Myth Overpronation – Why Pronation Is Not Bad, but Quite Natural

Many of us live dangerously. Very dangerously, in fact. At least if we believe a widespread myth. If your feet roll inward while running, you suffer from so-called overpronation. In such cases, it is said, only very specific running shoes can help – namely running shoes with medial posts.

When running became the new trend sport in the 1970s and 1980s, the running shoe industry also boomed. Customers were increasingly looking for innovations. The idea that, in the long run, all that running would have to strain or even overexert the human body became established – not only among athletes, but also in the running shoe industry. There was no evidence at the time. Only assumptions.

The idea behind this was quite simple: if running shoes can reduce the impact on the foot by providing lots of cushioning, the number of injuries should also decrease. But this was not the case. Since the 1990s, we have known that although cushioning noticeably increases comfort, it does not reduce the number of running injuries.

For a few years, the topic of running injuries was temporarily forgotten – until technology was able to take high-speed pictures of runners. For the first time, the running shoe industry, retailers, and later athletes too were able to marvel at the foot rolling inward or outward right there in the store. “That looked unhealthy or even hazardous, of course,” recalls Andre Kriwet.

Many experts in the running shoe industry then suspected that overpronation must have an effect on the susceptibility to injury during running. However, they were never able to scientifically prove it. “As a result, overpronation evolved into the enemy of all runners – and that’s exactly what it still is for many today,” says running shoe developer Kriwet.

The fact that overpronation was identified as the culprit was therefore mainly due to the fact that the inward-rolling movement was an easily understandable problem. “However, pronation is a completely natural movement,” explains Prof. Brüggemann. For one thing, it absorbs the shock when the feet hit the ground. On the other hand, it stores elastic energy to release it later when the foot pushes off. It is therefore part of our very personal running style.

The fact that the foot moves inward when standing upright or even during stress in sports is quite normal. “Anyone can observe this for themselves,” says Prof. Brüggemann.

However, biomechanist Brüggemann can reassure: “There is not necessarily a correlation between an x-leg position and pronation.” As with pronation in general, the coupling between knee and foot is also very individual.

After overpronation was identified as the supposed cause of running-related injuries in the 2000s, the running shoe industry began to look for a solution. Their answer were stability shoes.

Rigid elements on the outside or inside of the running shoe, such as a firm foam under the arch of the foot, are supposed to reduce overpronation. “Controlling the pronation movement this way seems understandable at first,” says Andre Kriwet. After all, it prevents the foot from rolling inward. “But that’s exactly what makes the problem worse.”

This becomes clear when you look at the injury rates. Since 1980, they have remained at around 50%. Stability shoes have not been able to reduce the number of running-related injuries – and there’s a reason for that: they interfere with the natural, individual movement of our foot.

It doesn’t matter whether we are neutral runners, overpronators or supinators – neither of these three running types are the cause of running-related injuries. In fact, supination or overpronation are not bad at all, but that is a myth, a widespread misconception. Because one thing is certain – running injuries are mainly caused by incorrect training and improperly fitting running shoes.

Wrong running shoes interfere with our natural musculoskeletal system. Thus they cause the points of force application in our bodies to shift. The consequences are discomfort, pain – and in the worst case even injuries. This is especially a problem with conventional running shoes that have protruding outsoles. Biomechanically developed running shoes, on the other hand, support our natural movement pattern. True Motion running shoes are therefore equally suitable for all types of runners.

For example, True Motion’s U-TECH^TM technology centers the ground reaction force. As a result, leverage forces at the ankle and knee joints are minimized. “This prevents the causes of both increased eversion and adduction from the outset,” explains Prof. Dr. Gert-Peter Brüggemann. Our knee is loaded as intended by nature.

The fact that due to the force centering of the U-TECH^TM technology the foot is not pushed inwards in the first place can therefore prevent running-related injuries. Among other things, a large-scale study has shown that True Motion running shoes put 10% less stress on the knee, compared to conventional neutral and stability shoes. The performance is comparable.

Which running shoe is the right one varies from person to person. Some runners prefer less cushioning, others prefer it soft. When we are looking for new shoes, we should listen to our body.

“The running shoe that feels best to us personally is also the right one,” says running shoe developer Andre Kriwet. This effect is called a “comfort filter”. If you listen to it, you’ll be all set for your next test run.