Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading.

ABSTRACT: Running shoe cushioning has become a standard method for managing impact loading and consequent injuries due to running. However, despite decades of shoe technology developments and the fact that shoes have become increasingly cushioned, aimed to ease the impact on runners' legs, running injuries have not decreased. To better understand the shoe cushioning paradox, we examined impact loading and the spring-like mechanics of running in a conventional control running shoe and a highly cushioned maximalist shoe at two training speeds, 10 and 14.5 km/h. We found that highly cushioned maximalist shoes alter spring-like running mechanics and amplify rather than attenuate impact loading. This surprising outcome was more pronounced at fast running speed (14.5 km/h), where ground reaction force imp

SUBMITTER: Kulmala JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6269547 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature