How does the weight of one’s shoes effect running performance?
I guess it depends on the distance…The longer the distance the more a heavier shoe will add to fatigue. When you look at training shoes at 12-13 ounces a shoe and racing shoes at 9 ounces a shoe, that is a lot of difference.
I usually train in the Kayano but last night threw on a test pair of DS-Trainers and it felt like I was running with no shoes on. If they pan out over training runs I can see using them in long races and cutting minutes off of my PR’s due to simply having lighter shoes.
Bob
Asics kayanos or any other stability high milage trainers weight around 13 oz. A racing flat like Mizuno Revolver is at 7 oz. You do the math.
On the otherhand you trade in cushion and support vs. weight. Which ever works for you best. thankfully they have “Performance Trainers” in the middle with best of both worlds around 9 oz.
A guy at my local running store said a good rule of thumb is 1-2 seconds per mile per ounce. Sounds reasonalble to me, maybe a touch conservative. I believe I read something about this in Noake’s “Lore of Running” also and it was probably more research based, but don’t really care to dig through that monster right now.
Hmm, I’ve never heard a hard rule like that - 1-2 seconds per mile - but I like it it and believe it based on my experience.
For tris I like racing on a very lightweight racing flat for Olympic racing. For half irons I find a touch more weight keeps your legs going at the end. You need a bit of cushioning to go through 13 miles feeling decent.
Runner’s World gives the 1 sec/ounce/mile estimate as well.
I need to spend more time training and less cruising the web.
would the 1 oz/sec/mile rule apply to the total weight of both shoes?
nike says that for every 100g you addd to shoe weight, you use 1% more energy to perform at the same level
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There is more to light shoes than just the weight. They tend to be less cushioned and built quite low to the ground with much less heel rise than a trainer. This is generally why people say they were sore after they broke out their flats for the first time during the year. I went to running in only flats a few years ago and now run most of my miles in old racing flats and spikes. It changes the way you run to some extent and lessens the “shock” on your muscles when you race because you really have not changed shoes.
When I want to up my mileage significantly, I buy a big cushioned trainer for the transition, but those things feel like boat anchors.
Chad
All things being equal, lighter shoes are faster but the problem is, all things are never equal. Sometimes a heavier shoe simply has a better ride. This can be due to any number of factors - better cushioning, motion control, whatever - but these considerations can make a heavier shoe a better choice. I’ve had some of my best races ever in relatively heavy shoes. And I’ve had some of my worst in relatively light ones. Turns out that some of those super light ones just were the wrong shoe for me. I still prefer a lighter shoe, but only if it fits just right
My rule of thumb is to not worry at all about the difference between two shoes if it is less than 2 ounces and worry very little if it is less than 3.
Whatever you pick, do some training in your racing shoes in race-simulated conditions to be sure they’ll feel right.