Why You Need 2 Pairs Of Sneakers

Making the case for TWO pairs of trusty sneaks. (Photo: Anthony West/Corbis)

To fend off running-related aches and injuries, get thee to a shoe store. Switching back and forth between two pairs of running shoes may prevent nagging pains and overuse injuries, suggests a new study published in the February issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports.

The study involved about 250 recreational runners in and around Luxembourg. Over 22 weeks, the joggers reported any running-related injuries, which were defined as pain in the lower limbs or lower back that prevented them from pounding the pavement for at least one day. They also filled out detailed information about their running distance, intensity, and footwear.

During the course of the study, one-third of the runners experienced at least one injury. But those who owned two or more different pairs of running shoes and switched between them at least two times over the 22 weeks were about 40 percent less likely to report a running-related injury, compared with those who stuck with one shoe or who bought a new pair and then used their new kicks exclusively.

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Running is a naturally repetitive sport, using the same muscles and stressing the same joints with each stride, the researchers write. The most common type of running-related injury, overuse injury, develops when the body doesn’t get enough time to recover from the microtrauma caused by these forces. (Microtrauma simply means small injuries, such as tiny tears in the muscle or stress to the bone.)

"One probable explanation [for the results] is that by changing shoes regularly, the runner will provoke ever-so-slight redistributions of the physical load over different body structures, such as tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints,” study author Daniel Theisen, PhD, head of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, tells Yahoo Health.

If you’re a runner, you’ve probably felt this happen when giving a new pair of shoes a spin — you notice that you run a bit differently, or that the ground seems to hit your foot in slightly different areas. As a result, you’re not putting stress on the exact same parts of the body in the exact same way, day in and day out. This may improve recovery and prevent injuries, the researchers hypothesize.

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“I would recommend that regular runners should use at least two pairs of (preferably different) running shoes at any time,” says Theisen. “In case they need to change, they should introduce the new pair progressively into their shoe pool. The final aim is to avoid any sudden and large changes, but to allow the body to adapt to any new situation, be that training habits or running shoes.”

Your best bet: Head to your local running store for a fitting, and buy your top two picks. While buying multiple pairs of running shoes may be pricey, keep in mind that each pair will last longer since you won’t wear it as frequently. One set of running shoes should be good for about 300 to 500 miles, experts say.

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