If you want some further reading on this topic, particularly in terms of shoe cushioning in relation to impact-related running injuries, check out: _"Kulmala, JP., Kosonen, J., Nurminen, J. et al. Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading. Sci Rep 8, 17496 (2018)."_
Shoes were made to help "solve" a problem because we created hard road surfaces. Sure, running barefoot through grass and dirt would be ideal, but we don't really have spots in most major communities where that's an option. For years most people have been walking around in shoes, too tight around their feet, and with collapsible foam and rubber, making their feet and leg muscles underdevelop. The same goes for "stability" shoes. You need to develop the muscles to stabilize your body - you can't just pick up a pair of shoes that will "fix" instability - in fact, most of the time shoes like this will actually cause rubbing issues and make you have even more instability problems. When I was 12 or 13 I had orthotics and after about a year and a half I decided to toss them in the trash because they helping with my flat feet - which never really seemed to be an issue anyway because my legs, hips, knees, calves or anything didn't hurt - and with my logically thinking mind, I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that unless I actually do exercises to promote building and Arch in my foot and better Achilles and calf strength, orthotics won't do anything but be annoying plates in my shoes that raise my feet and make shoes uncomfortable. That's why I try to run in shoes that mimic a natural foot strike, with a wide toe box, minimal heel to toe drop, and lots of hard ground feel. Sure, in a marathon my feet start to hurt a little bit after 20 mi, but I'd rather feel that way than have a ton of injuries all the time. I run in Newton Running shoes.
Perfect timing, James! I was about to head out for a long run using my Invincibles (coincidentally in the same blue/orange color scheme you keep showing in the video 😂). I've always noticed more knee soreness after running in the Invincibles but didn't understand why. I'll be swapping in my SuperBlasts (my all time favorite shoe) for today's long run instead. One note of criticism though - this video is almost comically repetitive. I'd recommend re-editing it down to half the length.
Yes, while the Superblasts have a huge stack height, they feel much firmer and responsive, while the Invincibles are mushy - incredibly comfortable during the run but causing more discomfort afterwards, possibly for the reasons James articulates in the video. (At least that's my experience given my body stature and running mechanics). Maybe I'll try something less maximalist in my next pair.
Anecdotal, but for me, I recently got my first pair of high stack carbon plated shoes, and while they make me objectively faster, they feel much less stable than more "pedestrian" shoes. I feel like I get more glute activation with them. I used to wear running shoes for daily use but have switched to shoes with no support for daily wear, and I feel that has helped strengthen my feet so I can keep wearing highly cusioned shoes for runs. I think it can be valuable to have a rotation of shoes with different profiles
I believe if every runner were to run barefoot on a treadmill, it would change their view on an appropriate shoe. I would have SWORE I was striking mid foot. But, when I ran barefoot, I immediately felt my heel striking which was painful and not sustainable. So I naturally transitioned to a forefoot strike, which is the only way to run naturally. I have since bought a few pairs of Xero shoes and zero drop Altra's. All my other shoes (Hoka's, Saucony, Asics, etc) I only wear casually now. I now focus on forefoot landing and all my aches and pains have disappeared. The documentary on "Born to Run" and the book itself is highly recommended about this subject
I agree definitely that many people get cushioned shoes when they shouldn’t be, basically just how the video says. However, if you are running on hard surfaces (ie not off-road), then barefoot shoes are simply too harsh on the body for running. I have always tended to go for shoes that more bare bones, with a good layer of foam but are the shoes that are generally described as firm and responsive due to them being more minimalist. You also have to be careful with forefoot striking over long distances because it can put huge amounts of strain on the Achilles and the calves, because when running long distances we are not designed to forefoot strike. However, this is nuanced, as landing on the forefoot and then allowing the foot to rock back on the heel is very good when done perfectly. I will also add that heel striking is also completely fine if done correctly, and everyone is different so some will be better off doing one or the other
This made a lot of sense with the experience I've had. I've never really got on with highly cushioned shoes. I found the nimbus the worst, the novablast 4 is as cushioned as I want to go for easy runs. I have a rotation of 4 shoes, mostly with different stack heights.
Spent over 500 on all the new running shoes when I got back into it a month ago. Thought i was good to go. I ramped up the miles weekly, started upping my pace and then... i ended up in a boot lol. Luckily its not terrible but two weeks off of training has been rough. Now im studying foot mechanics and doing rehab in barefoot shoes. Foot/leg mechanics is far more important than cushion. Cant wait to get back , and better!!
