SynthesisJournal of sports science & medicine2020
Systematic Review of the Role of Footwear Constructions in Running Biomechanics: Implications for Running-Related Injury and Performance.
Synthesis in Journal of sports science & medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Effects of Shoe Sole Thickness on Running Biomechanics and Economy: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine - open · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Finite Element Analysis in Running Footwear Biomechanics: Insights for Running-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2025Pooled it
- The Relationship Between Running Biomechanics and Running Economy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Pooled it
- Heavy Resistance Training Versus Plyometric Training for Improving Running Economy and Running Time Trial Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2022Pooled it
- Biomechanical exploration of cushioning and stability in auxetic lattice midsoles during jump landing.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Effects of midsole support plate material on lower-limb kinetics and muscle activation during basketball-specific movements.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Running Velocity as a Methodological Factor in Footwear Testing: Fixed Versus Self-Selected Conditions.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Review
- Effects of a wrapping closure lacing system on wearing comfort, lock-in stability, and lower-limb muscle demand during prolonged running.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Finite element analysis-based optimization of longitudinal bending stiffness and rearfoot stability in carbon-plated running shoes.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Carbon plates in running shoes biomechanics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Review
- Article
- Article
- Joint contact forces during barefoot, minimal and conventional shod running are highly individual.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Analysis of midsole gait in running shoes with various 3d printed biomimetic structure.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Ankle sprain history and clinical outcome have limited influence on walking and running biomechanics among runners: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- The effects of different carbon-fiber plate shapes in shoes on lower limb biomechanics following running-induced fatigue.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Biomechanical insights into carbon plate geometry in running shoes in male runners: implications for sprint performance and ankle stability.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Trends and hotspots in running shoe research: a bibliometric study from 2005 to 2024.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Review
- Footwear technology and biomechanical adaptations in ultramarathon running: a PRISMA-Guided narrative review integrating direct and laboratory evidence.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Although the role of shoe constructions on running injury and performance has been widely investigated, systematic reviews on the shoe construction effects on running biomechanics were rarely reported. Therefore, this review focuses on the relevant research studies examining the biomechanical effect of running shoe constructions on reducing running-related injury and optimising performance. Searches of five databases and Footwear Science from January 1994 to September 2018 for related biomechanical studies which investigated running footwear constructions yielded a total of 1260 articles. After duplications were removed and exclusion criteria applied to the titles, abstracts and full text, 63 studies remained and categorised into following constructions: (a) shoe lace, (b) midsole, (c) heel flare, (d) heel-toe drop, (e) minimalist shoes, (f) Masai Barefoot Technologies, (g) heel cup, (h) upper, and (i) bending stiffness. Some running shoe constructions positively affect athletic performance-related and injury-related variables: 1) increasing the stiffness of running shoes at the optimal range can benefit performance-related variables; 2) softer midsoles can reduce impact forces and loading rates; 3) thicker midsoles can provide better cushioning effects and attenuate shock during impacts but may also decrease plantar sensations of a foot; 4) minimalist shoes can improve running economy and increase the cross-sectional area and stiffness of Achilles tendon but it would increase the metatarsophalangeal and ankle joint loading compared to the conventional shoes. While shoe constructions can effectively influence running biomechanics, research on some constructions including shoe lace, heel flare, heel-toe drop, Masai Barefoot Technologies, heel cup, and upper requires further investigation before a viable scientific guideline can be made. Future research is also needed to develop standard testing protocols to determine the optimal stiffness, thickness, and heel-toe drop of running shoes to optimise performance-related variables and prevent running-related injuries.
Indexed as
Identifiers
32132824PMC7039038W2991955618What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.