Footwear and running-related injuries – Running on faith?

Summary The aim of this contribution is to present and discuss recent research findings on the relationship between shoe technology, running biomechanics and running-related injury risk. This association has long been inferred based on biomechanical studies, but this inference is not always scientifically sound, given that the study outcome is seldom injury itself. Epidemiological studies such as prospective cohort or intervention studies focusing on running-related injuries provide more conclusive evidence. However, the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between shoe design features and injury can generally not be established. Comparisons of healthy and injured runners have revealed subtle differences in their running mechanics, especially when certain injury types are considered. However, there is no evidence today that a particular footgear is able to induce a less injury-prone running style in general.

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