barefoot minimilist shoes are the way to go if you want long term no / reduced injuries . its all out there , read born to run etc , flat shoes wide toes box , minimal padding , transition slowly , save huge amount on shoes as they last much longer and cheaper 😂 best of luck , do the research its all out there - read some Dr Mark Cucuzella
I initially started running in minimalist bareform shoes such as plimsoles, water shoes, and the Merrell Trail glove series (1-5) for six years. Bareform running mechanics strengthened my calf muscles, tendons, and plantar fascia. I was able to run half-marathons in minimalist shoes within the 2 hour and 20 minute time frame. I got sore for a week after a half-marathon, but the bareform training provided enough stimulus to toughen up my muscles and tendons. It also taught me how to land on my midfoot, engaging my calves and tendons in the right way. I stopped running during the pandemic years and switched to cycling instead. Fast forward to 2024 this year, I started running again. This time, I used the supershoe Nike Vaporfly 3 as a daily trainer. Yes, that's right, as a daily trainer. I didn't experience any stability issues brought by the high stack height because I engaged in rollerblading and ice skating as cross-training activities. Rollerblading and ice skating are two of the very best sports that train your stabilizer muscles in the core and lower body. I trained for three months in the Vaporfly 3 and I felt so great. No foot and muscle pain after a run. The supershoe indeed absorbed the normal shocks and pounding forces of running. After running a half-marathon in the supershoe, the next day I was able to run again normally as if the half-marathon effort the previous day never happened. I wasn't sore at all. This is how I think what happened to me. The six years of running in minimalist shoes toughened up my running muscles and taught me proper running form. Then I moved up to supershoes which made it even easier for my body to run comfortably. In the future, I plan to go back to minimalist shoes while training, then use supershoes only during race day. This will give me the best of both worlds. Tough training and maximum adaptation during normal days using minimalist shoes, comfort and speed to push myself even further on race day by wearing supershoes.
This is true especially with more cushion shoes, as a heavy runner more cushion gives my body to counter the balance which leads to more muscles being used. That's the reason why I switched to more firmer and says 50/50 stiffness and cushion. Makes me feel my legs relaxed even after the long run.
I switched to ultra running shoes. Zero drop. Medium cushioning. Very flexible. I've never felt better. My running foam has improved And I've had less injuries.
Great content James. This just adds weight to having a few different shoes to rotate. I like high stack carbon, but enjoy trail running and also my Brooks that feel like bricks!
The biggest problem I find is that you identify shoes that you get on well with and then the next version just doesn’t feel the same - a prime example would be the Saucony Speed versions 2 & 3.
Heads up on the Brooks Ghost. It still has a 12mm heel drop, one of only a few that still have that high a drop (along with the Brooks Adrenaline). The Brook Ghost Max, however, is a friendlier 6mm drop.
100% das Problem hatte ich. Erstes Mal Laufschuhe geholt (weiche) angefangen zu joggen, Knieschmerzen, Glutes trainiert, neue harte Laufschuhe geholt, Problem weg. Thank you for your explanation
litterally just found this out while trying to find something a bit more high end to help reduce the wear on my body (heavy runner) but the more cusioning and higher drop caused me shin splints and made my knees and hips ache. Now I'm really having a hard time finding a new pair of boots that 'll work (my old reliable traineres that i usually get suddenly got much more cushioning and drop)
Oh no! I sold the ASICS cumulus after 1 run because they just felt too soft, it felt like running through sand. I think they are similar to the nimbus. Hope you get better soon.
Yeah, my intuition always told me to feel the ground is better. Better performance when sprinting. Better muscle acrivation in your whole leg which protects knees andd hips and protects you from running too much too soon;)
In my experience, to access the benefits of superfoams, I need to be even more precise in my whole gait from foot strike to push off - or I will just sink into them and be slow... Plated shoes also allow for push of from closer to the tippy toes... Lovely, but you need to run lower, work a lot on flexibility and strengthen both the quads and the calves... So there's no free lunch here - or you will fall into the characteristics described in the pinned study.
I had some asics ASI Gt-2000, did a marathon and ended up with really bad knee pain. I switched to the Hoka Mach 6 then did a half marathon with them - no knee pain and a comfortable run. I couldn’t believe the difference - great video. Took me ages to understand it was the shoes!
Yeah, Hoka Mach 5 I'd say my favorite, but Mach 6 seems to be going the wrong way with stack height and the amount of foam, so not sure what my next pair will be.
@@Koos_Rknee pain experienced in training also - 5 and 10ks with Aasics. Compared to absolutely no pain with Hoka. I get why my comment sounds silly but to clarify, there was a big difference between the two trainers based on my own experience.
I had a pair of the original Nike Tailwinds. Extreme cushioning that lead to sore Achillles. Since that time I look for shoes, well now a shoe lol, with a more performance oriented ride. For me the Pumas do this well as well as a Hoka X2 I just got. I do have a couple of max cushioned shoes I use sparingly when the legs are beat up from hard workouts but only for a few recovery miles.
great insight James! would you recommend different shoes based on your age and whether your running is improving with time and/or distance? I’ve been in neutral shoes - Brooks Ghost - but curious to look into other brands and will check out the foam type after this video! 😊
Thanks for this, and you other many super informative videos. As a trusted returning customer I hope I can provide a little feedback: I feel there is a bit too much repetition (e.g. all the analogies of the foot being numbed or in a cast, the shock absorbing mechanics...) Hope this is interpreted as my personal suggestion. No criticism!
I recently switched to an Adizero shoe and after about 30K I got Plantaar Fascitis. I think I am not yet used to a super cushioned shoe, I can feel my feet overpronate and now I am incorporating more strength training in my work out and will be on indoor cycling until I completely recover.
@Jon-hb6gx I got injured using the Takumi Sen 10 in my tempo runs, I find it too soft and causes my foot to overpronate. I also have the SL2 as a daily trainer but I feel like that one has a more firm and stable foam so I will be using that for speed workouts as it hasn't given me a problem so far. Admittedly, I have weak feet which results in poor running form so I am actively fixing that to get better value from the Takumi Sen 10s.
