Many studies show that today’s super running shoes, which are designed to improve efficiency over a marathon, can also reduce running injuries. Faster times and fewer injuries can be huge selling points to help you sell a running shoe that often costs more than 200 dollars. The Nike Vaporfly, which was the first one to help realize a sub-2-hour marathon, has been successful, and many of the high-end runners I have worked with have been doing marathons in these shoes that feature a carbon plate. The shoes can last a few marathons, but they can be strange to walk in. One study from Oslo, Norway, recruited 195 half-marathoners and put roughly half of them in traditional shoes and the other half in Nike Alphafly 3s. Both groups then did identical 12-week half-marathon training programs. The result, reported by Michael Ryan of the University of British Columbia and Emily Farina of Nike Sport Research Lab, was a big win for super shoes: the Alphafly 3 group had a 53% lower injury rate. On the other hand, there have been studies that have shown the opposite. One idea missing is the obvious one-size-fits-all, which doesn’t work because we are all built differently, have different body styles, and even gait styles. This can affect who does well with these shoes and who may be likely to be injured. Years ago, people who had problems with running switched to minimalist or other styles of shoes with the idea that these would change the rate of injury. Often, over time, we saw different injuries moving from heel strike to mid-foot stride. Poor running adaptations and body mechanics make it difficult to fit one style of shoe to everyone. We still do not have a way of determining who will run best with which type of shoe, but for now, try the shoe and see if the promise of fewer injuries or faster times delivers on the promise by the promoters. Sometimes, adding a foot orthotic to these shoes helps those who can benefit from the design because better symmetry reduces impact and therefore reduces injury risk. Other people are wearing shoes a half or a full size small, which may be why the shoe did not work for them. I am not aware that these risk factors have been adequately studied. Run magazine recently studied supershoes and the claims of reduced injuries. Check out the article below Do Super Shoes Prevent Injuries? Experts Share Their Findings