The most comfortable running shoes may actually increase injury risk

people running

The running shoe you wear really matters

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Highly-cushioned running shoes are meant to protect against injuries, but they may actually do the opposite by changing the way we run, research suggests.

Every year, it’s estimated that at least one-third of runners get stress fractures, shin splints or muscle or joint injuries caused by repeated pounding of the pavement. Many shoe manufacturers have added extra padding to try to soften the impact on the legs, but injury rates have not decreased as a result.

A new study suggests this is because the extra cushioning changes …