Lightweight Running Shoes

Lightweight trainers mean less impact, less fatigue and faster recovery

Wearing lightweight running shoes and running with soft footsteps can be very beneficial for a runner of any ability or experience level.

If you have good form with a natural running (midfoot/forefoot) gait and you wear lightweight shoes, running can put you in a state of euphoric bliss as you effortlessly click off the miles. Everything flows together harmoniously and efficiently, no matter if you're running a minute or a marathon.

But if you have inefficient form and wear heavier, overbuilt shoes - and the two often go hand-in-hand - the simple act of running can quickly become very destructive to your body. Heavier training shoes typically weigh more because they have built-up heels, which translate to steep ramp angles of 8 to 15 percent. This encourages a heavy heel-striking gait and braking, both of which have been shown to cause a variety of overuse injuries.

Conversely, lightweight training shoes that have a very low heel-toe slope (5 percent or less) encourage more of a natural running gait in which the foot hits the ground very lightly and almost level near the ball of the foot (very similarly to how a bare foot would engage the ground).

So how light is lightweight? Modern materials and manufacturing techniques - including less stitching, fewer overlays and lighter midsoles - are allowing shoes to get lighter and lighter. Training shoes still range from 7.5 to 9.5 ounces (depending on gender and shoe size) to 11.0 to 12.5 ounces. Two or three ounces might not seem like much, but you can feel the difference on your feet once you lace your shoes up and you'll certainly feel the effects after a long run.

But while lightweight shoes are better for all runners (especially when engaging in an efficient natural running gait), it's not only the actual weight that makes the difference. It's also about how the shoe is built and how much downward energy it can convert into forward propulsion.

However, that kind of midfoot or forefoot running gait does not mean running on your toes like a sprinter. Instead, allow your foot to strike directly under your body and lift your foot off the ground instead of pushing off hard like a sprinter. Practice this method of landing lightly, let the foot settle level to the ground, then lever forward and lift the foot off the ground.