Running shoes decked out with the latest cushioning, motion control and arch support technologies may not be as beneficial to your feet and joints as you might think.
A new study finds that running shoes may actually put more of a strain on your joints than if you were to run barefoot or even to walk in high-heeled shoes, and the increased pressure could lead to knee, hip and ankle damage.
The study enrolled 37 women and 31 men who ran recreationally, at least 15 miles per week. The subjects were then studied in a "gait laboratory," running either barefoot or with a typical running shoe. The researchers found an increase in torque for the knees, hips and ankles when the participants were wearing running shoes as compared with when they were running barefoot.
Specifically, they saw a 38 percent increase in torque in areas of the knee where osteoarthritis develops. They found such a large increase surprising, because it was greater than the increase in knee torque observed for women wearing high heels, which was only 20 percent to 26 percent.