Running Shoes

It has been estimated that 25 to 40 million Americans participate in some form of running (Gudas 1980; Stanish 1984) and that between 50 and 70% of them will suffer some type of runningrelated injury requiring medical treatment (Gudas 1980), Most injuries occur in the lower extremity, with the knee being the most common site of injury (Detmer 1980; Gudas 1980: James et 31. 1978; Newell & Bramwell 1984; Nutig 1981; Stanish 1984), Approximately 60% of running injuries result from training errors which include: rapid mileage increase1 excessive interval training, excessive 'speed work' on hills, running on poor surfaces, poor fle)(ibili ty training, ignoring a previous injury, failure to recognise physical limitations secondary to a biomechanica! problem. excessive toe running. and old. worn or improper footwear (Johnson 1983), This review will focus on the methanism. of injury with an emphasis on the effect of footwear. There are hundred. of models of running shoes available from dozens of manufacturers, A good running shoe must provide cushioning. support, and stability. yet maintain a reasonable degree of flexibility (Drez 1980), A poorly designed or illfilting shoe can be an underlying factor in overuse injuries. The understanding that poor shoes may contribute to running-related injuries has led manufacturers to design shoes with added stability and motion control through the use of various companents. These include last (upper shoe) design, heel counters, lacing systems. fibreglass midsole plates, and the use of combinations of materials of varying density in the midsole of the shoe (Radin et al, 1982), Thus, according to Stanish (1984), an athlete should always bring his/her footwear to a physician at the time of physical assessment to enable the physician to make a diagnosis or prescribe an appropriate orthotic device,