Sports
The Running Shoe Revolution: Is Stability Dead?
Rodrigo Roehniss reveals how the geometry of neutral shoes revolutionized the market and running.
The world of running shoes has undergone a remarkable transformation. While choices were once dictated by complex footstrike classifications, today neutral models dominate. Rodrigo Roehniss explains how the new geometry of these shoes changed everything.
The world of running shoes has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. While choices were once dictated by complex classifications of pronation and supination, today the landscape is dominated by neutral models. To understand this shift and what it means for runners, we spoke with Rodrigo Roehniss, a test editor and expert on the subject.
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The End of an Era: Goodbye to Traditional Stability Shoes?
In the past, anyone entering a sports store would find a variety of segmented shoes: for supinators, pronators, with motion control, or super cushioning. The focus on correcting footstrike was central, with specific models for each type. However, Rodrigo Roehniss notes that this complexity has drastically decreased in the market. "That's gone out the window, hasn't it?" comments one of the interlocutors during the conversation, reflecting the perception of many runners.
Roehniss points out that fewer and fewer specific stability shoes are seen. Renowned brands, like Asics, still maintain icons such as the Kayano – celebrating 33 or 34 editions, marking its years of existence – but many other light or moderate stability models have been discontinued. Severe stability shoes, which border on orthopedic and are popularly called "bricks," practically don't exist in the Brazilian market due to lack of demand, although they still have consumption in markets like the American one.
The Geometric Revolution: Neutral Shoes with Built-in Stability
The main reason behind this change, according to Roehniss, lies in the brands' own strategy. Over the last 3 or 4 years, the industry has focused on a new geometry for neutral shoes. The most significant alteration is the widening of the base area and outsole, removing the curve angle where the arch of the foot rested. This broader construction provides intrinsic stability to the footwear, regardless of whether it's classified as a traditional stability shoe.
With this new geometry, a neutral shoe can now partially accommodate runners with mild or moderate pronation. The key lies in the midsole density: if the shoe is not "extremely soft and flimsy" to the point of excessive twisting, but instead offers balanced density, it can provide the necessary stability without additional footstrike correction technologies. This demand for geometrically stable neutral shoes has become a global phenomenon, leading many brands to "pull back" from producing models exclusively dedicated to stability.
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