It’s the Technique, not the Shoes.

People often ask me about which running shoes I recommend. People are often disappointed when I tell them that I recommend fixing their technique so they don’t have to worry about running shoes.

A Little History

The modern running shoe, with its big, thick, spongy soles, was more or less “invented” as a response to the running boom of the late 1970s. At that time, many very sedentary people started running with terrible technique. Not surprisingly, many people started getting injured because the overwhelming majority of them were overstriding.

Today, most runners I talk to can’t even conceive of running without running shoes. To them, wearing big spongy shoes to run is normal, and anyone who doesn’t wear them is bizarre. However, consider the following facts.

The modern running shoe was invented in the 1970s, and yet people have managed to run without them for most of human history, and, in much of the world, they continue to do so.
Until recently, Bushmen in the Kalahari hunted by chasing their prey barefoot for 20 or more miles until the animal dropped from heat exhaustion.
Children in Kenya run barefoot many miles to and from school every day.
The Tahrumara people in Mexico have a long tradition of running and racing ultramarathon distances wearing thin sandals called huaraches.
Abebe Bikila, the winner of the 1960 Olympic Marathon, ran it barefoot.

I could go on, but these examples beg the question of why so many people have been able to run just fine without the aid of modern footwear throughout history, even into the present. The answer is that they ran and continue to run with better technique.

So What’s Going on With Runner’s Today?

So why do “modern” runners run with such poor technique? There is no definitive answer to that question, but it appears people who rarely go barefoot and wear modern footwear while growing up have trouble learning to run correctly. My opinion is that modern protective footwear interferes with feedback from the feet to the brain. That lack of feedback prevents most people from developing proper running technique as children. My opinion is speculative, but it would explain the discrepancies between the running technique between runners who live in economically developed countries and runners from less economically developed countries.

Yeah, Yeah, So What Shoes Do You Recommend?

If you are NOT going to work on your running form, then you will probably need modern running shoes. There is already a lot of information out there on picking out the right shoes required to compensate for your particular style of bad running technique. So I’m not going to bother giving out advice for people who just want to cover up the real issue. Most of them will eventually pay for it with injuries because the laws of physics make no exceptions for runners.

**This is a typical running shoe designed to compensate for bad running technique**

If you are going to work on your technique, I do have some general guidelines.

Whatever shoes you choose, make sure they fit well and are comfortable.
Look for shoes with soles that do not lift the heel much higher than the forefoot. These are called zero-drop shoes. I have seen people run perfectly well in “traditional” running shoes, but generally, shoes that are not zero-drop shoes will interfere with developing proper technique.
Look for shoes that do NOT have a lot of cushioning. Some cushion is fine, but too much cushioning will probably interfere with learning proper technique.
Today it would be challenging to find athletic shoes that are not flexible and lightweight, but I will say it anyway, look for shoes that are flexible and lightweight.

Basically, I’m recommending minimalist running shoes, but running shoes are not a “one size fits all” kind of thing. Unfortunately, for most people, there is going to be some trial and error with running shoes. You may go through several pairs before you figure out what works best for you.

**Woman running in minimalist running shoes**

I Have Some Minimalist Running Shoes, When Should I Replace Them?

The guidelines for those using “traditional” running shoes is every 300 to 500 miles. The reason for this is that after 300 to 500 miles, the cushioning starts to wear out. Fortunately, this is not an issue for people who run correctly. You should replace your shoes when they begin to fall apart or become uncomfortable. Personally, I have shoes that are several years old, and I feel no immediate need to replace them.

But What Specific Shoes Do You Recommend?

I know this may be a very unsatisfying answer, but I don’t have any specific recommendations. Over the past ten years, I have probably used about 5 or 6 pairs of running shoes, and I don’t think either of the two pairs I’m currently running in is still sold. As a result, I think it would be very disingenuous for me to recommend specific brands or models.

Final Thoughts

I’ve spent years running in the same two pairs of shoes, and I’ll probably get several more years of running out of them. Because I learned to run with proper technique, my shoes are, at most, an afterthought. If I chose to run barefoot, I could do that as well, and eliminate the need for shoes altogether. It’s the technique, not shoes.

Running Shoe Recommendations