Comparison of in-shoe plantar loading forces between minimalist and maximalist cushion running shoes

Maximalist Shoes: Separating Science From Hype

One of the most discussed but misunderstood topics in foot and ankle is shoe wear choices and the purported benefits of each type of shoe versus their actual scientific advantages. All foot and ankle care providers should be familiar with the various shoe wear types available to patients to improve their overall foot health. Recently, mainstream popularity and media coverage of maximalist shoes has created increased interest in the science and potential clinical benefits of maximalist shoes. The purpose of this review is to present the current biomechanical evidence of maximalist shoes and to help inform the foot and ankle community of their potential therapeutic applications.Levels of Evidence: Level V.

Measurement and reporting of footwear characteristics in running biomechanics: A systematic search and narrative synthesis of contemporary research methods

This review aimed to synthesise the methods for assessing and reporting footwear characteristics among studies evaluating the effect of footwear on running biomechanics. Electronic searches of Scopus®, EBSCO, PubMed®, ScienceDirect®, and Web of Science® were performed to identify original research articles of the effect of running footwear on running biomechanics published from 1^st January 2015 to 7^th October 2020. Risk of bias among included studies was not assessed. Results were presented via narrative synthesis. Eligible studies compared the effect of two or more footwear conditions in adult runners on a biomechanical parameter. Eighty-seven articles were included and data from 242 individual footwear were extracted. Predominantly, studies reported footwear taxonomy (i.e., classification) and manufacturer information, however omitted detail regarding the technical specifications of running footwear and did not use validated footwear reporting tools. There is inconsistency among contemporary studies in the methods by which footwear characteristics are assessed and reported. These findings point towards a need for consensus regarding the reporting of these characteristics within biomechanical studies to facilitate the conduct of systematic reviews and meta-analyses pertaining to the effect of running footwear on running biomechanics.

A systematic review of the effect of running shoes on running economy, performance and biomechanics: analysis by brand and model

This systematic review aims to synthesise the effects of current shoe models in each shoe category and their specific features on running economy, performance and biomechanics. Electronic databases such as Web of Science, SPORTDiscuss, PubMed and Scopus were used to identify studies from 2015 to date. Due to the existing lack of consensus to define running shoes, only studies that specified the shoe brand and models used to assess their effect over runners with a certain level of fitness and training routine were included. Quality assessment of cross-sectional and intervention studies was conducted by three independent raters using a modified version of the Quality Index and the PEDro scale, respectively. A total of 36 articles were finally included, involving the analysis of 61 different shoe models over 10 different topics (i.e., running economy, running performance, spatiotemporal parameters, ground reaction forces, joint stiffness, achilles tendon, plantar pressure, tibiofemoral load, foot strike pattern and joint coordination). With this review, runners and practitioners in the field that are concerned about selecting a suitable shoe for performance, training, or injury prevention functionality have clear information about the effects of the current shoe models and their specific features.

Effect of minimalist and maximalist shoes on impact loading and footstrike pattern in habitual rearfoot strike trail runners: An in-field study

Running-related injuries among trail runners are very common and footwear selection may modulate the injury risk. However, most previous studies were conducted in a laboratory environment. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of two contrasting footwear designs, minimalist (MIN) and maximalist shoes (MAX), on the running biomechanics of trail runners during running on a natural trail. Eighteen habitual rearfoot strike trail runners completed level, uphill and downhill running at their preferred speeds in both shod conditions. Peak tibial acceleration, strike index and footstrike pattern were compared between the two footwear and slopes. Interactions of footwear and slope were not detected for all the selected variables. There was no significant effect from footwear (F = 1.23, p = 0.27) and slope (F = 2.49, p = 0.09) on peak tibial acceleration and there was no footwear effect on strike index (F = 3.82, p = 0.056). A significant main effect of slope on strike index (F = 13.24, p < 0.001) was found. Strike index during uphill running was significantly greater (i.e. landing with a more anterior foot strike) when compared with level (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.72) or downhill running (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.44) in either MIN or MAX. The majority of habitual rearfoot strike runners switched to midfoot strike during uphill running while maintaining a rearfoot strike pattern during level or downhill running. In summary, wearing either one of the two contrasting footwear (MIN or MAX) demonstrated no effect on impact loading and footstrike pattern in habitual rearfoot strike trail runners running on a natural trail with different slopes.