Women’s running shoes might be holding them back from reaching their full athletic potential, according to a recent study.
Published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, the paper found that there was “a critical gap in the design of running footwear,” which does not take female anatomy into account.
“Most so-called women’s running shoes aren’t truly designed for women,” first author of the study Dr Chris Napier – assistant professor of biomedical physiology and kinesiology at Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia, Canada – told BBC Science Focus.
“They’re based on a male foot model and then simply scaled down in size and recoloured – what’s often called the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach.”
But this approach, continued Napier, failed to “reflect the real anatomical differences between men’s and women’s feet, or the way women run.”
As a result, women’s running shoes may not fit their feet properly, and could be hampering their performance.
In this study, researchers recruited 21 women to ask them about what they wanted from their running shoes and how their needs might change throughout their lives.
The women were 20–70 years old and had between six and 58 years of running experience under their belts. Of the group, 11 ran for fun – an average of 30km (19 miles) per week – and 10 were competitive runners, clocking up an average of 45km (28 miles) per week.
Most of the women said they wanted their shoes to be wider at the toes, and narrower at the heel, with more cushioning underfoot. Napier said this reflected the general differences in foot shape between men and women.
“Women also have different lower limb anatomy – for example, a wider pelvis and shorter legs relative to body size – which affects running mechanics and the forces acting on the feet,” said Napier.
Among the participants, those who were mothers reported needing a larger shoe size, a wider fit, and more cushioning and support during pregnancy and after giving birth.
This was only a small, qualitative study. Also, the participants were recruited via posters in running shops in Vancouver, Canada, so the results may not be relevant to everybody.
Still, Napier said he hoped his team’s research felt validating to female runners.
“During the course of our focus groups, many of the participants described an ‘aha’ moment, realising that the issues they’d experienced with their shoes weren’t just personal quirks but shared experiences among women runners,” he said.
Meanwhile, Napier said he hoped this research served as “a wake-up call” for the footwear industry.
Footwear manufacturers have spent billions on developing running shoes that can prevent injury, feel comfortable and improve performance.
Most running shoes are made by creating a foot-shaped mould called a ‘last’, which is based on male anatomy, but manufacturers use this for their entire footwear range.
As a result, said Napier, “a large portion of the running community is essentially making do with shoes that weren’t designed for them.”
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