Study urges move from ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach to women’s running shoes

Shoe manufacturers should ditch the controversial “shrink it and pink it” approach when it comes to women’s running shoes, experts have said.

Despite known differences between men and women, most running trainers are designed and tested on men, researchers said.

Experts conducted interviews among female runners in Vancouver, Canada, to find out whether they faced any issues with footwear for their runs.

The results suggest that “current running footwear does not fully meet the needs of women runners”, they wrote in the journal BMJ Open Sports and Exercise Medicine.

They said that many women desire a wider “toe box”, narrower heel and more cushioning.

The research team, led by experts from the Simon Fraser University in Canada, called for running shoes that “better align” with women’s “unique biomechanical and performance needs”.

“Footwear manufacturers should move beyond the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach and develop gender-specific lasts and models,” they added.

The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 21 women with an average age of 43, including 10 competitive runners.

The women had been running for an average of 15 years.

The researchers reported that a number of themes emerged from the interviews, including:

– prioritising comfort and feel.

– the perceived contribution of the shoes to injury prevention.

– the need for different shoes for different running contexts.

They also described how women’s needs change throughout their lives – such as the need for increased shoe size and width during pregnancy and after childbirth and a growing preference for greater shoe stability and cushioning with age.

The authors said their study highlights the need for running trainers that are “specifically designed to accommodate women’s anatomical characteristics and life stage-related changes”.

They added that many women “currently adapt to suboptimal footwear rather than being offered targeted solutions”.

“This study highlights that women runners prioritise comfort, fit and injury prevention in their footwear, with many desiring a wider toe box, narrower heel and adequate cushioning,” they wrote.

“Women’s footwear needs shift over time, with pregnancy and ageing influencing shoe size, width and stability preferences.

“Competitive runners seek performance-enhancing features but do not want to sacrifice comfort.”