How should runners choose their running shoes?
The choice that a runner can make as to what athletic shoes to run in can be extremely important. Getting the running shoe right has ramifications for how fast they run and may impact the probability for a running injury. You can find, however, experts who do disagree with that and there is certainly plenty of debate about the issues. There is some facts to back up both sides with this controversy, but not much consensus and it relies on how you like to spin the studies in respect of which side of the controversy which you want to believe in. The podiatry related live stream on Facebook, PodChatLive recently reviewed this topic by talking to Dr Chris Napier, Physiotherapist as well as Associate Professor from the University of British Columbia (and 2:33 marathon runner). PodChatLive is a weekly stream which goes out live on Facebook and then transferred to YouTube following the livestream.
Within this chat on running shoes, Chris talked about his latest British Journal of Sports Medicine discussion that was relating to the logical fallacies in the running footwear discourse. The PodChatLive hosts and Chris brought up exactly how runners (both uninjured and injured) should select athletic shoes. They talked about what the science will actually informs us along with what it doesn’t yet show us. They also outlined just how much emphasis and attention running footwear seems to receive and asked, is it merely all about comfort? Chris Napier is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia and an associate member of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility. Chris first received his Master of Physiotherapy qualification in Perth in Australia, in 2003, and then his PhD at the University of British Columbia in 2018 about running biomechanics and injury. Since becoming a physical therapist, he has specialized his education with postgrad studies in manual therapy and sport physical therapy.