Rarely in the history of running shoes has technology changed so fundamentally and across the board as it has in recent years. Modern running shoes today versus those from just a few years ago: it’s a whole different world. This applies to both training and competition shoes. We’ll explain what has changed so much in such a short time, why these changes have occurred, and what you should look for when making a purchase.

Until a few years ago, the running shoe market moved at a rather leisurely pace: evolution rather than revolution was the motto. A small improvement here, an update there. But fundamentally new technologies were nowhere in sight for a long time. That is, until a little over ten years ago—at first unnoticed by the mainstream—when a radically different shoe hit the market thanks to the new company “Hoka One One” (now simply “Hoka”). Of course, there have always been mavericks among running shoe companies, and On certainly counts among them with its new Cloud technology. But Hoka was the first to really set the ball rolling.

Squaring the circle?

What was different? The two French founders came from the trail running industry and were dissatisfied with the running shoes available at the time. They were looking for an alternative, especially for longer distances with many downhill sections. They developed this alternative themselves: shoes with maximum cushioning on a curved sole (“rocker sole”) designed for high dynamism were their solution. To ensure stability despite the high sole, they built the shoes on a straight last. Until then, this had only been seen in super-stable shoes for severe overpronators; they were considered too undynamic, too cumbersome. In short: Hoka (almost) succeeded in “squaring the circle”: lightweight, heavily cushioned, dynamic, and yet stable.

Hoka looked nothing like conventional running shoes—not even visually. We still remember well the time when the first Hoka hit the market. We, too, were skeptical, and comments like “that’s impossible” and “who would run in those monstrosities?” were commonplace.

But the concept won over more and more people. Hoka quickly began to dominate the triathlon scene in particular. Well-cushioned, stable thanks to a straight last, yet dynamic thanks to the rocker sole: it was tailor-made for triathlon, where athletes start the run already fatigued and want to combine stability with dynamism.

An innovative, lightweight material helped pave the way for a breakthrough

At the time, it was impossible to foresee that this new running shoe design would quickly gain widespread popularity beyond trail running and triathlons. Two key factors contributed to this:

• Although the midsole is thick (up to 40 mm), it is still very lightweight thanks to new materials. This would not have been possible with the conventional EVA material that was commonly used until recently.
• Thanks to the adaptation of the Hoka principle to competition shoes through the integration of carbon plates, “chunky” competition shoes began a triumphant march through the elite ranks. Records were shattered, and the technology caused a sensation. There isn’t a single elite athlete today who doesn’t compete in such shoes. Even on the track—previously the epitome of minimalist shoes—the technology (in an adapted form) is making its way in.
  

Where do we stand today? Nearly all major running shoe manufacturers have adapted their product lines: highly cushioned, thick midsoles; more or less straight last shapes; more or less pronounced rocker soles. These core elements are now found in almost all running shoes from almost all manufacturers. While there are still many variations and designs, fundamentally, nearly all manufacturers now rely on these technologies. One thing, however, is certain: Until recently, there was still a lot of talk about “natural running” with minimalist shoes, as little cushioning as possible, and a curved last. Nobody talks about that anymore, and the corresponding range of shoes has almost completely disappeared. And in the competitive sector, there are no longer any shoes based on the old, classic design (keyword: “racing flat”). Nothing works—or rather, runs—without maximum cushioning anymore, and in the elite sector, this is combined with carbon soles. We still remember the days when even in Ironman racing, the rule was: the thinner the sole, the lighter the shoe, the better and the faster. Today, that’s absolutely unthinkable. And unsellable.

What are the benefits for hobbyists?

For recreational runners, this new development means they must finally say goodbye to the running shoes that have been standard over the past 10–15 years. Thanks to the improved cushioning and lighter weight of the new generation of shoes, running is gentler on the body while remaining dynamic. The old categories of “stability” and “neutral” shoes are also becoming increasingly blurred. Lightweight, dynamic, and yet stable are no longer contradictions. It remains to be seen how this will affect injury patterns and frequency in the long term, and it will be exciting to observe.

In the recreational sector, there’s one major “caution”: carbon shoes. Based on our experience, these should be used with caution for (overly frequent) training in the recreational sector, as they almost force a midfoot/forefoot running style, making them unsuitable for heel-strike running and thus placing significant strain on the Achilles tendons, calves, and even the pelvis. Corresponding injury patterns are indeed on the rise, not just among recreational runners. The rule of thumb remains: If you can’t consistently run at a 4-minute pace or faster in carbon shoes, you should steer clear of them.

Counseling is even more important

But the best thing to do is still to get advice at a specialty store like Tempo Sport. We have a comprehensive overview of the product range, and based on a foot analysis and our experience, we can recommend the right models for you and help you try them on in-store to see what fits and what doesn’t.

You can find everything you need to know about our running shoe guide HERE.