Can a neutral runner have problems using a stability shoe?

Running Shoes/Running Gear Shoes

8 years ago 03/03/2016 9:27am EST

Hello everyone, I have been running consistently for almost two years now and I have participated in several half marathons. I have always have different pains in hips, calfs, back of knee and foot with no apparent reason or a specific injury, just pains. After several doctors visits, one doctor told me that everything was hurting because I was running in stability shoes (Adidas supernova sequence) while I was clearly a neutral runner. So, I bought a pair of neutral Adidas, and the pain was gone within a week, so I started training for my first marathon. Everything was fine, until I started using for error a stability shoe (Asics GT 1000), within one week with a long run included, my feet was hurting a lot, almost that standing on my feet was a huge pain, after a few days of rest the pain is starting to subside. Not taking into account that IÂ´m a huge dumb for trying a new shoe so close to my marathon (DUMB!), Does anyone have similar problems??? or any idea about this??. Sorry, IÂ´m not from USA so my English is a little rusty.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 10:08am EST

re: carolaa

Yes, control shoes will cause problems for a neutral runner.

I encountered this problem in college. We had a selection of shoes - trainers (control type), racing flats and spikes. I went with the standard control trainers and began having problems. I switched to racing flats - light weight, no control features and my problems went away.

If you have a neutral foot and no injuries, there is no reason to wear control shoes. Your foot is doing its job and does not need any assistance.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 11:30am EST

re: carolaa

Yes.

Many neutral runners have relatively high arches. The support element in stability shoes changes your gait - preventing you from pushing off over the big toe and can cause all kinds of problems from the feet up.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 11:34am EST

re: carolaa

I believe your doctor could be correct. I always had random pains the first year I was running, it was because I didn't know anything about shoes and bought stability. Later on I got properly evaluated and determined that I don't need stability and made the switch to neutral. Everything felt better after that.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 11:50am EST

re: carolaa

Whether there is any beneficial difference between "stability" and "neutral" shoes is highly questionable, whether all "stability" shoes are "stable" in the same way is highly questionable, and whether anyone can actually diagnose whether you should run in "stability" or "neutral" shoes based on your degree of pronation is highly questionable.Much of the stability/neutral business about preventing pronation is marketing by shoe companies that has not been subject to any rigorous scientific proof.Here's an article about one study on the subject:

Over the course of three large studies, the most recent of which was published last month in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers found almost no correlation at all between wearing the proper running shoes and avoiding injury. Injury rates were high among all the runners, but they were highest among the soldiers who had received shoes designed specifically for their foot types. If anything, wearing the â€œrightâ€ shoes for their particular foot shape had increased traineesâ€™ chances of being hurt.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/phys-ed-do-certain-types-of-sneakers-prevent-injuries/?_r=0

Here's another article and its advice:

Where does that leave us? The authors have two main pieces of advice. First, choose a shoe that feels comfortable to you; there's evidence that perception of comfort is actually relatively sensitive guide to how compatible a shoe is with your foot. Second, pay more attention to all the non-shoe factors that lead to running injury -- most importantly, training errors. In the end, the underlying cause of virtually all overuse injuries is still the simplest: too much, too soon.

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/does-pronation-matter

8 years ago 03/03/2016 12:11pm EST

re: Pronation paradigm skeptic

Well, in this case I started to feel better as soon as I stopped using the stability shoes, and started using the neutral ones. The excruciating pain I had in my foot subsided only days after. Of course, I analyzed all the other factors that usually led to injury, including cross-training and strength training. I suppose that in this case the "extra" features included in stability shoes caused more damage than good.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 12:20pm EST

re: carolaa

carolaa wrote:
Well, in this case I started to feel better as soon as I stopped using the stability shoes, and started using the neutral ones. The excruciating pain I had in my foot subsided only days after. Of course, I analyzed all the other factors that usually led to injury, including cross-training and strength training. I suppose that in this case the "extra" features included in stability shoes caused more damage than good.

I think that's the best test. If a shoe feels good to you and you aren't getting injured then you have probably found a shoe that is suited to your foot and gait.

8 years ago 03/03/2016 1:24pm EST

re: carolaa

carolaa wrote:
Well, in this case I started to feel better as soon as I stopped using the stability shoes, and started using the neutral ones. The excruciating pain I had in my foot subsided only days after. Of course, I analyzed all the other factors that usually led to injury, including cross-training and strength training. I suppose that in this case the "extra" features included in stability shoes caused more damage than good.

Same thing happened to me. What a bunch of snake oil

8 years ago 03/03/2016 6:03pm EST

re: I've been there too

If a shoe works, buy a couple of them! I learnt that lesson ever since my equalon was discontinued :(

6 years ago 05/04/2018 3:40pm EDT

re: Pronation paradigm skeptic

Pronation paradigm skeptic wrote:
Whether there is any beneficial difference between "stability" and "neutral" shoes is highly questionable, whether all "stability" shoes are "stable" in the same way is highly questionable, and whether anyone can actually diagnose whether you should run in "stability" or "neutral" shoes based on your degree of pronation is highly questionable.
Much of the stability/neutral business about preventing pronation is marketing by shoe companies that has not been subject to any rigorous scientific proof.
Here's an article about one study on the subject:
Over the course of three large studies, the most recent of which was published last month in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers found almost no correlation at all between wearing the proper running shoes and avoiding injury. Injury rates were high among all the runners, but they were highest among the soldiers who had received shoes designed specifically for their foot types. If anything, wearing the â€œrightâ€ shoes for their particular foot shape had increased traineesâ€™ chances of being hurt.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/phys-ed-do-certain-types-of-sneakers-prevent-injuries/?_r=0
Here's another article and its advice:
Where does that leave us? The authors have two main pieces of advice. First, choose a shoe that feels comfortable to you; there's evidence that perception of comfort is actually relatively sensitive guide to how compatible a shoe is with your foot. Second, pay more attention to all the non-shoe factors that lead to running injury -- most importantly, training errors. In the end, the underlying cause of virtually all overuse injuries is still the simplest: too much, too soon.
http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/does-pronation-matter

Actually, there's no question to it. Using a neutral/stability shoe will ALWAYS affect your running gait. When you get your gait analyzed, they look at the way your foot, ankle, and leg move. Your foot should be flat, and your ankle and leg should be straight. Using one of those types of shoes will help make sure that happens. Stability shoes will ensure that when your foot/ankle roll inward, they will help push them back out to make them straight. That being said, there are different levels of stability. A Brooks Adrenaline GTS doesn't have the same level of stability as an Asics GT-1000 or Brooks Ravenna. Just the same as not all neutral shoes have the same amount of "neutral-ness" to them. A Brooks Ghost isn't the same as a Nike Pegasus. That's why getting your gait checked and analyzed is important. If you get analyzed, ask them for multiple recommendations.

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