
At [RunMechanics](https://runmechanics.in) we have examined the running styles of various runners. Runners at their early running phase to those who clocked sub 3 hrs at a marathon. They visit us for various reasons, to perform better, to run injury-free, and general awareness of running. Almost all the runners are curious to know about their foot pronation, and what shoes are the best to use. A more specific question is do I need to use stability shoes? This article will help you understand more about stability shoes and how they are different from neutral shoes. 

### Overpronation and Running Injuries

As runners, we all experience a certain level of pronation as we land. 

* At initial ground contact, as the foot prepares for landing, it locks itself to take the shock of impact. Also known as Supination, the foot is not stable at this stage. Rearfoot is at an angle, called Inversion.
* The foot loosens up at mid-stance and the arch touches the ground fully to stabilize the body. **Known as pronation, at this position, rear-foot is at an angle called Eversion**. 
* The foot locks itself (supinates) again to assist the body to propel forward. Rearfoot inverts to take off.

Eversion angle range between 3 to 18 degrees, is common and is called as neutral pronation. Runners with >18 degrees of eversion are overpronated and **_may need stability shoes _**to support the arch and control the eversion. Eversion angles of more than 18 degrees are correlated with a higher occurrence of foot injuries such as Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis. Excessive eversion also puts the knee in an awkward position during stance, which often is the cause of the Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome). This is covered in detail in [our previous article](https://geeksonfeet.com/run/eversion/). 

### Shoe Types based on the Support they offer

Running shoes & custom orthotics have been used by runners to provide additional support for long.  Based on the type of support, there are two types of shoes.
* **Neutral shoes** - These shoes don’t have any specific features that add additional support for runners overpronate. These are often lightweight.
* **Stability Shoes** - These shoes are engineered for runners with overpronation. Stability shoes are engineered such that they stop excessive eversion.

### How do Stability Shoes work?

**Dual Density Foams**

* Combination of Higher density and lower density foams are used in the midsole
* Higher density foam is placed at a slope in the bottom to control the overpronation

<LightBox
src="/images/opshoe.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Dual Density Midsole & Medial Post"
/>

**Medial Post**

Medial post is often made of a harder  PU material provides extra support to control the pronation.

**Guide Rails**

The recent trend is to ditch medial posts and dual-density foams, with a harder outer wall around the arch to provide stability. Brooks has pioneered this system and now has been used by many brands including Saucony and Nike.

<LightBox
src="/images/guiderails.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Guide rails"
/>

**Heel Counter**

Hard plastic Heel counter wraps around the heel and provides better rearfoot stability. Sometimes it may be inside and the upper covers it. You can feel it by touching it.

<LightBox
src="/images/heelcounter.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Heel counter adds to heel stability"
/>

**Torsion System**

Torsions system is famously used by Adidas to ensure the forefoot and heel can move independent of the midfoot.  By doing so, it supports the midfoot with extra stability. 

<LightBox
src="/images/torsionsystem.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Heel counter adds to heel stability"
/>


### Downsides of Stability Shoes

When compared to neutral shoes, stability shoes have some downsides that runners need to be aware of.

<table>
  <tr>
   <td>Features 
   </td>
   <td>Neutral 
   </td>
   <td>Stability 
   </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Weight 
   </td>
   <td>Lighter &lt; 300g
   </td>
   <td>Heavier > 300g
   </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Mid soles 
   </td>
   <td>Flexible 
   </td>
   <td>Lack flexibility 
   </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Price
   </td>
   <td>Priced lower than their stability counterparts 
   </td>
   <td>Higher than their neutral counterparts
   </td>
  </tr>
</table>


### Should runners be using Stability Shoes?

Certain runners with overpronation and are having frequent injuries do benefit from using stability shoes.  Stability shoes do control excessive eversion.  That said, overpronation is often observed along with excessive pelvic tilt, knee ab/duction, and weak foot arch control.  So fixing pronation without understanding the overall gait can do more harm than help the runner.

So our recommendation often is that use Stability shoes only in the short term.  But work on the underlying issues causing overpronation and the possible injuries. 

### Finding Stability Shoes

At [shoegeeks.in](https://shoegeeks.in) we have cataloged the stability shoes available in India, to help runners find them easily. There are two ways to find stability shoes on shoegeeks.in.  

1. Using the ShoeAdvisor 
2. Using the Search 

**Using Shoe Advisor to find Stability Shoes**

Start with[ Shoe Advisor ](https://shoegeeks.in/advisor/)by clicking the picture beside the search box on the home page.  On step 4 (Support) of the wizard, select stability as the option.

