Improved footwear comfort reduces oxygen consumption during running

Abstract

Footwear comfort has been shown to have an influence on injuries, but it was unknown whether comfort was related to performance. The current study examined the effects of footwear comfort on running economy. Thirteen male participants rated five pairs of shoes on perceived comfort. Oxygen consumption was assessed during steady state runs in the least and most comfortable shoes at slightly above the aerobic threshold. A paired t-test was used to compare running economy in the most versus the least comfortable shoe conditions. The findings of the study indicated a significant improvement in running economy, 0.7% on average, in the most comfortable shoe condition. It is suggested that future study of kinematic and kinetic reactions to footwear of different comfort will help to understand the mechanism for the observed performance improvement.