You may want to check out Sagasu running's video on the Adizero SL2. He specifically mentions the way the outsole is designed not being good for people that have any pronation when running.
WOW 2 minutes in and I already agree. I run about 1000 to 1500 km a year and shoes never last met longer than 600 - 700 km due too length and weight of my body. I have noticed I run worse biomechanically on soft shoes. I analysed 5y of running using runalyze did various ANOVA's and turns out that I run uneven on soft shoes. Uneven in Ground contact time balance. I bought harder shoes using runrepeat analysis data and wow. Immediately the new pair run perfectly back in balance. I also ran easier in those shoes.
Can you also give us some dimensions ? I struggle to understand how much foam is too much, now much stack height is too much, how much drop is too much.
Good advice but i miss a discussion around the rocker in the shoes and plates and how that scan shift th load from the foot, wrist and calves upwards. Brooks Ghost btw has one of the highest drop you can find in a distance shoe. They are pretty firm and normal stack height but definitely not low drop.
just getting back into Pickleball. I hated my Nikes for baseball and sports actually for everything. I have good luck with my New Balance and Saucony so far ...
Im an older runner and like a good bit of cushion. I have a favorite brand with low heel/toe drop (Topo Athletic) but i tried that brand's new cushiest shoe and something just felt off. My ankles felt more strained and it felt like my gait was off. I returned them after just a couple days.
Barefoot shoe walking is way healthier than running in them especially when you are new in them. For injured overweight people transitioning to even walking may take years. YMMV to the max compared to light weight healthy runners.
I watched the entire video and my takeaway is that cushioning is evil. Should I run barefoot, wouldn't that make me like Wolverine with tendons/joints of steel?
Finally! I’ve been saying this for years to running clients. The human foot is zero drop and perfectly designed to run minimally shod over long distances, provided the runner has the strength to manage the loads. Another factor in foot biomechanics is toe splay - many running shoes have a tapered, shoe-shaped toebox which inhibits this. When a barefoot lands, the toes naturally splay to initiate landing gear, so why aren’t all running shoes foot-shaped?! I run in Wildsole sandals, Vibram FiveFingers, Vivobarefoot or Altra - depending on duration and terrain.
At risk of seeming mildly extreme, I'd venture that the CEO's of all shoe companies that make non-foot shaped athletic shoes should be arraigned to appear at Nuremberg type show trials on charges of crimes against the human foot. 👮♂🚓
I use barefoot shoes, which are shoes that have very thin soles and no cushioning. Forces you to stride very lightly and absorb the impact more uniformly through your tendons
I use Altra shoes with zero heel to toe drop, a foot shaped toe box and a stack height of between 22mil (Escalante Racer) and 24mil (Escalante 4). If you're not used to zero drop shoes, break your legs in gently by initially rotating the Altras with your usual shoes. My experience is that once you become accustomed to them, the Altras provide all the cushioning you need without being squishy and giving the unfortunate feeling of running on a couple of foot sized mattresses.
Since running with the NB4 i have been feeling soreness on my left knee. Never had that problem with the SL2. I only ran with the NB4 4 times, should i just sell it or it needs more time to break in or something?
Did anything else change with your nb4 runs? I just started running again mid September and have been having the same problem with nb4.. really bad right knee tendon pain with a pretty mild running schedule.. 10 years ago I ran 6 days a week like a bat out of hell and never had problems with Nike Pegasus 29. Could be the shoes or could be other factors.
Horses for courses isn't it... I have 5 shoes in my rotation, I have invincible 3s amongst them, I wear them sparingly, they are slow so I use them for longer slow runs. Most of my miles are done in good old Pegasus... I also find I run better in the less cushioned super shoe like the next% rather than alphafly
I was thinking, what about the barefoot shoes that getting the popularity recently? Does it actually helps in improving running form and increase the resilient of your legs and knees? I currently keep getting plantar fasciitis after I do a long slow runs with 9-10minutes/km pace around 7.5km. So I was thinking to change a new shoes for that, and now this video makes me wonder if shoes with high cushion is actually helping me or hurting me?
@@Lachlan_McDougall I’m short, about 5’7 so yeah that makes sense I guess 🤣 But anyway, I want to run faster pace, but I was training for the Aerobic heart rate to get good at my endurance, so running faster defeats that purpose tho
Good video. What we forget is that the primary reason for the max stack trend, is to give brands a new thing to sell. I moved to max stack due to a metatarsal issue and whilst it helped, what ive realised now is that working on my hip and leg alignment/weaknesses has had a much bigger positive impact. I now run in 'daily trainers' and it feels more natural and just as protective due to addressing the real issue rather than trying to just cushion it. This wont be for everyone but it is the reality for me
I was sucked into the hype around the invincible 3 featured in your video, hands down worst shoe I ever owned, lockdown and heal slip were terrible, triggered lots of biggie injuries I’ve never encountered before while using nimbus 25/26 on easy days!
Interesting. I agree that well-cushioned shoes can mask poor form. On the other hand, I believe that shoes with minimal or no cushioning would force you to run with a good-enough technique to not feel instant pain but maybe not much better. four years ago, James has a great slow motion video analysis of Kipchoge, explaining this form which I honestly believe is the greatest running instruction video I have ever seen: ua-cam.com/video/andAaS6Lyc8/v-deo.html . And Kipchoge is wearing high-stack shoes! My take-away was to get the best of both worlds and run in well-cushioned, low-drop shoes and run mindfully, diligently and consciously with good form even though the shoes would forgive poor form to some extent. It seems to be working. I am 57, I am running again after a broken knee (dog impact) two years ago and I am fine. And my current shoes are the Invincible Run 3! I can definitely feel that my foot muscles had a work out when I get out of bed in the morning after a hard 10K the night before. I am not sure what to make of this video. I feel James really should have covered the elite runners using high-stack or well-cushioned shoes in competitions.