<LightBox
src="/images/advisor-stability.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Advisor can recommend stability shoes"
/>

**Using Search to find Stability Shoes**

When searching for shoes on Shoegeeks.in, you can use the filter panel on the left to filter and show only stability shoes.

<LightBox
src="/images/shoe-search.jpg"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="Filter the search results by stability"
/>


When runners need to consider stability shoes, how do they work, and how do they help?

All You Need To Know About Stability Shoes


Few weeks ago, we [ran a poll on Twitter](https://twitter.com/geeksonfeet/status/1445788088513351688?s=20) on what is the most important consideration when choosing running shoes. Most popular response was **_weight of the shoes_** followed by **_cushioning_**, both of which depends on the midsole. So it is no surprise that midsole is the most important part of the running shoe. 

<LightBox
src="/images/twitter-poll.png"
alt="twitter poll"
class="thumbnails"
caption="What runners look for in a shoe?"
/>

As we get a bit serious about running and increase our mileage, we start to think about stack height, stability, cushioning and so on, all of which are determined by the midsole. The type of midsole determines the durability, shock absorption, responsiveness, stability, etc. 

### What makes up the midsole?

How the  midsole behaves is determined by factors like the type of materials used, manufacturing process, additional materials (such as plates, gel bags etc.,) added to the midsole, and also the shape of midsole. Shoe designers make these choices based on the purpose the shoe is targeted, a racing shoe, a daily trainer, or a shoe for comfortable long runs.

### Midsole Materials

There is constant innovation in midsole materials right from PU, EVA, TPU to PEBA. The following are popular midsole materials used in running shoes.

<div class="row">   
    <div class="col-md-5 shadow mx-3 mb-3">
        <div class="col-md-12">
            <div class="row">
                <h3>PU (Polyurethane)</h3>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <img src="/images/puma-ignite.jpg"></img>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <p>Polyurethane is a plastic material with minute cells. It is foamed or blown into a mould for its shape. It is not longer popular in running shoes as midsole material.</p>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Weight: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Heavier</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Cushion: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Rugged & Firmer, and cushioning effect is low</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Bounce: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Low</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Durability: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">High</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Foams used by Shoe-Makers: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Puma Ignite, Brooks Levitate</div>            
            </div>
        </div>
    </div> 
    <div class="col-md-5 shadow mx-3 mb-3">
        <div class="col-md-12">
            <div class="row">
                <h3>EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate)</h3>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <img src="/shoeimages/004010002.jpg"></img>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <p>EVA is most versatile and is the popular foam. It offers plenty of choices for the designers to mix it with other materials.</p>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Weight: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Lighter</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Cushion: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Cushioning effect is better</div>
            </div>            
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Bounce: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Decent</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Durability: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Low to Medium</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Foams used by Shoe-Makers: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Nike Lunarlon, Saucony Pwrrun, Asics Flytefoam</div>            
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-md-5 shadow mx-3 mb-3">
        <div class="col-md-12">
            <div class="row">
                <h3>E-TPU (Expanded Thermoplastic polyurethane)</h3>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <img src="/shoeimages/001001019.jpg"></img>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <p>E-TPU, is manufactured by foaming TPU granules with high pressure and heat.</p>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Weight: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Similar or higher in weight to EVA</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Cushioning: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Cushioning effect is better</div>
            </div>            
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Bounce: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Decent</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Durability: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Medium</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Foams used by Shoe-Makers: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Adidas Boost, Puma NRGY, Asics Hypergel, Reebok Floatride</div>            
            </div>
        </div>
    </div> 
    <div class="col-md-5 shadow mx-3 mb-3">
        <div class="col-md-12">
            <div class="row">
                <h3>Gas Infused EVA & Other EVA Blends</h3>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <img src="/shoeimages/005004000.jpg"></img>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <p>Gases like Nitrogen or Carbon is infused into the midsole during the manufacturing process.  Or other polymers added to EVA to get desired results.</p>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Weight: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Lighter compared to standard EVA</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Cushioning: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Cushioning effect is better</div>
            </div>            
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Bounce: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Decent</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Durability: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Medium</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Foams used by Shoe-Makers: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Puma Nitro, New Balance FreshFoam, Skechers HyperBurst, Brooks DNAAmp, NewBaance FuelCell (EVA+TPU)</div>            
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="col-md-5 shadow mx-3 mb-3">
        <div class="col-md-12">
            <div class="row">
                <h3>PEBA (Polyether Block Amide)</h3>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <img src="/shoeimages/002002002F.jpg"></img>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <p>PEBA uses two different chemistries (polyether and polyamide) on the same polymer combining properties of flexibility & strength.</p>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Weight: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Lightest</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Cushioning: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Excellent Cushioning</div>
            </div>            
            <div class="row d-inline-flex">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Bounce: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Excellent Bounce</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Durability: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Low</div>
            </div>
            <div class="row">
                <div class="col-4 px-0"><h6 class="pt-0">Foams used by Shoe-Makers: </h6></div>
                <div class="col-8">Nike ZoomX, Saucony PowerPB, Puma Nitro Elite</div>            
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

