Selecting Running

Shoes
Injury Prevention and
Performance Enhancement

Shoe Anatomy
sole: bottom of shoe
insole: interior bottom of a shoe
some models have removable insoles
outsole: material in direct contact with ground (tread)
midsole: material between insole and outsole (made of EVA or PU)
upper: top of shoe that holds shoe to foot
Low-cut, mid-cut and high-cut uppers
toe box: area that holds toes and heads of metatarsals
vamp: material over the instep
heel counter: specialized area at heel that is relatively rigid in
running shoes
last: form for shaping shoe (straight, semicurved, curved) and footprint

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Forces during Walking vs. Running

walking:
long duration
double active peaks
+/-20% body weight
running/sprinting/jumping:
brief durations
single active peak
3 times BW
heel-toe landing
landings:
brief duration
up to 10+ times BW
forefoot landing

Vertical ground reaction forces

3xBW
2xBW

running

activepeaks
walking

1xBW

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Time (s)

Why Does Running Cause Injuries?

ground reaction forces are high (3x body weight)
impact is brief therefore little time for muscles to dissipate forces
some peoples anatomy may predispose injury (leg length
discrepancy, excessively pronated/supinated feet or
varus/valgus knees)
running surfaces are rigid (roads, sidewalks, frozen earth)
people tend to over-train (amount per day, no recovery days)
warm-up and stretching are often neglected

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Running Injuries
plantar fasciitis
anatomical, excessive heel impacts, poor running mechanics
heel spur, hammer toes, bunions
poor shoe fit
ankle and foot sprains
mechanically caused by landing off balance or on an obstacle
tibial stress syndrome/fracture
overuse injury, training on hard surfaces, old or poor footwear
knee/back pain
anatomical differences (leg length, abnormal Q-angle)
shin splints
mechanically caused by rapid changes in training surfaces
and overuse

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Purposes of Shoes
protection from:
sprains (high cut shoes may help but reduce flexibility)
cuts and abrasions (strong uppers may increase weight and
decrease mobility)
punctures from nails, rocks, slivers etc. especially for road
running (thick soles help but reduce efficiency)
traction or prevent slippage
tread helps especially on wet surfaces
spikes and studs (check rule books)
cushioning
in midsoles (reduces efficiency)
ventilation
air circulation, water drainage or waterproof?

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Cut of Uppers
low cut
greatest mobility

mid cut

high cut
may help to control ankle sprains

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Running Shoe Types

Cushion:
for high-arch feet, underpronator
extra cushioning in the midsoles to help absorb shocks; their
soles have a curved or semicurved shape (last) that
promotes a normal running motion
Motion control:
for flat feet or feet that pronate after landing
straight last and a more rigid midsole than other running
shoes, these help keep your feet properly aligned.
Stability:
for normal or neutral feet
semicurved last, but the less rigid midsoles allow feet to
strike the ground naturally

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Cushioning

measured by durometer (hardness)

mainly in midsole
cushioning is helpful for hard surfaces
especially as muscles start to fatigue
greater cushioning means less efficiency
may cause ankle instability and sprains
gel or air cushions cause landing instability
cushioning columns are better
breaks down over time
impact testing for endurance

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Biomechanical Efficiency?
all shoes absorb and
dissipate energy
cushioned running shoes
absorb the most energy
the greater the cushioning
the more lost energy
sprinters shoes have the
least cushioning and are
therefore the more efficient
bare feet are most efficient
but traction may be
compromised and they offer
little protection from stones,
heat or sharp objects

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Athletic Shoe Types

basketball/volleyball
sturdiest with thick midsole cushioning
for wooden floors and high impacts
cross-trainers
most versatile athletic shoes available
less cushioning
spiked for track & field
greatest traction on rubberized tracks
lightest and fastest
studded for soccer or rugby etc.
greatest traction of grass or artificial turf

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Pronation versus Supination

of hand:
one-dimensional rotation
turning palm upwards is supination, downwards is pronation
of foot
three-dimensional motion
inversion, plantiflexion and internal rotation
supination is turning foot so that plantar surface (bottom of
foot) is directed medially (towards midline)
pronation is turning foot so that plantar surface (bottom of
foot) is directed laterally (away from midline), this is most
common motion when a foot lands during running

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Supinated Foot Pronates during Landings

foot is supinated at landing

pronates during loading

orthotics help to reduce rates of pronation during landings

(Bates et al. 1979; Mndermann et al., 2003; Stackhouse et al.,
2004) but it is unclear how they affect the kinetics (MacLean et
al., 2006)
Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Orthoses and Orthotics

orthosis
device added to support an anatomical structure
i.e., brace or wedge
e.g., custom foot orthotic (CFO) appliances (orthotics),
ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) and knee braces

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Foot Orthotic Appliances

orthotic with medial forefoot post
for forefoot supination (varus)

orthotic with lateral forefoot post

for forefoot pronation (valgus or
plantiflexed first ray)

orthotic with medial heel post for

subtalar varus

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

References
Bates B et al. Amer J Sports Med 7:338-342,1979.
Huberti HH & Hayes WC. J Bone Jnt Surg 66A:715-724,1984.
Insall J, Falvo KA & Wise DW. J Bone Jnt Surg 58A:1-8,1976.
MacLean C, McClay Davis, I & Hamill J. Clin Biomech 21:623630,2006.
Mndermann A et al. Clin Biomech 18:254-262,2003.
Stackhouse CL, McClay Davis, I & Hamill J. Clin Biomech
19:64-70,2004.

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Knee (Genu) Valgus

valgus: outward angulation of the
distal segment
distal segment is rotated
Laterally
distal means farther away from
the bodys centre
knock-kneed
common in women

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Knee (Genu) Varus

inward angulation of the
distal segment
bowlegged
common in horse riders

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Quadriceps-angle or Q-angle
quadriceps-angle is formed in the frontal
plane by two line segments:
from tibial tubercle to the middle of the
patella
from the middle of the patella to the
anterior superior iliac sine (ASIS)
in adults is typically 15 degrees
Increases or decreases in the Q-angles
are associated with increased peak
patellofemoral contact pressures (Huberti
& Hayes, 1984).
Insall, Falvo, & Wise (1976) implicated
increased Q-angle in a prospective study
of patellofemoral pain.

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Prostheses
prosthesis
device that replaces an anatomical structure
i.e., an artificial limb
e.g., solid-ankle, cushioned-foot (SACH) foot,
FlexFoot, C-knee, Mauch leg

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

Sprinting Prostheses

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -Double-amputee sprinter Oscar

Pistorius won his appeal Friday and
can compete for a place in the
Beijing Olympics.

Olympic Rule: For the purpose of

this Rule the following shall be
considered assistance, and are
therefore not allowed:
e) use of any technical device
that incorporates springs,
wheels or any other element
that provides the user with an
advantage over another athlete
not using such a device.

Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Human Kinetcs

It'sagreatdayforsport.Ithinkthis
dayisgoingtogodowninhistoryfor
theequalityofdisabledpeople.
OscarPistorius