The issue isn’t with the shoes or the companies. It’s with people trying to cut corners in their fitness. For as much technically correct info in this video, there is just as much misleading info. This video is, rhetorically, doing the exact thing that it is accusing of shoe companies.
Also, as a lighter weight runner the carbon-plate shoes felt like clogs. I heard that they used the same thickness and width plate in all sizes so my 58 kg in size 6 was never going to bend the plate sufficiently: now I'm 65 kg they're OK. Carbon plate shoes should really be made with different spring constants for different weight runners.
My latest try out is Ghosts, lovely for distance, hopeless for speed - like running through mud 👍 😂 I wish I could remember what I ran in during and shortly after schooldays. Dunlops possibly. They wore like car tyres, 100,000+ kms. Never gave us any problems though. Probably young legs tolerate things better.
I don't think this really helps in choosing the right shoes. I've had gait analysis and running shops use it to see if you over pronate or not. If so, then they recommend Brooks adrenaline or glycerin. I've never had any other insight. Also, I can't afford to buy lots of shoes to try them out and see what works best. I need to able to make a decision in the running store after trying them on and briefly running on a treadmill. Your advice on taking other things into consideration doesn't really say how.
Where's the "science" You just saying things isnt "science" People run much further and much more because of max cushion, because they're running farther and more often their improvement is sometimes too much too soon, making them more prone to injury in a shorter time period with far more running in it, if they ran in a low stack shoe instead, they likely wouldn't manage the milage they were previously doing, wouldnt be improving so fast, because of the battering they're doing to their body and the extended recovery periods needed. This can easily ne interpreted as "max cushion damages the body" but it means it damages the body... less. Conclusion: if you took two identical runners, one in low stack, one in max cush, made them do identical training, they'd borrow each others shoes, because running in the same shoe type of shoe all the time isn't optimal.
I have a special place in my heart for the Invincible Run 1. Back then, it was the only shoe I could run in, that didn't aggravate my knee injury. The lethal combination for me, is firm + rigid (like the Nike Zoom Fly 4 and Adidas Boston 12). The ZF4 actually took me out for nearly a year, and the B12 came close to injuring me. I really love high stack, soft and squishy, but found a great compromise in softness in Adidas' Lightstrike Pro shoes. My most used shoe atm is the 50 mm Prime X 2 strung, which keeps my legs fresh and heart rate lower, so that the demand on recovery is a lot less.
@@JamesDunne It’s worth noting that when I run in more cushioned shoes, my footsteps sound louder, so I think you're right that my joints are working differently
If you want some further reading on this topic, particularly in terms of shoe cushioning in relation to impact-related running injuries, check out: _"Kulmala, JP., Kosonen, J., Nurminen, J. et al. Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading. Sci Rep 8, 17496 (2018)."_
Mind-blowing 🎉🎉
Shoes were made to help "solve" a problem because we created hard road surfaces. Sure, running barefoot through grass and dirt would be ideal, but we don't really have spots in most major communities where that's an option. For years most people have been walking around in shoes, too tight around their feet, and with collapsible foam and rubber, making their feet and leg muscles underdevelop. The same goes for "stability" shoes. You need to develop the muscles to stabilize your body - you can't just pick up a pair of shoes that will "fix" instability - in fact, most of the time shoes like this will actually cause rubbing issues and make you have even more instability problems. When I was 12 or 13 I had orthotics and after about a year and a half I decided to toss them in the trash because they helping with my flat feet - which never really seemed to be an issue anyway because my legs, hips, knees, calves or anything didn't hurt - and with my logically thinking mind, I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that unless I actually do exercises to promote building and Arch in my foot and better Achilles and calf strength, orthotics won't do anything but be annoying plates in my shoes that raise my feet and make shoes uncomfortable. That's why I try to run in shoes that mimic a natural foot strike, with a wide toe box, minimal heel to toe drop, and lots of hard ground feel. Sure, in a marathon my feet start to hurt a little bit after 20 mi, but I'd rather feel that way than have a ton of injuries all the time. I run in Newton Running shoes.
Very complex explanations, professional and clear for casual person. Great, thanks!
Perfect timing, James! I was about to head out for a long run using my Invincibles (coincidentally in the same blue/orange color scheme you keep showing in the video 😂). I've always noticed more knee soreness after running in the Invincibles but didn't understand why. I'll be swapping in my SuperBlasts (my all time favorite shoe) for today's long run instead.
One note of criticism though - this video is almost comically repetitive. I'd recommend re-editing it down to half the length.
So you´re swapping one mega cushioned shoe for another? 🤣
Yes, while the Superblasts have a huge stack height, they feel much firmer and responsive, while the Invincibles are mushy - incredibly comfortable during the run but causing more discomfort afterwards, possibly for the reasons James articulates in the video. (At least that's my experience given my body stature and running mechanics). Maybe I'll try something less maximalist in my next pair.
