What runners and triathletes need to know when selecting footwear for peak performance and injury prevention

Running shoes are a topic of great controversy these days. A growing number of coaches, scientists, and even shoe experts believe that most current running shoe designs reduce performance (primarily through their weight) and actually increase injury risk by changing the way we would naturally run if we were barefoot. Few of these folks are arguing that we should be doing our marathon training or 10-K training without shoes. They do believe, however, that runners should move toward using lighter shoes that encourage a more natural stride. But running shoes also have their defenders. They argue that there is no proof that the modern “built-up” running shoes cause more injuries than so-called “minimalist” shoes.

So who’s right? I tend to align myself with the minimalist camp, for a few reasons. First, it is an established fact that minimalist shoes are faster, if for no other reason than because they are lighter. Second, while there is little proof that minimalist shoes reduce injury risk compared to more built-up models, there is also no proof that the beefier shoes reduce injury risk. And finally, it is well-known that the heavier and more rigid a running shoe is, the more it distorts the natural running stride—and it is reasonable to speculate that a more natural running stride is better.

But while I am convinced that minimalist shoes are best for most runners, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they are best for all runners. I believe that even runners who wear the heaviest, most structured running shoes should not feel compelled to replace them if they are happy with their performance. In general, I suggest following these three guidelines when selecting your next pair of running shoes:

1. Wear less shoe if you can—wear more shoe if you must. Try on the lightest, lowest-profile shoes first. While there is no guarantee that you will be comfortable in such shoes, and comfort is paramount (see my next point), you certainly don’t want to purchase and use heavy, rigid running shoes if you could be comfortable in minimalist shoes.

2. Go for comfort. One of the world’s leading experts on running biomechanics and footwear, Benno Nigg of the University of Calgary, Canada, has found that runners are less likely to become injured when they self-select comfortable shoes. “There is a sort of body intelligence at work,” he explains. The degree of comfort a runner feels in a given shoe appears to be influenced by the degree to which the joints are able to move in their preferred patterns and by the relative ease with which the muscles and connective tissues are able to absorb and reuse impact forces.

3. Experiment. While comfort is a reliable guide for running shoe selection, there is no way to predict which type of shoe a runner will find most comfortable. For this reason, it’s a good idea to try on a large number of shoes and choose the pair that is most comfortable. But it’s also important to note that you can become more comfortable with a given shoe over time. This is particularly likely to happen when a switch is made from an overbuilt running shoe to a minimalist shoe, so when changing models you need to be patient.

In the end know that if you switch from built-up to minimalist shoes, your stride will automatically change. But because you’ve probably run thousands of miles with the unnatural gait that overbuilt shoes promote, you can’t expect to completely undo those patterns the moment you change your shoes. Specifically, you’ll want to make a conscious effort to land your foot beneath your hips rather than out in front of your hips. Getting this change to stick will require that you consciously think about it with every stride of every run for many weeks.