foot talk

Sunday, July 20, 2014

On Running Shoes

On is a Swiss shoe company that have developed the CloudTec® system in an attempt to potentially conserving energy whilst running. The sole design incorporates deformable loops. A comparative study to compare On running shoes with barefoot running and conventional running shoes was undertaken. Thirty-seven trained male participants were studied while running at submaximal speeds wearing their conventional running shoe, wearing the On running shoe and while barefoot. Additional biomechanical and physiological values were investigated to determine whether the On running shoe induced any changes in these parameters compared with conventional running shoes. The small study revealed the On exhibited similar ground reaction forces as conventional shoes, and these were different from the forces experienced while running barefoot. No difference was observed in running economy between the On and a conventional shoe model. However, a slightly lower heart rate (HR) (≈1.3%) and blood lactate concentration (≈5.5%) were observed during submaximal running with the On running shoe compared with a conventional running shoe, as well as a greater lateral deviation of the centre of pressure mid-stance. The ramifications of the reduced HR and blood lactate concentration for competitive performance are unknown.

Reference
Knoepfli-Lenzina C., Waecha JC, Gülayb T, Schellenbergb F and Lorenzettib S. (2014) The influence of a new sole geometry while running Journal of Sports Sciences; Published online: 1-9 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2014.915421.