“I have knee pain when I am running. I think I need to change my shoes.” This is the kind of sentence I hear very regularly in the clinic. Runners who I treat often think the shoes they are wearing are the reason for their injury – the root of all evil. Finding the right shoe is therefore the number one priority for them and they have their hopes set high that the new shoe will protect them from the next injury.
Unfortunately, there is always more to it than meets the eye. Training errors, biomechanical issues, strength and mobility deficits or even poor nutrition and sleep patterns can be part of the puzzle which is why running injuries can be challenging to treat, especially if you manage them on your own over a long period of time.
Still, finding the right shoe is important and may even affect performance. Navigating through the big offer out there can be quite overwhelming. Your next-door neighbour might tell you that minimalist shoes, which come quite close to barefoot running, are the solution for all your problems. Your running buddy is going well in Hoka’s though, a premium cushioned shoe, and he urges you to give them a try. The reality is, neither may work for you and getting the right advice is important. A shoe is something personal and multiple factors go into the decision, which shoe you should choose. Injury history or the current injury, training volume, running goals, body weight, personal preferences and experiences with previous brands/shoes, running technique, foot type and strength deficiencies can all be part of the decision and to discuss every possible detail exceeds the capacities of this blog. Instead we will give you an idea about some basic considerations you may need to make when purchasing a road running shoe. If you are looking for a trail running shoe this article can still be helpful, but there may be some additional considerations you need to make.
Comfort, stack height, heel to toe drop, shoe width and the weight of the shoe are factors you should consider when you purchase your running shoe. Comfort is very important. Even if all the other factors seem to be right for you, if the shoe does not feel comfortable you will most likely not enjoy running many kilometres with them. Reality is, if you find a shoe that feels super comfortable you are probably on the right track already.
The stack height is essentially the thickness of the sole and indicates how well cushioned the shoe may be (e.g. minimalist vs. HOKA shoe). As a rule of thumb, I recommend heavier and/or novice runners to wear shoes with more cushioning. Lighter and more experienced runners may be able to transition into “flatter” shoes over time and use them for training or racing purposes. Sudden changes from a large stack height to a small one should be avoided.
The heel to toe drop is referring to the millimetre difference of the heel and forefoot of the shoe. 0-4 is considered a low drop. Shoes that range between 10-12mm have a bigger heel to toe drop. A bigger heel to toe drop may cause a runner to land more-so on their heel, whereas a lower drop may support a more natural running stride. This doesn’t mean that you can’t run well in a 12mm shoe. There is no perfect heel drop that works for everyone. Most likely you may need to experiment to find what works for you. For novice runners I often recommend a 4mm or 6mm shoe as a starting point. Generally, I say to my runners: “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”. If you considering a change then you need to ensure that this change takes place gradually over weeks and months. A sudden change from a 10-12mm to a 4mm shoe for example can contribute to the cause of injuries such as a calf tear or achilles tendinopathy as your running biomechanics and the load on certain structures in your body suddenly increases which each stride. Avoid changing more than 2-4mm at a time and do even this gradually over several weeks. Week one you would wear the new shoe maybe for just one run and then transition gradually over a total of 3-4 weeks.
Shoe width refers mostly to the room in the toe box. You want to feel comfortable in the shoe. A shoe that feels already tight around the forefoot in the store will most likely feel even more uncomfortable when you run, especially if you run bigger kilometres and your feet may be swelling. Compression around the foot, caused by a shoe that is too tight, may lead to injury. On the other side you also want to avoid having that much room in the toe box, so that you are feeling as if you are “swimming” in the shoe. It really comes back to comfort here, which was the initial factor I spoke about in this article.
The weight of the shoe may impact your performance. A lighter shoe may aid better performance but consider that lighter shoes often mean less support and cushioning. A true racing flat for example is very light, but often has a low stack height and may therefore not be ideal for training purposes for some or even most runners. Elite runners often race in flatter shoes than what they train in. If you do aim to transition into lighter shoes you should do this with care gradually over many months.
To summarise, it is important to remember that changes to running footwear should be made gradually to avoid injury and that every runner has different aspects he or she may need to consider. A lot of the specs that you need to find are available online these days. Websites like runrepeat.com often have decent information on the shoes of your interest. Even the websites of the brands themselves have improved over the years and often provide you with good insight about the specs. If you need more advice with choosing the best footwear, we are certainly happy to help.
Thomas Wendt