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I have worn Asics and nothing but for decades and know - just know - that while my stride and stamina slow pair after pair of these runners have kept me on track.

Actually, while I believe it, I don't know any such thing. According to Richards, studies of what running shoes do to - and for - the people who wear them over time are all but non-existent.

Surely not? For years, advertising campaigns promised me "the longer I run, the smaller problems become" (Adidas); assured me "runs end, running doesn't" (Nike); and convinced me "running releases more than sweat" (Asics). So their shoes must be built right for runners. Yes? No? In fact, the answer is maybe, because slogans are not performance promises.

A quick check of research databases reveals an enormous literature on the impact on runners of days and decades of foot fall on all sorts of surfaces. But often lab-based biomechanical research only takes science so far.

The best way to understand how different styles of running shoes perform when the polyurethane pounds the pavement is to get people to lace up their joggers and, well, hit the road.

Says Richards: "There are hundreds of articles on how footwear affects impact forces and joint angles, but no one asks, 'Do we know what these tests mean?'."

Especially for those of us who have believed for decades that cushioning in our shoes keeps us going. "Unfortunately, the overall effect on injury rates of running in a shoe with an elevated heel remains untested in clinical trials," Richards says. "Shoes are being bought and used as clinical therapeutic devices on the presumption they prevent injuries and help performance, but there is no data to back this up."

So the Newcastle doctor and running research student at the city's university intends to find out with a big experiment, probably the largest and longest clinical trial of running shoes anywhere in the world.Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below. He is recruiting 2000 runners who will be able to buy at-cost (40 per cent below retail) a pair of running shoes, from a range of 12, including the fashionable "five-fingers" style said to be near the barefoot experience.

Participants will wear them for a year, keeping a diary of their experiences of running a minimum 10km a week, plus competing in organised races. A big survey, for sure. Still, it seems unlikely it is close to unique, at least until you look for research on shoes to suit each foot.

A US army project in 2009 found only one study of the role of shoes in reducing injuries and it noted "major methodological problems". So the soldiers conducted their own clinical study using male and female recruits. They concluded that while old runners (the shoes, not the people who wear them) increase injury risk, that's about it. Selecting shoes based on static, weight-bearing impact on soles does not necessarily prevent injury.

Another clinical trial of runners in British Columbia is yet to report. There is also a University of Arizona study under way on the psychological benefits for depressed people of running in conventional trainers compared with "barefoot" runners. Nike has also tested conventional runners against glove-style minimalist shoes in 14-week field trials.

Perhaps the most useful study confirms Richards's suspicions. Danish sports scientist Rasmus Oestergaard Nielsen enlisted 927 novice runners (beginners' feet are a blank slate) to test if there is a correlation between foot postures in generic shoes and injury. He found there isn't, indicating suggestions you need shoes that suit your natural style are plain wrong.

As one US commentator concluded on the basis of Nielsen's work, shoes that are comfortable to run in might be better for you than ones based on an analysis of foot shape and the way you roll.

So is that it for the science of shoes? Not really. "Over the last five years people have twigged that shoes are untested medical devices," Richards says. "As a clinician it is embarrassing that you have to guess what is important in terms of shoes and running technique. To a large extent we need to keep our mouths shut and not advise runners what to do."

Which is what the manufacturers do. I do not remember why I first decided Asics were the right shoes for my running style (which overstates it) all those years ago. It certainly wasn't because I swallowed the company's scientific claims -- because they are too smart to make any.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. Today, manufacturers tell you what they design shoes to do and what feet type they suit, but that's it.

Thus Asics says its GT2000 is designed "to encourage a more efficient gait, guiding your foot from heel strike to toe-off, while also giving support to the midfoot". It's the sort of biomechanical claim Asics obviously believes it can stand up, but not a word about how many injury-free kilometres it will deliver.

For a start,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. promises attract regulators. Last year,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. US brand Skechers made claims it could not support for "toning" shoes (not runners) that supposedly strengthened muscles. US consumer groups and regulators successfully sued. And Vibram, maker of "five fingers" minimal runners, has defended in court claims that barefoot running, or as near as dammit to it, has health benefits.

But most manufacturers don't say squat about shoe performance over time because there is no published research. "If the companies are doing peer-reviewed clinical trials, they don't tell us," Richards says. It's a gap he intends to fill. So here I am, swapping my elderly Asics for a pair of posh shoes in a one-jogger, pre-trial test of what Richards intends to do with hundreds of runners over many months and a lot more kilometres.

He lends me a pair of Hoka One One Bondis and off we go. I should love them, after all, "Hoka One One's maximally cushioned midsoles offers superior protection, comfort and propulsion". And so forth and so on.The latest trends and best prices on Michael Kors Bags 2013.

Problem is, I don't like them. Perhaps it is the go-fast stripes. Maybe it's the toggles that tighten the laces, implying I'm too dumb to tie my shoes and run, let alone chew gum. But, above all, they feel spongy, as if I am bouncing along on the surface, not connecting with the path.

On balance, and bugger which way my foot strikes, I am happy in my old Asics -- and when they fall apart, which will not be long, I will stay loyal to the brand. At least until somebody can show me that some shoes are better for me than others.

And I'm all ears to learn what Richards discovers on the scientific running road less travelled.

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