Running Technique Flaws That Cause Injury (And Are Enabled By Shoes)

If you run, chances are you’ve dealt with a sore knee, a cranky Achilles, or shin splints at some point, or you will soon. Whether you’re nursing an injury right now or simply want to keep logging miles for years to come, the answer has less to do with which shoe you buy and more to do with how you run.

Running shoes are not actually the cause of overuse injuries; after all, they are inanimate objects that live on a shelf! More accurately, running shoes are the main enablers of overuse injury because they allow you to execute poor form, namely the jarring/braking/overstriding/heel-striking pattern that experts estimate is exhibited by 80 to 95 percent of recreational runners. So, how do we come to execute this inefficient, injurious stride pattern instead of the correct midfoot landing over a balanced center of gravity? The shoes make it possible, but the root cause is a fundamental lack of baseline aerobic conditioning, foundational physical fitness, and overall musculoskeletal resilience. Simply put, the vast majority of runners are not fit enough to run with correct technique, so they shuffle their way along to recurring overuse injuries with technique flaws like:

• An inefficiently slow cadence - largely due to lack of force production on each stride. The foot stays on the ground too long and potential elastic energy for propulsion is squandered
• Insufficient forward lean from the ankles (as opposed to bending at the waist) - due to weak core musculature and/or poor ankle flexibility. This promotes the jarring/braking/overstriding landing
• Poor glute activation - from weak glutes, poor big toe functionality, and also lack of forward lean. This inhibits force production, since the glutes are the largest muscle group in the body
• Poor hip extension on the push off phase - due to tight hip flexors from sitting all day, along with weak glutes
• Contralateral pelvic drop (aka “hip drop,” where the airborne hip drops below the hip contacting the ground during the running stride) - due to weak musculature causing pelvic instability under impact load. A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that injured runners showed significantly more hip drop than healthy runners, with each additional degree of drop linked to 80 percent higher odds of being in the injured group.

Unlike climbing onto a stationary bike and turning the pedals, an adult with minimal fitness competency can’t just lace up and take off running without adverse consequences. If shoes didn’t exist, most runners might only go a mile or two or three before their calves started to lock up or their feet became painfully sore. However, in bare feet most of us would quickly shift toward a graceful midfoot landing to minimize impact trauma, because heel-striking barefoot on a hard surface is too painful. To experience this, try running several short strides on a clean, hard surface like a gym floor or smooth pavement while barefoot. You will likely find yourself running gracefully like a deer instead of the typical jogger shuffle, with the hip drop and heel strike that dramatically increase impact trauma.

Hence, the overarching goal to reduce your risk of running injury is to minimize reliance on elevated, cushioned shoes, improve foot functionality so you can learn to execute a correct midfoot landing, and improve your overall fitness competency so you can progress with your endurance without getting broken down and exhausted.

A great way to turn things around is to start spending more of your training time at a medium-to-brisk walking pace in Peluva shoes, building the aerobic base and foot strength that correct running technique depends on. Peluvas allow for full foot functionality and range of motion, so your feet strengthen naturally with every step you take. If you’re new to minimalist shoes, ease in gradually; our transition guide shows you how. For most people, brisk walking keeps the heart rate in the proper aerobic training zones (aka zone 1 and zone 2), so you can develop the aerobic, fat burning system without the interference caused by overly stressful (aka sugar burning) workouts at a jogging pace.

At Peluva.com, you can grab a pair of the optimal shoe for walking, and learn more about injury prevention in the book Born To Walk, and the free eBook, The Definitive Guide to a Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Lifestyle.