Podiatrist · Specialist in Biomechanics · Founder of VOLKAN
"If adding more foam automatically protected the joints, today we would have fewer injuries than thirty years ago. And yet, the reality is much more complex."
There is a phrase I hear very often in consultation.
—"My knees hurt. I think I need shoes with more cushioning."
It is a completely logical conclusion.
We have been taught that, if we place more material between the ground and the body, the impact will be less.
And if the impact is less, the joints should suffer less.
It seems like a simple explanation.
The problem is that the human body does not function like a machine that takes hits.
It functions like a living system that constantly adapts.
And it is precisely there where biomechanics completely changes the way we understand this myth.
What science says
Every time we walk or run, the body does not simply receive an impact.
It manages it.
The muscles.
The tendons.
The ligaments.
The joints.
The whole system works in a coordinated way to absorb, distribute, and reuse part of the energy from each step.
Various studies in biomechanics show that increasing the cushioning of footwear does not necessarily imply a reduction in the loads that the joints bear.
In fact, the body automatically adapts the stiffness of the leg and modifies the way it supports to maintain a relatively stable movement pattern.
In other words, the body does not stop working just because there is more foam underneath.
It simply changes the way it does it.
That’s why a very cushioned shoe does not guarantee, by itself, greater protection against injuries.
Why do we believe that more cushioning means more protection?
Because the idea seems to make sense.
If we drop an object onto a mattress, the impact will be less than on the ground.
And we tend to think that our feet work the same way.
But the body is not an object.
It is a system capable of anticipating, adapting, and continuously modifying its way of moving.
When the footwear changes, the muscle activity also changes.
The way of supporting.
The position of the joints.
The tension of the tendons.
That’s why we cannot evaluate a shoe in isolation from the person using it.
In biomechanics, footwear never acts alone.
It is always part of a much more complex system.
What I see every day in consultation
As a podiatrist specializing in biomechanics, many people come in convinced that they need a shoe with more cushioning to protect their knees, their hips, or their back.
However, when we conduct a biomechanical study, we often find that the problem is not in the amount of foam.
It is in how that body moves.
In a limitation of mobility of the ankle.
In a musculature that does not work efficiently.
In a lack of stability during support.
Or in a walking or running technique that causes certain structures to bear more load than necessary.
In those cases, changing only the shoe rarely solves the problem.
Because the important question is not how much cushioning the footwear has.
The question is why that joint is bearing those loads.
The idea I would like you to keep in mind
There is a reflection I usually share with my patients.
Joints do not need to live away from loads. They need to be prepared to manage them.
Our muscles are active shock absorbers.
Tendons store and release energy.
The foot distributes pressures and adapts support to each surface.
When that system works correctly, the body has much more sophisticated mechanisms than any material we can place under the sole.
That does not mean that all cushioning is unnecessary.
It means that the protection of joints depends on many more factors than a few extra millimeters of foam.
What you can do
Do not choose footwear solely for the amount of cushioning it has.
Prioritize a model that adapts to your activity, to the characteristics of your feet and to your real needs.
If you have joint pain, avoid assuming that the solution is just to add more cushioning. The first thing is to understand why that pain occurs.
Maintain a good muscle strength and adequate mobility. The best cushioning for the body remains the body itself.
If the discomfort persists, consult a podiatrist and conduct a biomechanical study to identify which factors are affecting your walking or running style.
Conclusion
Cushioned shoes can be very comfortable.
And, in certain contexts, they can be a good choice.
But comfort does not always mean greater joint protection.
As a podiatrist specializing in biomechanics, I distrust any message that promises to solve a complex problem with a single feature of footwear.
Joints do not depend only on the shoes you wear.
They depend, above all, on how the body inside them moves.
My job is not to recommend more or less cushioning.
It is to understand how each person functions to help them make decisions based on their biomechanics and not just on marketing.
Because protecting a joint does not start under the foot.
It starts by understanding how the whole body moves.
And when you change that way of looking at movement, you discover that the best footwear is not always what does the most for your feet.
Many times, it is the one that best allows them to do their job.