Off to Great Heights
Maximum cushioning – how high will we go?
About fifteen years ago athletic footwear was trending in a much different direction than today. Back then, the “minimus” fad had taken hold, lauded by people claiming that because human feet evolved to be able to bear the impact of running, we may be making our muscles, tendons, bones, and fascia weaker in our overly cushioned shoes. Books like Chris McDougall’s “Born to Run” helped fan the flames of the minimalist or barefoot running movement. And specialty running stores were carrying a wide selection of low-tothe-ground, flexible, and minimally cushioned shoes in response. For the past few years, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction with the trend firmly entrenched in chunky, thick stack heights reaching higher than ever before in running shoes.
Do we need to be that high off the ground? Running can be hard on the body, and these days many of us run on concrete, not the softer dirt paths of our ancestors. The plush foam reduces the jarring, repetitive impact and can somewhat cover for poor biomechanics, foot conditions, and running form. If thick cushioning is an enabler, does this mean that root causes that lead to injury are never dealt with properly? Well, that may be a question for a podiatrist as the answer is patient-specific. What we do know is that we are, on average, bigger, heavier, and live longer than our predecessors, and it is not unusual for people to run far into their senior years. Having extra cushioning would certainly be a benefit to those whose knees are starting to complain. As we age, the cartilage that cushions the joints breaks down, just as the ligaments, tendons, and fascia in arches lose elasticity and begin to flatten over time.
During the minimalist shoe movement there was one outlier that entered the ring: Hoka. This brand actively went against the current with their super light, thickly cushioned shoes, but they also kept two key minimalist features – a wider toe box that allows your toes to spread and a low heel to toe drop, which means the heel is not elevated much in comparison to the forefoot. Essentially, your feet are in a more natural position. Once barefoot running began to lose momentum, other brands shifted gears towards the growth of maximalist shoes. The New Balance More v4 with its whopping 35mm FreshFoam midsole has a slightly different feel than the Hoka Bondi or Clifton, but all of these models exhibit the same idea: plushest cushioning, light weight, stable, with a slight rocker toe up front for easy transition in the gait cycle. For people with osteoarthritic feet or metatarsalgia, shoes like these are a dream.
Since athletic footwear companies are always testing the limits of what’s possible, sometimes new technology can be gimmicky. But ultimately the consumer will influence what sticks around. Top brands compete to produce the best carbon-plated performance shoes which do feel like your feet have sprouted springs. In combination with thick cushioning, this technology changes the experience of running. In the pursuit of being faster, carbon offers slight advantages but not miracles. You still have to put in the work of training. Some reviewers have said that the highest stack heights, like in the New Balance SuperComp trainer with its carbon plate imbedded in a lofty 47mm of Fuel Cell foam, is less an instrument of speed and more like a cruising Cadillac.
If there is a ceiling to the skyward heights of sneaker foam, athletic brands still seem to be prodding that edge. To the minimalist proponents who lament the ongoing focus of the footwear industry, there will always be exceptions that inspire debate and innovation. Improving foot strength can prevent injury but great cushioning dampens hard impact, which can also be beneficial, especially for senior runners and walkers. The answer to the question, “How much cushioning do we need?” is that there is no a definitive answer. You are your own unique experiment.