Do Running Shoes and Gait Analysis Prevent Injury? @BarbellMedicine

Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

If you are generally fit, have no performance goals, and run about 90 minutes a week, does a shoe matched to your foot shape lower your injury risk, or is comfortable enough? Does video gait analysis help? Jordan and Dr. Austin Baraki agree on the short answer: at that volume, training load management matters far more than gear.

We go through the evidence anyway. A 2024 study followed more than 7,400 recreational runners with Garmin watches for about 18 months; roughly 60% got hurt by around 600 miles, and the highest injury rates were in people running least often. Motion-control and arch-matched shoes did not reduce injuries in large military and half-marathon trials, softer cushioning looked modestly better in one study, and heel-to-toe drop made no difference, though switching abruptly to a flatter shoe can stress the Achilles and calf. Carbon-plated “super shoes” buy a few percent in running economy, which will not matter much at 90 minutes a week.

The practical version: pick shoes that are comfortable, rotate a couple of pairs, transition gradually if you change shoe type, and keep weekly mileage increases in the 20 to 30% range. Austin’s swimming-era analogy lands the point: a single session with a skilled coach to fix technique will usually beat anything you can buy. Full AMA episode and references linked below.

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Abramson E. et al. 2024. Running-related injuries in recreational runners: a prospective cohort study using wearable trackers. Br J Sports Med [verify PMID]

Knapik J.J. et al. 2010. Injury reduction effectiveness of selecting running shoes based on plantar shape. J Strength Cond Res 24(3):685-697.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20145557

Malisoux L. et al. 2016. Influence of the heel-to-toe drop of standard cushioned running shoes on injury risk in leisure-time runners: randomized trial. Am J Sports Med 44(11):2933-2940.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27474384

Hoogkamer W. et al. 2018. A comparison of the energetic cost of running in marathon racing shoes (Vaporfly). Sports Med 48(4):1009-1019.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29143929

Do Running Shoes and Gait Analysis Prevent Injury?

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