Gender Specific Running Shoes

Do men and women need the same support when it comes to running shoes? The shoe company Mizuno doesn’t think so. They’ve introduced what they call “Gender Engineering” into their new line for 2009. According to Rod Foley, who is the Director of Marketing for Mizuno, “We have learned through extensive research that there are fundamental differences between the running styles of men and women. Gender Engineering adjusts to those issues by creating shoes that more closely fit the different running styles of the male and female runner, in return maximizing performance.”

So what are the differences that Mizuno has identified?
Men tend to be heavier than women and so their shoes have to be able to bear the extra weight. Each step a male runner takes exerts greater force on his body, and the impact of his foot hitting the ground is much more intense. In order to protect the feet and the knees, Mizuno has designed a male running shoe with a wider and slightly flared sole. This wider sole means that the shoe will distribute the stress of the impact over a larger surface area, which ultimately reduces the pressure exerted on the feet, knees and hips. A wider, flared sole also promotes stability, enabling male runners to feel more secure in their stride.

Women, on the other hand, have a wider pelvis, which causes their ankles to roll inward as they run (a process known as pronation). Over pronation – which occurs when the feet roll excessively inward – can put unhealthy stress on the ankles and knees. The Mizuno Women’s running shoe takes this danger into account, designing shoes that reduce the inward roll of the ankle. These running shoes have a flexible sole with flex grooves and a rounded heel – all features that result in a softer, more controlled landing.

Some people dispute the usefulness of these gender-specific features, pointing out that both men and women have a tendency to overpronate and that a flared sole is nothing special. Perhaps rather than assigning these characteristics to specific genders, it would be more useful to assign shoes based on running style or body type. For example, an athletic shoe with a wide, flared sole would be advertised as an athletic shoe for people over a certain weight. Or an athletic shoe with a flexible sole and flex grooves would be labeled as a shoe for people who overpronate.