I blame my invincible 1's that gave me a long term Mcl injury !!! - just to soft
Anecdotal, but for me, I recently got my first pair of high stack carbon plated shoes, and while they make me objectively faster, they feel much less stable than more "pedestrian" shoes. I feel like I get more glute activation with them. I used to wear running shoes for daily use but have switched to shoes with no support for daily wear, and I feel that has helped strengthen my feet so I can keep wearing highly cusioned shoes for runs. I think it can be valuable to have a rotation of shoes with different profiles
Exactly my logic. I walk around in Altra Escalante zero-drop shoes and run in Saucony Endorphin Pros.
I believe if every runner were to run barefoot on a treadmill, it would change their view on an appropriate shoe. I would have SWORE I was striking mid foot. But, when I ran barefoot, I immediately felt my heel striking which was painful and not sustainable. So I naturally transitioned to a forefoot strike, which is the only way to run naturally. I have since bought a few pairs of Xero shoes and zero drop Altra's. All my other shoes (Hoka's, Saucony, Asics, etc) I only wear casually now. I now focus on forefoot landing and all my aches and pains have disappeared. The documentary on "Born to Run" and the book itself is highly recommended about this subject
Ty for your information comment
I agree definitely that many people get cushioned shoes when they shouldn’t be, basically just how the video says. However, if you are running on hard surfaces (ie not off-road), then barefoot shoes are simply too harsh on the body for running. I have always tended to go for shoes that more bare bones, with a good layer of foam but are the shoes that are generally described as firm and responsive due to them being more minimalist. You also have to be careful with forefoot striking over long distances because it can put huge amounts of strain on the Achilles and the calves, because when running long distances we are not designed to forefoot strike. However, this is nuanced, as landing on the forefoot and then allowing the foot to rock back on the heel is very good when done perfectly. I will also add that heel striking is also completely fine if done correctly, and everyone is different so some will be better off doing one or the other
Yup, my cushion shoes encouraged my overstride, nearly destroyed the ligaments in the back of my knee. Took months to retrain.
This made a lot of sense with the experience I've had. I've never really got on with highly cushioned shoes. I found the nimbus the worst, the novablast 4 is as cushioned as I want to go for easy runs. I have a rotation of 4 shoes, mostly with different stack heights.
Spent over 500 on all the new running shoes when I got back into it a month ago. Thought i was good to go. I ramped up the miles weekly, started upping my pace and then... i ended up in a boot lol. Luckily its not terrible but two weeks off of training has been rough. Now im studying foot mechanics and doing rehab in barefoot shoes. Foot/leg mechanics is far more important than cushion. Cant wait to get back , and better!!
barefoot minimilist shoes are the way to go if you want long term no / reduced injuries . its all out there , read born to run etc , flat shoes wide toes box , minimal padding , transition slowly , save huge amount on shoes as they last much longer and cheaper 😂 best of luck , do the research its all out there - read some Dr Mark Cucuzella
I initially started running in minimalist bareform shoes such as plimsoles, water shoes, and the Merrell Trail glove series (1-5) for six years. Bareform running mechanics strengthened my calf muscles, tendons, and plantar fascia. I was able to run half-marathons in minimalist shoes within the 2 hour and 20 minute time frame. I got sore for a week after a half-marathon, but the bareform training provided enough stimulus to toughen up my muscles and tendons. It also taught me how to land on my midfoot, engaging my calves and tendons in the right way.
I stopped running during the pandemic years and switched to cycling instead. Fast forward to 2024 this year, I started running again. This time, I used the supershoe Nike Vaporfly 3 as a daily trainer. Yes, that's right, as a daily trainer. I didn't experience any stability issues brought by the high stack height because I engaged in rollerblading and ice skating as cross-training activities. Rollerblading and ice skating are two of the very best sports that train your stabilizer muscles in the core and lower body.
I trained for three months in the Vaporfly 3 and I felt so great. No foot and muscle pain after a run. The supershoe indeed absorbed the normal shocks and pounding forces of running. After running a half-marathon in the supershoe, the next day I was able to run again normally as if the half-marathon effort the previous day never happened. I wasn't sore at all.
This is how I think what happened to me. The six years of running in minimalist shoes toughened up my running muscles and taught me proper running form. Then I moved up to supershoes which made it even easier for my body to run comfortably.
In the future, I plan to go back to minimalist shoes while training, then use supershoes only during race day. This will give me the best of both worlds. Tough training and maximum adaptation during normal days using minimalist shoes, comfort and speed to push myself even further on race day by wearing supershoes.
This is true especially with more cushion shoes, as a heavy runner more cushion gives my body to counter the balance which leads to more muscles being used. That's the reason why I switched to more firmer and says 50/50 stiffness and cushion. Makes me feel my legs relaxed even after the long run.
Hey James, your channel is my favorite running UA-cam channel.
Thank you for all the content
I switched to ultra running shoes. Zero drop. Medium cushioning. Very flexible. I've never felt better. My running foam has improved And I've had less injuries.
Great content James. This just adds weight to having a few different shoes to rotate. I like high stack carbon, but enjoy trail running and also my Brooks that feel like bricks!
