Are There Any Benefits to Training with Different Shoe Models

You might have read or been told that it’s not a bad idea to choose entirely different models and/or brands of shoes to serve during a training cycle.

For instance, if you have three pairs, maybe have two alike and a third that is different, the theory being that it might help prevent injuries by making the muscles work slightly differently while supporting you in a different shoe.

Is this true? Are there any benefits to training with different shoe models?

Coach Danny answers this question in today’s daily podcast


Audio Transcript

Danny: Our question today comes from John. His question is, “I’ve read or been told that it’s not a bad idea to choose entirely different models of indoor brands of shoes to serve, during a marathon training cycle.

For instance, if you have three pairs and maybe two are alike, and a third that is different, the theory being that it might help prevent injuries by making the muscles work slightly differently while supporting you in a different shoe.

I’ve never done it. I always use the exact same brand and model shoe for all the shoes I use during a marathon training cycle. Any thoughts on this?”

Good question John. I’ve also heard this theory and I think it’s becoming more popular amongst runners as to rotate your shoes one way or another, whether it would be the same model and rotate it, one pair alternating days with another pair.

I also know people that wear a couple of different models depending on the types of runs they do.

That’s something I do in my own training. I rotate through three different pairs of shoes depending on what type of run I’m performing that day.

So taking my example, I rotate through three different pairs of Hokas for the most part. They are the Clifton, the Clayton, and the Challenger.

For all my easy miles, I do a lot of running on trails and roads so I find that the challenger, the Hoka Challenger, is a great shoe that fits me for those kinds of runs.

You can take them on and off road and they don’t have a rock plate, so they’re pretty flexible with being on the road and comfortable on the road.

I use the Clayton mainly for longer tempos or steady state runs, those paces that are in between really fast and really slow.

Using the Clayton, I found that it’s got a little more support. It’s a little bit of a heavier shoe but still light enough to where psychologically you feel like you’re running very quick and you’re light on your feet.

I use the Clifton for speed workouts, traditional track workouts, or fartleks, or even races.

I know people that run them in marathons, to the 5K, to the mile and a lot of triathletes use them as well as their run off shoes coming off the bike. That’s how I use two different pairs of shoes.

Looking at rotating shoes from a different angle, I think it depends on how much the two pairs of shoes are different from each other.

This will dictate what types of runs and how much of your weekly volume you should use for each pair of shoes.

For instance, you can run in a more traditional shoe, with a more traditional heel-to-toe drop like ASCICS or Nikes or Brooks, more well-known shoes but you also have to want to rotate in a pair of Altras, or Zero Drop shoes, or maybe Newtons.

I believe that could cause a lot more chance of being injured especially with the achilles or the calf, where the zero drop is so much of a drastic change from a more traditional model running shoe.

I would only insert those kinds of platform shoes with strides or very small speed workouts or a very small percentage of your weekly mileage, just because the change between one type of shoe to the other is so drastic.

If you’re looking for other ways to strengthen the lower body or the lower leg and the foot, the ways that I do it are more custom to taking my shoes off during strides, or 100 meter runs on a soccer field.

Some like that, do barefoot strides.

A lot of times, I do toe walks and heel walks, and jumps and stuff like that in a sand pit, like a volleyball sand pit or a long jump sand pit in a local track.

Any kind of unstable surface like that, without the support of a shoe, is going to make your foot do the work that it’s intended to do, and what it was made to do, which is support and balance the leverage above it, the rest of the body, as your foot strikes each time.

Point number two is, there’s also a lot of lower leg, and ankle and foot mobility, and strengthening exercises out there on the market.

Google anything.

You can find a lot of strength and mobility stuff, especially now that plantar fasciitis is so popular and causing a lot of waves in the running business.

A lot of the shoes do a lot of stuff and orthotics do a lot of stuff, but another method of attacking that is strength and mobility.

A lot of research has gone into that and working on strength and mobility in the lower leg, the foot and all the muscles that come up your posterior chain, all the way up to the back of the leg.

That’s another aspect of something I would include, outside of changing my shoe models. John, I hope that answers your question pretty well.

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Thanks for listening today and have a great run.

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