### Midsole inserts

Shoe makers also insert variety of other materials into the midsole to bring in more bounce, or for better cushioning. Airbags, Gel packers, are the popular inserts. Asics is well known for Gel pockets inserted into the heel to provide better shock absorption and stability.

Nike famously uses Airbags as inserts into the midsoles for better cushioning and bounce.
  
  <LightBox
    src="/images/shoe-inserts.jpg"
    alt="midsole"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Airbags and gel inserts in midsole (source:nike.com & asics.com)"
  />

### Propulsion Plates

Propulsion plates inserted in the midsole help with better energy storage and gives higher rebound energy during the pushoff. Propulsion plates typically add more weight, and were not practical till recently.  Shoe designers were able to increase shoe stack thanks to light weight midsole materials, which made it  possible include curved plates into the midsoles.  


  <LightBox
    src="/images/vaporfly-nike.jpg"
    alt="midsole"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Carbon plate in Nike Vaporfly 4% (source:nike.com)"
  />


Nylon and Carbon plates are the popular materials used as propulsion plates.

### Choosing Shoes based on the midsole

Choosing a running shoe based on midsole can be confusing. Midsole materials are rapidly evolving and shoe makers are constantly experimenting with different polymer blends. Here is a simple decision matrix that runners can use to find the right midsole. 

  <LightBox
    src="/images/midsole-decision.jpg"
    alt="midsole"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Decision matrix to find the right midsole type"
  />

What runners need to know about Midsole?


**Heel Drop**

Heel drop (also known as heel-to-toe drop or HTT) is the difference in midsole height measured at the sole of the heel and the toe. Running shoes are designed in various drops, to suit different running styles. Shoes are typically made with heel drop ranging from from 12mm to 4mm. Zero drop shoes, as the name suggests have a drop of 0mm.

**Heel drop and Running**

* **>10mm** - Known as __high drop__ shoes, these are best suited for runners with limited ankle mobility, Achilles tendonitis issues, those who land dorsiflexed, and strike the foot on the heel.
* **10mm to 4mm** - Most shoes currently come in this range.  Encourages mid foot landing, and requires greater ankle mobility. The load is distributed through the calf and shin. 
* **&lt;4mm** - these are __low drop__ shoes, encourage forefoot to mid foot landing, and promote foot to be plantarflexed while landing.  Requires good conditioning of calf-muscles.
* **0mm** - These are __zero drop__ shoes, the off-set between heel and toe is zero. 

**Heel drop and injuries**

Scientifically there is no clear evidence linking shoe heel drop to injuries.  However, the strength limitations and mobility restrictions can determine which drop works best for runners. Shoes with higher drop are best suited for runners having frequent calf and heel injuries.  Low drop shoes work best for those who have shin issues.  

**Heel drop and Foot Strike**

* **Heel Strikers** - Heel strikers land on their heel with foot dorsiflexed. High heel drop works best for these runners as there is higher levels of cushioning at the heel. Runners wanting to switch to midfoot strike, can consider mid to low drop shoes.
* **Midfoot strikers** - Drop can be chosen based on the comfort levels. Popular trend now is to choose a drop under 10mm.  
* **Forefoot strikers** - Shoes with low heel drop works best for these runners, as the foot is plantarflexed when landing. Using a higher drop shoe for forefoot strikers, adds further stress on calf-muscles. So low-drop shoes for best.

**Searching shoes by heel drop**

While searching for shoes on shoegeeks.in, you can use the Heel drop filter to narrow down the shoes that best fits your needs.

  <LightBox
    src="/images/heeldrop-instructions.jpg"
    alt="Heel drop instructions"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Filtering shoes by heel drop in Search"
  />

Heel drop of running shoes and why does it matter?

What is Heel Drop?

Infographic - What every runner needs to know when choosing shoes

Running Shoe Basics

Infographic - Which shoes are popular with runners in India?