True, I would recommend everyone to do a Knee-to-Wall test . This is to check if your achilles are shortened by cushioned shoes
I wear Ghost and New balance 880s I don’t want a lot of cushioning, and I wasn’t even aware of all this information Thank you
Thank you very much for this video 😊
The biggest problem I find is that you identify shoes that you get on well with and then the next version just doesn’t feel the same - a prime example would be the Saucony Speed versions 2 & 3.
Heads up on the Brooks Ghost. It still has a 12mm heel drop, one of only a few that still have that high a drop (along with the Brooks Adrenaline). The Brook Ghost Max, however, is a friendlier 6mm drop.
Thanks for the info, I'm currently using Ghosts and wish they had lower drop
@@dotintegral Check out the New Balance 880 v14. It's similar to the Ghost, but has an 8mm drop.
100% das Problem hatte ich. Erstes Mal Laufschuhe geholt (weiche) angefangen zu joggen, Knieschmerzen, Glutes trainiert, neue harte Laufschuhe geholt, Problem weg. Thank you for your explanation
Cool breakdown and information, thanks for making this.
Thank you James ❤
litterally just found this out while trying to find something a bit more high end to help reduce the wear on my body (heavy runner) but the more cusioning and higher drop caused me shin splints and made my knees and hips ache.
Now I'm really having a hard time finding a new pair of boots that 'll work (my old reliable traineres that i usually get suddenly got much more cushioning and drop)
Got ASICS Nimbus. I walk 20k a day. Was overjoyed by the cushioning. Suddenly, I have problems with strained calves.
Wow!!! Wishing you luck and strength with your healing
Oh no! I sold the ASICS cumulus after 1 run because they just felt too soft, it felt like running through sand. I think they are similar to the nimbus. Hope you get better soon.
Yeah, my intuition always told me to feel the ground is better. Better performance when sprinting. Better muscle acrivation in your whole leg which protects knees andd hips and protects you from running too much too soon;)
In my experience, to access the benefits of superfoams, I need to be even more precise in my whole gait from foot strike to push off - or I will just sink into them and be slow...
Plated shoes also allow for push of from closer to the tippy toes... Lovely, but you need to run lower, work a lot on flexibility and strengthen both the quads and the calves...
So there's no free lunch here - or you will fall into the characteristics described in the pinned study.
I had some asics ASI Gt-2000, did a marathon and ended up with really bad knee pain. I switched to the Hoka Mach 6 then did a half marathon with them - no knee pain and a comfortable run.
I couldn’t believe the difference - great video. Took me ages to understand it was the shoes!
Had exactly the same experience with Asics and then switching to Hoka.
Yeah, Hoka Mach 5 I'd say my favorite, but Mach 6 seems to be going the wrong way with stack height and the amount of foam, so not sure what my next pair will be.
Yes, surely the shoes, the half distance compared to a full marathon naturally didn't play a part.
@@Koos_Rknee pain experienced in training also - 5 and 10ks with Aasics. Compared to absolutely no pain with Hoka. I get why my comment sounds silly but to clarify, there was a big difference between the two trainers based on my own experience.
@@tomryan3012 Yeah it seemed a bit odd to me, hence the comment. Great that you found a good shoe!
I had a pair of the original Nike Tailwinds. Extreme cushioning that lead to sore Achillles. Since that time I look for shoes, well now a shoe lol, with a more performance oriented ride. For me the Pumas do this well as well as a Hoka X2 I just got.
I do have a couple of max cushioned shoes I use sparingly when the legs are beat up from hard workouts but only for a few recovery miles.
Always find it can take a few weeks to adapt to new shoes
Can you please share a list of your current running shoe rotation?
I was just about to get the glycerin max 😂
I actually just did. Should I be worried?
great insight James! would you recommend different shoes based on your age and whether your running is improving with time and/or distance? I’ve been in neutral shoes - Brooks Ghost - but curious to look into other brands and will check out the foam type after this video! 😊
Going to barefoot trail runners solved my ITB problem!
Asics does this thing where heel drop is inversely correlated with price.
Thanks for this, and you other many super informative videos. As a trusted returning customer I hope I can provide a little feedback: I feel there is a bit too much repetition (e.g. all the analogies of the foot being numbed or in a cast, the shock absorbing mechanics...)
Hope this is interpreted as my personal suggestion. No criticism!
I recently switched to an Adizero shoe and after about 30K I got Plantaar Fascitis. I think I am not yet used to a super cushioned shoe, I can feel my feet overpronate and now I am incorporating more strength training in my work out and will be on indoor cycling until I completely recover.
Which Adizero shoe out of interest?
@Jon-hb6gx I got injured using the Takumi Sen 10 in my tempo runs, I find it too soft and causes my foot to overpronate. I also have the SL2 as a daily trainer but I feel like that one has a more firm and stable foam so I will be using that for speed workouts as it hasn't given me a problem so far. Admittedly, I have weak feet which results in poor running form so I am actively fixing that to get better value from the Takumi Sen 10s.
@@FtL_CS Thanks for coming back to me, that's helpful.
You may want to check out Sagasu running's video on the Adizero SL2. He specifically mentions the way the outsole is designed not being good for people that have any pronation when running.
I love max cush but yeah I think it’s best to rotate with firmer shoes.
WOW 2 minutes in and I already agree. I run about 1000 to 1500 km a year and shoes never last met longer than 600 - 700 km due too length and weight of my body. I have noticed I run worse biomechanically on soft shoes. I analysed 5y of running using runalyze did various ANOVA's and turns out that I run uneven on soft shoes. Uneven in Ground contact time balance. I bought harder shoes using runrepeat analysis data and wow. Immediately the new pair run perfectly back in balance. I also ran easier in those shoes.
