types of shoes are
equally as effective.
Something that not many people consider is how theyre wearing their shoes that might
be affecting injury rates. Marco Hagen and Ewald Henning proposed that rather than specialized
running shoes decreasing injury rates, it could be something as simple as the way one ties their
running shoes. Their study of different ways to lace up running shoes, ranging from extremely
tight to extremely loose, concluded that the weakest lacing condition [had] about 7.5% and
8.4% lower impacts than [regular] and [tight] respectively (Hagen and Henning, 270). This can
make a very significant difference when runners are assuming that they need to get better, more

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advanced shoes because of their injuries, but in reality, they should try to lace their shoes a
different way first. Also, it could mean that just because one buys a more specialized pair of
running shoes doesnt mean that theyre actually doing anything to reduce the risk of injury. The
shoes that they just bought could be laced in a different, better way than their old shoes, which is
what is actually causing the reduced injuries.
There are other factors that could be influencing injury rates and occurrences if it isnt the
running shoes that one is wearing. Daniel Ramskov tests the occurance of injuries by changing
running intensity in one group and running volume in another. He was checking for differences
from the baseline statistics in running frequency and running progression, but intended for them
to follow a fixed pattern for both groups. Ramskov defines running frequency as the frequency
at which participation in a series of stimuli per unit of time takes place (Ramskov, 4). He
defines running progression as the percentage in- crease in training load per unit of time
(Ramskov, 4). He defines running volume as the total quantity of running (Ramskov, 4).
Lastly, he defines running intensity as the qualitative component of work performed in a given
time (Ramskov, 4). Ramskovs studys outcome were running related injuries, which he defined
as An injury sustained on muscles, joints, tendons and/or bones during or after running and
attributed to running. The injury must have caused a training reduction (reduced distance,
intensity, frequency etc.) for at least 7 days (Ramskov, 7). His hypothesis was correct because
what he found is that when he increased the running volume and running intensity, the risk of a
running related injury increased. The results of the study show how other factors can influence
injuries.
Joseph Molloy conducted a study on factors that influence injuries among U.S. military
recruits. He states that little (if any) evidence supports [running on soft surfaces reduces

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injury] (Molloy, 513). The runners gait just needs to be adjusted depending on the type of
surface they are running on. He also believes that the arch of the foot can also affect injury risk.
Someone with a normal arch has a lower risk and foot type extremes likely increased risk for
tibial stress injury (Molloy, 514). Molloy also states that specialized running shoes dont have a
significant impact on injury risk. There was no difference in injury rates among 1,332 male U.S.
Army Brigade Combat Team soldiers wearing any of the three traditional shoe types (motion
control, stability, cushioned/neutral) or minimalist shoes. Also, the way the runners feet rotate
while running doesnt make a difference. The Oxford English dictionary defines pronation as to
turn or hold (a hand, foot, or limb) so that the palm or sole is facing downwards or inwards. It
defines supination as to turn or hold (a hand, foot, or limb) so that the palm or sole is facing
upwards or outwards Runners with pronated, supinated, and neutral foot postures to be at
similar risk for injury (Molloy, 514). This shows that runners dont need to buy running shoes
that are specialized to the way that their feet rotate because it wont decrease their risk of injury.

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This chart shows the type and number of injuries sustained by runners following a threeweek period of running. The study was trying to show if running more than three kilometers a
during the first week would increase the risk of injury in runners who were beginners or obese.
Compared to an average weight or experienced runners, there were more injuries. One could
come to the conclusion that someone should know their bodys limits and if they go over said
limits, they will have an increased risk of injury. This shows that weight and experience can play
a factor in the risk of running injuries.
Overall, advancement and specialization in running shoes doesnt do anything to decrease
the risk of injury in runners. In reality, it is other factors that arent shoe related that affect injury
risks. Running injuries are always going to be around and as long as the focus is on improving
running shoes, things will never change. The risk of getting a running injury will change and
decrease once people start focusing on proven causes of injuries and researching on ways to fix
them.

Works Cited

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An, W., M. J. Rainbow, and R. T. H. Cheung. "Effects Of Surface Inclination On The Vertical
Loading Rates And Landing Pattern During The First Attempt Of Barefoot Running In
Habitual Shod Runners." Biomed Research International 2015.(2015): 1-7. Academic Search
Alumni Edition. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Dubois, Blaise, et al. "Effects Of Minimalist And Traditional Running Shoes On Injury Rates: A
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial." Footwear Science 7.3 (2015): 159-164. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Hagen, Marco, and Ewald M. Hennig. "Effects Of Different Shoe-Lacing Patterns On The
Biomechanics Of Running Shoes." Journal Of Sports Sciences 27.3 (2009): 267-275.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Molloy, Joseph M. "Factors Influencing Running-Related Musculoskeletal Injury Risk Among
U.S. Military Recruits." Military Medicine 181.6 (2016): 512-523. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Ramskov, Daniel, et al. "The Design Of The Run Clever Randomized Trial: Running Volume,
-Intensity And Running-Related Injuries." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 17.(2016): 1-11.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Ridge, Sarah T., et al. "The Effect Of Training In Minimalist Running Shoes On Running
Economy." Journal Of Sports Science & Medicine 14.3 (2015): 643-647. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Saunders, Philo U., et al. "Factors Affecting Running Economy In Trained Distance Runners."
Sports Medicine 34.7 (2004): 465-485. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

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Schwellnus, Martin P., and George Stubbs. "Does Running Shoe Prescription Alter The Risk Of
Developing A Running Injury?." International Sportmed Journal 7.2 (2006): 138-153.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.