Running shoes

1.The height difference or the ‘’drop’’

The drop it’s the difference of height between the front and back of the shoe:

An average drop is around 12 mm

The drop has an influence on the way the runner approaches the ground, in other words,  the way that he sets his foot on the ground (heel, front of the foot, toes). With a minimalistic shoe, (with a small or without a drop), an excellent technique is highly important to avoid injuries,  for example land in the front of the foot rather than the heel.

2.The intermediate sole

Absorbs the shocks and ensures stability.

Composed of EVA or Polyurethane (PU)

Material	Advantages	Disadvantages
EVA	Light Flexible	Less durable Takes longer to go back to its original volume
PU	Durable Flexible	Heavier Less rebound effect Harder

3.Trail running

This shoe generally offers  an excellent grip to run in paths where the field is uneven and sometimes slippery. The right shoe is essential to avoid injuries.

The front of the shoe is most of the time given an extra protection to protect the toes against obstacles. Some shoes offer a waterproof membrane. But by doing so, take out some breathability.

4.The maximalist (Hoka One One)

Maximum absorption by the sole to reduce the shocks felt on the body and increase the comfort by reducing the fatigue on the feet and legs.  

Since they have such good absorption they are suggested for :

• People that are recovering from an injury
• People with a heavy weight
• Anyone that wants to run

Advantages for all  ( Stats given by Hooka One One):

25% of body chocs are reduced

3.3% Energy gain

15% The effort for the tibial muscle is reduced (Muscles that is most likely to get injuries amongst runners)

5.How to choose our shoe

The type of shoe and the necessary support must be chosen in regards of the mechanic of the runner, the way of running, how one puts the foot on the ground. Normally runners who need an specific support know it.

a. The types of runners ( General associations)

Démarche	Representation	Description	Arc of the foot	Necessary support *See next table
Neutral		Alignment of the leg and knee when one walks. There is a ‘’natural’’ pronation distributing the weight of the heel towards the outside of the foot and in front of the foot towards the big toe.		Without support (neutral )or Stability (support 1)
Hyper Pronunciation		The ankle and leg roll inside while aligning the knee and the waist.		Stability (support 1) or control (support 2)
Supination		The foot rolls towards the exterior going away from the arch and towards the little toe. Very few people do supination.		Stability (support 1) or control (support 2)

b. The companies and technology

	Technologies	Neutral	Stability (support 1)	Control (support 2)	Trail
Brooks	DNA midsole : adapted shock absorber Super DNA : more cushion and return of energy Segmented Crash Pad : absorbs and splits the shocks Guide Rails : Helps aligning the body.	Glycerin Ghost Launch Cascadia Neuro	Adrenaline Ravenna Transcend Cadence	Beast/Ariel Addiction	Cascadia Adrenaline ASR
Mizuno	Wave : Disperses the energy of the impact, supports the arc, optimizes the stride. Wave Fan : brings additional support to stabilize the foot (Perfect for the hyper-pronator runners ). Parallel Wave : The foot stays in the center, the energy is divided in the shoe (Perfect for neutral runners) Wave Infinity : pour une expérience constante et unique	Hitogami Sayonara Rider Prophecy	Catalyst Inspire		Hayate Kazan
Saucony	Everun :  in the sole, more cushion all the long of the race.	Troiumph Ride Zealot	Hurricane Guide		Nomad Xodus Peregrine
Zoot	Barefit : without sewing inside, more comfortable.   Zbound+ : cushion less heavy and better in the long terme to split and distribute the energy to the runner. CarbonSpan+: helps the natural stride of the runner to diminish the tiredness.	Solana Del Mar Diego	Laguna
Hoka One One	Midsole Volume:  Maximal absorption of shocks Meta-Rocker Geometry: Encourages an efficient stride. Active Foot Frame: brings stability for many types of runners and feet.	Clifton Challenger Speedgoat	Bondi	Conquest Mafate	Mafate Speedgoat Challenger