Would extra cushionng also destabilize your landing, putting more strain on knees, et?
Can you also give us some dimensions ? I struggle to understand how much foam is too much, now much stack height is too much, how much drop is too much.
Good advice but i miss a discussion around the rocker in the shoes and plates and how that scan shift th load from the foot, wrist and calves upwards. Brooks Ghost btw has one of the highest drop you can find in a distance shoe. They are pretty firm and normal stack height but definitely not low drop.
just getting back into Pickleball. I hated my Nikes for baseball and sports actually for everything. I have good luck with my New Balance and Saucony so far ...
Stability moderate cushioning the solution then? Stability over neutral shoes ?
Im an older runner and like a good bit of cushion. I have a favorite brand with low heel/toe drop (Topo Athletic) but i tried that brand's new cushiest shoe and something just felt off. My ankles felt more strained and it felt like my gait was off. I returned them after just a couple days.
Which Topo did you try. I like my phantoms and ultraventures
I love the Phantoms and Specters. And use the Cyclone 2s for fast runs. Tried the Atmos which was too squishy.
Great, thanks.
Barefoot shoe walking is way healthier than running in them especially when you are new in them. For injured overweight people transitioning to even walking may take years. YMMV to the max compared to light weight healthy runners.
Excellent video! The running community really needs to hear this 🫶
I watched the entire video and my takeaway is that cushioning is evil. Should I run barefoot, wouldn't that make me like Wolverine with tendons/joints of steel?
Finally! I’ve been saying this for years to running clients. The human foot is zero drop and perfectly designed to run minimally shod over long distances, provided the runner has the strength to manage the loads. Another factor in foot biomechanics is toe splay - many running shoes have a tapered, shoe-shaped toebox which inhibits this. When a barefoot lands, the toes naturally splay to initiate landing gear, so why aren’t all running shoes foot-shaped?! I run in Wildsole sandals, Vibram FiveFingers, Vivobarefoot or Altra - depending on duration and terrain.
At risk of seeming mildly extreme, I'd venture that the CEO's of all shoe companies that make non-foot shaped athletic shoes should be arraigned to appear at Nuremberg type show trials on charges of crimes against the human foot. 👮♂🚓
That's why you need firm minimum shoes
Hello im new to this shoe business. What would veterans like yall suggest to buy for beginners or in general?
I use barefoot shoes, which are shoes that have very thin soles and no cushioning. Forces you to stride very lightly and absorb the impact more uniformly through your tendons
Not barefoot shoes.
@@fergusdenoon1255 Barefoot shoes take a while to get used to until your feet and tendons strengthen, but why not?
I use Altra shoes with zero heel to toe drop, a foot shaped toe box and a stack height of between 22mil (Escalante Racer) and 24mil (Escalante 4). If you're not used to zero drop shoes, break your legs in gently by initially rotating the Altras with your usual shoes. My experience is that once you become accustomed to them, the Altras provide all the cushioning you need without being squishy and giving the unfortunate feeling of running on a couple of foot sized mattresses.
saucony elite 2 is like marshmallow under feet lol
Since running with the NB4 i have been feeling soreness on my left knee. Never had that problem with the SL2. I only ran with the NB4 4 times, should i just sell it or it needs more time to break in or something?
Did anything else change with your nb4 runs? I just started running again mid September and have been having the same problem with nb4.. really bad right knee tendon pain with a pretty mild running schedule.. 10 years ago I ran 6 days a week like a bat out of hell and never had problems with Nike Pegasus 29. Could be the shoes or could be other factors.
This is very good. What about carbon plated shoes? Can anyone wear appropriate carbon shoes and do long distances without risking injuries?
Sadly, i have flat feet and foam is the inly way im able to run (unless i pull the gun on surgery)
Horses for courses isn't it... I have 5 shoes in my rotation, I have invincible 3s amongst them, I wear them sparingly, they are slow so I use them for longer slow runs.
Most of my miles are done in good old Pegasus... I also find I run better in the less cushioned super shoe like the next% rather than alphafly
I don’t think ASICS Gel nimbus causes injury. But I think I get ITBand from using ghost 11
I was thinking, what about the barefoot shoes that getting the popularity recently? Does it actually helps in improving running form and increase the resilient of your legs and knees? I currently keep getting plantar fasciitis after I do a long slow runs with 9-10minutes/km pace around 7.5km. So I was thinking to change a new shoes for that, and now this video makes me wonder if shoes with high cushion is actually helping me or hurting me?
Is it possible to do 9-10 minutes/km pace whilst running? That’s slower than most walks there’s no way your form could be correct at that speed
@@Lachlan_McDougall I’m short, about 5’7 so yeah that makes sense I guess 🤣
But anyway, I want to run faster pace, but I was training for the Aerobic heart rate to get good at my endurance, so running faster defeats that purpose tho
Iv just bought the Altra via Olympus version 1. They are hard but thinking they would be soft but maybe they will be good option now?
I feel like gait analysis is just used as a sales tool in running shops. Pronation or neutral...
