Can certain types of running shoes protect against injuries?

A new Cochrane Review investigated whether certain types of running shoes can prevent lower limb injuries in adults. Twelve studies included over 11,000 runners, with five studies having fewer than 100 participants. This limited the authors’ confidence in the evidence. Also, most participants knew what type of running shoe they were receiving.

In summary, the researchers concluded that the effectiveness of different types of running shoes in preventing injuries remained unclear and that more methodologically rigorous studies are needed to answer the question.

Further information can be found under the following links

• Full text of the review and plain language summary
• “Evidently Cochrane” blog post