Two Odd Items About Running and Shoes
Mattress springs in running shoes, running economy in high heels.
By Scott Douglas
Less heel-to-toe drop in running shoes is likely to be one of the main consequences of the last few years' minimalism movement. Two recent, unrelated items spring more from the opposite end of the zero-drop spectrum.
First, a British mattress spring company and biomechanics professor have teamed to create The Preston, a running shoe that has, yes, tiny mattress springs in the heel.
The shoe "uses the same technology as a pocket-sprung mattress, with lightweight micro springs meaning significantly more shock and pressure can be absorbed, as well as an increased uplift as you push back off the ground," The Daily Mail claims.
The professor, Jim Richards, told the Mail that the shoes will be able to be customized for runners of different sizes and running forms. The shoe will reportedly be available later this year at a price comparable to other running shoes.
If the shoes make it to market, they won't be alone in the springs-in-heels category. The September issue of Runner's World will contain a review of a shoe by the U.S. company Spira, which for years has sold running shoes containing metal springs in the midsole.
If mattress springs in your heels aren't enough of a new challenge for you, maybe you would have enjoyed being part of a recent Chinese study (link is PDF). It looked at the energy cost of running of jogging at about 4 miles per hour while wearing heels of various heights.
Perhaps you won't be surprised to hear that, of the three shoes the women in the study ran in, they were most efficient when running in the lowest-heeled shoes. Compared to when they ran in shoes with a 1-centimeter (.4-inch heel), the women consumed 25.4% more oxygen when running the same pace while wearing shoes with a 4.5-centimeter (1.8-inch) heel. Their oxygen consumption went up another 12.9% when they ran in shoes with a 7-centimeter (2.75-inch) heels.
Why would anyone study such a thing?
"People are often being in a hurry state to adapt to quickening of life pace," the researchers wrote. "Therefore, jogging with high-heeled shoes becomes an unavoidable situation."
Scott Douglas Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner's World and Running Times.
More From Running Shoes
The 11 Best Nike Running Shoes You Can Buy
Get Women-Specific Cushioning in the Antora
Nike's ZoomX Vaporfly Next% Now Available
Topo Athletic's Most Cushioned Road Shoe—Yet
The 11 Best Brooks Running Shoes
Saucony's Plush Shoe Stabilizes and Endures
About the Shoe Reviews
Running for Two
It's Not About the Shoe
Two Middle School Runners Write About their Love for the Sport
It's Not About the Shoes