Highlighting the present state of biomechanics in shoe research (2000–2023)

Nigg, Benno M.; Nigg, Sandro; Hoitz, Fabian; Subramanium, Ashna; Vienneau, Jordyn; Wannop, John W.; Khassetarash, Arash; Alizadeh, Shahab; Matijevich, Emily; Honert, Eric C.; Edwards, W. Brent; Mohr, Maurice

doi:10.1080/19424280.2023.2209044

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 102 publications

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“…The recent emergence of advanced footwear technology (AFT) has signalled a new era in the world of running, leading to unprecedented performances and spurring a rapidly developing landscape of research and innovation ( 1 ). Shoes featuring AFT differ from previous generations of running footwear through a stiff and curved plate element which is embedded within a thick, curved midsole of foam that is “resilient, compliant and energy-returning” ( 2 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can the recent sex-specific evolutions in elite running performances be attributed to advanced footwear technology?

Mason,

Starc,

Morin

et al. 2024

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Recent improvements in elite running performances across all distances have been largely attributed to the introduction of advanced footwear technology (AFT), which features a curved and stiff plate working synergistically with a new generation of midsole foams demonstrating enhanced resilience and compliance. These recent improvements appear to be considerably more pronounced in women's events, highlighted by improvements in road racing world records by an average of 3.7% (range: 2.6%–5.2%) compared to mean progressions of 1.5% (range: 1.3%–1.9%) in the same men's events. Although there is a growing body of research investigating the mechanisms underpinning running performance enhancements derived from AFT, there remains no explanation for potential sex-based differences in their benefits. We overview the currently available evidence and highlight why the recent direction of AFT research provides a barrier to progress by focusing primarily on male athletes. We subsequently provide our perspective on why women may be benefiting from the new generation of shoes more than men, suggest potential mechanisms leading to hypotheses that need to be further investigated in upcoming studies, and finally propose that factors outside of footwear innovation may have concurrently driven the recently observed performance evolutions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can the recent sex-specific evolutions in elite running performances be attributed to advanced footwear technology?

Mason,

Starc,

Morin

et al. 2024

Front. Sports Act. Living

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The past, present and future of footwear biomechanics: celebrating 50 years of the International Society of Biomechanics

Arndt

Potthast

2023

Footwear Science

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Joint contact forces during barefoot, minimal and conventional shod running are highly individual

Kloock,

Arensmann,

de Graaf

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The supposed benefits of barefoot running are an often debated topic, with many studies investigating footwear influences on the kinematics and kinetics of running. Few studies, however, have analysed the effect on joint contact forces (JCFs). In this study, we investigated the influence of different footwear on the JCFs of the hip, knee, and ankle during running using a 3D musculoskeletal model. Kinematics were recorded from 16 volunteers while running on a treadmill at two speeds (2.0m/s and 2.5m/s) either barefoot (BF), wearing minimal shoes (MM), or normal shoes (NS). Alongside the JCFs, stride parameters and joint angles were examined using a generalised linear mixed model. Results showed a decrease in the hip JCF from BF to MM to NS, no consistent changes in the knee and an increase from BF to MM to NS at the ankle. However, these changes mostly had small effect sizes, so it is unclear how relevant they are. The individual responses were much larger and showed opposite effects, indicating that the effects of footwear are highly individual and probably depend on the running style and characteristics of each runner.

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Highlighting the present state of biomechanics in shoe research (2000–2023)

Cited by 5 publications

References 102 publications

Can the recent sex-specific evolutions in elite running performances be attributed to advanced footwear technology?

Can the recent sex-specific evolutions in elite running performances be attributed to advanced footwear technology?

The past, present and future of footwear biomechanics: celebrating 50 years of the International Society of Biomechanics

Joint contact forces during barefoot, minimal and conventional shod running are highly individual

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