Good video. What we forget is that the primary reason for the max stack trend, is to give brands a new thing to sell. I moved to max stack due to a metatarsal issue and whilst it helped, what ive realised now is that working on my hip and leg alignment/weaknesses has had a much bigger positive impact. I now run in 'daily trainers' and it feels more natural and just as protective due to addressing the real issue rather than trying to just cushion it. This wont be for everyone but it is the reality for me
How come professional runners keep using supershoes all the times?
I prefer a firmer shoe anyway
I was sucked into the hype around the invincible 3 featured in your video, hands down worst shoe I ever owned, lockdown and heal slip were terrible, triggered lots of biggie injuries I’ve never encountered before while using nimbus 25/26 on easy days!
how to avoid back heel blisters?
Have you tried lock lacing your shoe?
@@atropinecaffeine tried today on a 15 km run. It didn't work. The back of the foot rubs on the back of the shoe.
Interesting. I agree that well-cushioned shoes can mask poor form. On the other hand, I believe that shoes with minimal or no cushioning would force you to run with a good-enough technique to not feel instant pain but maybe not much better. four years ago, James has a great slow motion video analysis of Kipchoge, explaining this form which I honestly believe is the greatest running instruction video I have ever seen: ua-cam.com/video/andAaS6Lyc8/v-deo.html . And Kipchoge is wearing high-stack shoes! My take-away was to get the best of both worlds and run in well-cushioned, low-drop shoes and run mindfully, diligently and consciously with good form even though the shoes would forgive poor form to some extent. It seems to be working. I am 57, I am running again after a broken knee (dog impact) two years ago and I am fine. And my current shoes are the Invincible Run 3! I can definitely feel that my foot muscles had a work out when I get out of bed in the morning after a hard 10K the night before.
I am not sure what to make of this video. I feel James really should have covered the elite runners using high-stack or well-cushioned shoes in competitions.
explains why max cushion always jars my knees
Ah, I wish I saw this video earlier😅
I Practice in barefoot vapour gloves.....race in cushioned nike vapour fly...my method.
Coorect me James
The issue isn’t with the shoes or the companies. It’s with people trying to cut corners in their fitness. For as much technically correct info in this video, there is just as much misleading info. This video is, rhetorically, doing the exact thing that it is accusing of shoe companies.
With 27" inside leg 20mm additional stack height (max thickness Vs older) gives an extra 3% effctive leg length, which I think helps make me faster.
Also, as a lighter weight runner the carbon-plate shoes felt like clogs. I heard that they used the same thickness and width plate in all sizes so my 58 kg in size 6 was never going to bend the plate sufficiently: now I'm 65 kg they're OK. Carbon plate shoes should really be made with different spring constants for different weight runners.
Lol what nonsense, ok then less stack is better, then tell kipchoge to break his record on an ultraboost, lol lets see how far he goes.
My latest try out is Ghosts, lovely for distance, hopeless for speed - like running through mud 👍 😂
I wish I could remember what I ran in during and shortly after schooldays. Dunlops possibly. They wore like car tyres, 100,000+ kms. Never gave us any problems though. Probably young legs tolerate things better.
I don't think this really helps in choosing the right shoes. I've had gait analysis and running shops use it to see if you over pronate or not. If so, then they recommend Brooks adrenaline or glycerin. I've never had any other insight. Also, I can't afford to buy lots of shoes to try them out and see what works best. I need to able to make a decision in the running store after trying them on and briefly running on a treadmill. Your advice on taking other things into consideration doesn't really say how.
Get closer to the ground and increase your leg weight training.
Where's the "science"
You just saying things isnt "science"
People run much further and much more because of max cushion, because they're running farther and more often their improvement is sometimes too much too soon, making them more prone to injury in a shorter time period with far more running in it, if they ran in a low stack shoe instead, they likely wouldn't manage the milage they were previously doing, wouldnt be improving so fast, because of the battering they're doing to their body and the extended recovery periods needed. This can easily ne interpreted as "max cushion damages the body" but it means it damages the body... less.
Conclusion: if you took two identical runners, one in low stack, one in max cush, made them do identical training, they'd borrow each others shoes, because running in the same shoe type of shoe all the time isn't optimal.
See the pinned comment ☝️
I have a special place in my heart for the Invincible Run 1. Back then, it was the only shoe I could run in, that didn't aggravate my knee injury. The lethal combination for me, is firm + rigid (like the Nike Zoom Fly 4 and Adidas Boston 12). The ZF4 actually took me out for nearly a year, and the B12 came close to injuring me. I really love high stack, soft and squishy, but found a great compromise in softness in Adidas' Lightstrike Pro shoes. My most used shoe atm is the 50 mm Prime X 2 strung, which keeps my legs fresh and heart rate lower, so that the demand on recovery is a lot less.
Bring back Dunlop Green Flash ..!!!😂😂
If you believe you're so smart and rely on science, why do you think sports brands are less intelligent and don't use science?
Because marketing, fads, sales and profits all get in the way of science. This occurs across many industries.
this 👆
@@JamesDunne It’s worth noting that when I run in more cushioned shoes, my footsteps sound louder, so I think you're right that my joints are working differently
So...Making money on UA-cam more important than the "science'
We get it.
@@zeniktorres4320Exactly!
20 minutes of shoe cushioning info and not a single mention of "that f***Ing book"? I'm disappointed 😉
Lol. Yeah - I can't go giving it too much air time now can I?!