Science Story

08 January 2009 20:25 BST

Cheap trainers 'as good as costly ones'

Expensive trainers are no more successful at cushioning impact and providing comfort than cheaper pairs, a new study has found.

Research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says cheap and moderately-priced pairs are just as good, if not better, at reducing the harmful effects of exercise on the body.

Scientists at Ninewells hospital and medical school, Dundee, studied the efficiency of nine pairs of trainers from three manufacturers.

Cheapest pairs were priced at £40 to £45; moderate at £60 to £65; and the most expensive at £70 to £75.

The researchers measured plantar pressure - the force produced by the impact of the sole hitting the ground - in eight different areas of the sole using a device attached to the shoes.

Although different models performed differently for various areas of the foot, there were no major differences among the shoes.

Plantar pressure was even found to be lower in the cheap to moderately-priced shoes, although the researchers said the difference was not statistically significant.

The participants, who did not know how much their trainers cost, were asked to rate their shoes from least to most comfortable imaginable.

Comfort ratings varied enormously, but there was nothing to suggest greater cost resulted in greater comfort.

"It would appear from the shoes studied that performance, in terms of cushioning, is not related to cost. In fact, plantar pressure was lower overall in low- and medium-cost shoes than in high-cost shoes," the researchers conclude.

"Even though this difference is small, it may be significant over time with repetitive impact loading. This may suggest that less expensive running shoes not only provide as much protection from impact force as expensive running shoes, but that in actual fact they may also provide more.

But they warn that more brands should be investigated before any definitive conclusions can be made on cushioning and cost.