#219 The Science of Running Footwear Biomechanics 2.0: How Elite Athletes Fit In, Rethinking Shoe Categories

On this episode, Matt is joined by two special guests from Brooks, Jennifer Sumner and Evan Day, biomechanists and researchers on the Brooks' Run Research Team. They give a behind-the-scenes look at how Brooks develops shoes not only for the elites, but for the every day, average runner. They discuss how biomechanics differ and what that means for designing and choosing shoes. They explain the differences between "stability" and "support" and look down the road at what's next for real-world runner testing. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:59 - How Brooks develops footwear for the everyday runner 9:35 - Brooks's data on racing shoes for the average runner 14:32 - How biomechanics informs shoe development for the recreational runner 18:54 - Building for the elite athlete 25:19 - How the idea of the habitual motion path has evolved 39:16 - How could we rethink categorizing shoes for new runners? 49:37 - Support vs. stability 53:56 - Brooks's real world runner testing 1:03:54 - Wrap-up