cushioned shoes vs soft shoes

Running Shoes/Running Gear Shoes

8 years ago 05/12/2015 4:27pm EDT

I've been running for forty years and I still can't figure out the difference between cushioned shoes and soft shoes.

I've run in shoes that rate extremely high in cushioning and they feel stiff and hard, then run in a shoe like the Nike Free that doesn't rate high in cushioning but feels like it has a softer landing.

I'm a forefoot striker.

Shoes that feel soft to me are the Free, Skechers Sprint and Ride 3, Saucony Kinvara and Brooks Pure Flow.

Shoes that are suppose to be cushioned but feel hard are Adidas Boost and Nike Vomero and Fly Knit.

8 years ago 05/12/2015 7:37pm EDT

re: old guy 69

How much do you weigh? Remember a heavier person registers a firm cushioned shoe as softer than a lightweight would.

8 years ago 05/12/2015 9:28pm EDT

re: old guy 69

For a cushioned shoe, my husband swears by Hokas.

8 years ago 05/12/2015 10:13pm EDT

re: weight matters

I'm 5'11" tall and weigh 160 pounds and a forefoot striker (supinator).

What I'm trying to figure out is why most cushioned shoes feel hard on the landing and some minimalist shoes feel comparatively soft.

In other words: Are cushioned shoes supposed to feel soft as you land?

Are there three types of shoes: cushioned, supportive and soft?

For years I preferred light, flexible shoes but bought into the shoe companies propaganda and trained in heavier cushioned shoes (so as not to get injured) and only wore the shoes I liked when I raced.

For the last four years I've been running in minimalist shoes and have only experienced those usual minor injuries I think we all endure. Needing to back off for a week or two because of a tight achilles, achy knees etc.

8 years ago 05/13/2015 6:17am EDT

re: OwnedbyWeimeraners

OwnedbyWeimeraners wrote:
For a cushioned shoe, my husband swears by Hokas.

That was not what he asked for.

8 years ago 05/13/2015 6:19am EDT

re: old guy 69

The amount of cushioning is basically how much sole material there is between your foot and the ground. That material can be softer or firmer.

8 years ago 05/13/2015 7:29am EDT

re: old guy 69

old guy 69 wrote:
I've been running for forty years and I still can't figure out the difference between cushioned shoes and soft shoes.

Cushioned shoes are called soft shoes by non-runners.

8 years ago 05/13/2015 8:40am EDT

re: old guy 69

This makes complete sense. If you are a heavy runner that pogo-sticks up and down and heel-strikes, two inches of firm foam will feel like a soft landing.

If you are 140lb, and have a smooth stride and low vertical oscillation, the same shoe would feel hard and clunky.

Put the heavy, bouncy runner on a shoe with 10mm of soft foam. They will smush right through it and slam the pavement with each step. The smooth, light runner will sink into it, and bounce back off before bottoming out.

8 years ago 05/13/2015 9:46am EDT

re: autoxfil

I've noticed that when running in those few cushioned shoes that do feel soft (Skecher's Ultra) that my legs seem to fatigue faster.

The landing feels soft but it seems to require more effort to lift off. Not as bad as running in sand, but similar.

It's odd that the one shoe that really worked for me, The Skecher Sprint

(which has been discontinued) didn't even look like a running shoe. It looked like a casual, kick around shoe. It was the perfect shoe.

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cushioned shoes vs soft shoes

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