Could These Running Shoes Save Your Knees?

Most exercise programs for people with knee pain focus on increasing muscle strength which makes some sense.

The thinking is that if your muscles are stronger, those muscles will “protect” your painful joint.

And how does that work? How do muscles help protect your joints?

Your muscles act like biologic springs which can help dissipate the force traveling up your leg. Weaker muscles translate to a harder impact on the ground and higher peak forces in the joints.

But what if a pair of running shoes could, in a sense, do the same thing for you as stronger muscles? What if the shoes could act like more muscle in your leg?

The idea isn’t new at least to me.

I actually have a pair of Kangoo shoes – and yes that word looks like kangaroo which is also what I look like running in them.

Kangoos (Kangoo Jumps) have a leaf spring on the bottom the of the shoe or really it’s a boot, like a ski boot. These springs can effectively reduce the impact force close to 50%.

What that means is your joints get a lot less pounding.

Kangoo Jumps

They’re not especially easy to run in although once you get used to it, it’s a lot of fun to go bounding down the street. But you have to be prepared for some strange looks from people.

But this isn’t the shoe I had in mind.

The Vaporfly

Nike has a novel design running shoe which is at the center of racing controversy because over the last year, male runners have recorded the five fastest marathon times...ever.

The shoe is called The VaporFly.

The midsole of the shoe is thicker than most running shoes and is made of a lightweight foam which is compliant and resilient – you can squish it and it springs back.

The Vaporfly

The “springy” feature of the Vaporfly is what makes the shoe more like an extra pair of muscles. That, and it has a curved carbon fiber plate in the midsole which improves the mechanical advantage of your foot and ankle.

While the sporting world is arguing about whether runners should be allowed to compete in this shoe, I’m wondering if this isn’t an easy way to add some “muscle” to your walking or running when, in reality, most people hip, knee, or ankle joint pain have trouble building muscle strength.

Maybe, while you’re working on your joint strength, the Vaporfly could act as a muscle-assist.

For those of you who enjoy experimenting….

Thanks for reading.

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Doug Kelsey has been a physical therapist and human movement expert since 1981. He is formerly Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the author of several books. He has conducted over 250 educational seminars for therapists, trainers, physicians, and the public and has presented lectures at national and international scientific and professional conferences. His professional CV is here.