Top Shoes in India


(Photo by John Hoey https://flic.kr/p/ngQ3fm Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0)

By now we are in tapering mode for TMM, less than a week to the race and we are working on nutrition, hydration and thinking about post run celebration.

I personally love exploring running form, and how running can be improved through mobility, strength, technique (such as [Cadence](https://www.geeksonfeet.com/categories/cadence/)) and most importantly Shoes. You guessed right! I am a big shoe geek :-)

I have collected the shoes data from Starva of those who ran ADHM and here are some of the insights. Among the 1900 runners that I looked, only 350 of them have shared their shoe data. So please use your judgement while reading this article.

### Nike is the most popular brand and Asics is a tad bit behind

Among the brands used, Nike came out as the top brand with 27% of all runners using various shoe models of Nike. Asics caught up at 26% of runners using their shoe models. Adidas came out third with 16%. Surprising entry is French sports giant Decathlon’s brand of running shoes Kalenji and Ekiden, at fourth position with 5%. Please see the chart for full details.

<a
  href="whatsapp://send?text=Top Running Shoes!  http://geeksonfeet.com/blog/runningshoes/"
  data-action="share/whatsapp/share"
>
  <LightBox
    src="/images/runnig-shoes-brands.png"
    alt="Top Running Shoe Brands"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Top Running Shoe Brands"
  />
</a>

### Nike Air Zoom Pegasus is India's favorite

Of the top 5 shoe models, which make up 35% of all the shoes used in the race, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus series is runners favorite and it represented 28%. Adidas Ultra Boost at 23% and Asics Gel Kayano at 22% are second and third in popularity respectively. At 17% Asics Gel Nimbus is fourth popular. Decathlon Kalenji Kiprun is fifth popular with 10% share.

<a
  href="whatsapp://send?text=Top Running Shoes!  http://geeksonfeet.com/blog/runningshoes/"
  data-action="share/whatsapp/share"
>
  <LightBox
    src="/images/running-shoes.png"
    alt="Top Running Shoes"
    class="thumbnails"
    caption="Top Running Shoes"
  />
</a>

### Top 5 Shoe Models for Nike, Asics and Adidas

| Rank | Nike             | % Share |
| ---- | ---------------- | ------- |
| 1    | Air Zoom Pegasus | 48      |
| 2    | Nike Free        | 15      |
| 3    | Air Zoom Vomero  | 11      |
| 4    | Zoom Fly         | 10      |
| 4    | Winflo           | 10      |
| 5    | VaporFly         | 7       |

| Rank | Asics       | % Share |
| ---- | ----------- | ------- |
| 1    | GEL Kayano  | 38      |
| 2    | Gel Nimbus  | 28      |
| 3    | GT 2000     | 15      |
| 4    | Gel Cumulus | 7       |
| 4    | Dynaflyte   | 7       |
| 5    | GT 1000     | 5       |

| Rank | Adidas             | % Share |
| ---- | ------------------ | ------- |
| 1    | Ultra Boost        | 63      |
| 2    | Adizero Adios      | 17      |
| 3    | Adizero Boston     | 7       |
| 4    | Solar Boost        | 4       |
| 4    | Energy Boost       | 4       |
| 4    | Adizero Takumi Sen | 4       |

### Minimalist Shoes are a Small Percentage

Minimalist shoes such as Vibrams, Merrel were worn by 3% of the runners. Among these Vibrams were the most popular with 50% share among them. Other minimalist shoes used were Luna, 361 and vivo barefoot. If Nike Free can be considered as minimalist then Minimalist shoe share goes to 11%. Nike Free will be the dominant minimalist shoe in this case.

### Are you a Strava user?

If yes, please tag shoe you used against a run. It is a great way to track your miles by a particular shoe, especially if you want to prevent injuries using the same shoes beyond certain miles. Most shoes have a life of their own between 600-1000km post which they reduce their effectiveness. Further, it is a preferred practice to let a shoe breath, so ideally one can have 2 or more pairs. This will also help one understand which shoe is more effective for intervals and which are best for long runs. You tagging shoes on Strava will also help to see insights like what I did this with this post.

**References**

- [Data that I have extracted for ADHM runners is open for further analysis.](https://geeksonfeet.com/engineering/adhmshoes/)


What are the shoes runners wearing at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2019?

Blog

All You Need To Know About Stability Shoes

What runners need to know about Midsole?

What is Heel Drop?

Running Shoe Basics

Top Shoes in India

India’s most popular running shoes - ADHM 2019 edition