Cushioned Running Shoes are Hurting Your Running

If you're an avid enthusiast of cushioned running shoes, you're certainly not alone. They're incredibly popular and for good reason—they promise to protect your feet from the hard impacts of pounding the pavement. However, are these shoes actually helping your running in the long run?

Today, we're diving into how these beloved shoes might be hurting your performance and what you can do to fix it.

The Conventional Shoe Dilemma

Conventional running shoes with thick cushioned soles have become the go-to for many runners. They aim to soften the blow from the hard surfaces we frequent. Sounds ideal, right? I thought the same until about a decade ago when Christopher McDowell's Born to Run caught my attention. The book challenged my perspective by suggesting that our go-to running shoes might be creating more problems than they solve.

Your foot, an incredible instrument of motion, is meant to align naturally and provide its own unique padding system. However, additional cushioning inhibits this natural stride, allowing runners to hit the ground harder due to less feedback from the terrain. Raised heels can shorten the Achilles tendon, while narrow toe boxes stifle muscle movement—ultimately resulting in weakened feet.

I've observed this first-hand at our club trail runs. Many road runners find our terrain challenging, waking up muscles they hadn't used before, resulting in soreness and surprise. The comfort of cushioned shoes is effectively deactivating key muscles in your feet and lower legs, making you weaker over time. So, how do you fix it?

Functional Shoes

Enter functional shoes. Designed to complement natural foot movement, these shoes feature a wide toe box and flexible soles, all of which encourage a more natural stride. Functional shoes have a consistent height from heel to toe (zero drop), ensuring a better feel for the ground and encouraging the body to adjust more naturally when you run. I'm not talking about extreme barefoot or 5 finger shoes, more like the Altra or Topo brand style.

Five Benefits of Functional Shoes

1. Strengthen Your Foot and Lower Leg Muscles: These shoes enable the engagement of intrinsic foot muscles, promoting stronger calves and ankles. Unlike traditional shoes that do the work for you, functional shoes enhance these muscles over time.

2. Improved Response and Balance: With less material between your foot and the ground, you receive better sensory feedback, allowing subtle real-time adjustments to improve balance and reduce the risk of injury from missteps.

3. Encourage Better Running Form: The lack of heel cushioning naturally leads to a midfoot or forefoot strike pattern, aligning your stride more effectively and reducing impact stress on knees and hips.

4. Natural Foot Spread and Toe Splay: A wider toe box allows natural toe spread and better stability, avoiding adverse conditions like bunions and hammertoes.

5. Reduce Dependency on External Support: By not relying on arch support, your feet learn to stabilize themselves, addressing the root causes of issues instead of merely managing symptoms.

Transitioning to Functional Shoes

You've likely heard of zero drop shoes before and perhaps felt discomfort trying them. Know that this reaction is common and transition requires patience. If you're used to deeply cushioned shoes, take these steps gradually, think of it as a 2 to 3 month process:

• Start Barefoot: Spend more time barefoot at home or in safe outdoor settings to build natural foot strength.

• Ease Into Functional Casual Shoes: We spend most of our time not in running shoes. Before diving into functional running shoes, start with casual pairs. Wearing them around the house initially can help your feet get accustomed.

• Progress to Functional Running Shoes: When ready, slowly introduce running functional shoes into your runs. Begin with a couple times a week on your shorter runs and gradually increase your mileage, ensuring it remains comfortable rather than painful.

A Final Note on Patience and Progression

Switching to functional shoes takes time and patience, but the dividends in performance and foot health can be substantial. Challenge yourself to think differently about your shoes, and see the transformation in your running journey.

Embracing functional footwear isn't just about changing how you run. It’s about strengthening your feet over time. Being barefoot or in functional shoes 95% of the time strengthens your foot muscles naturally, keeping you nimble as you age!

Thank You for Tuning In!

I hope this post was helpful. If you want to run smarter and longer, consider joining our Free "Forever Running Club". We'd love to have you! Click this link to join. See you there, and until next time, keep those feet moving!