Ditch ‘shrink it and pink it’ women’s trainer design, say experts | Women

Athletic shoe manufacturers are being urged to ditch the “shrink and pink” approach when it comes to women’s running shoes.

Over the past five decades, brands have invested billions of dollars developing sneakers that prevent injuries, optimize comfort and improve performance.

But that research was mostly designed for — and tested on — men, experts said.

Running shoes are typically designed using a three-dimensional mold in the shape of a foot called a last, usually based on the anatomy of the male foot.

Most athletic shoe retailers use the same last across their entire line, and beyond reducing shoe sizes and changing colors — a process known as “shrinking and pinking” — only minimal changes are made to create women’s shoes, experts said.

Brands therefore fail to differentiate the distinct anatomical and biomechanical needs of women throughout their lives, concludes a small study published in the open access journal.

Feminine rather than masculine designs would likely improve women’s comfort, improve injury prevention and improve their performance, experts said.

For the study, researchers led by Simon Fraser University in Canada surveyed women in Vancouver to find out if they had problems with their running shoes.

They recruited 21 study participants with the goal of including a wide range of ages, running experience, and weekly running volume and frequency.

Eleven were recreational runners who covered a weekly average of 30 km; 10 were competitive runners who averaged 28 miles. Nine of the women ran while pregnant or shortly after giving birth.

The women were aged between 20 and 70; their racing experience ranged from six to 58 years.

They were asked to rank the factors that influenced their choice of running shoes in order of importance. Responses showed that their top considerations were comfort and feel of the shoe, injury prevention, and performance.

In terms of comfort, most said they wanted a wider toe box, narrower heel, and more cushioning; competitive runners also wanted shoes that incorporated performance-enhancing features, such as a carbon plate, as long as they didn’t compromise comfort.

The women said they were actively looking for running shoes that they believed would help prevent running-related injuries. With this in mind, both groups emphasized the high value they place on purchasing shoes from trusted sources.

They also highlighted the need to design different shoe models or components to suit different running contexts – for racing, training, speed work, or running with an injury, for example.

And those who were mothers reported needing larger shoes and a wider fit, as well as more support and cushioning during pregnancy and after giving birth. Competitive runners also said they needed additional cushioning and support features in their shoes as they grew.

“Overall, our results highlight a critical gap in running shoe design, traditionally based on male anatomy and biomechanics,” the researchers wrote.

“Although participants did not always report an inability to find shoes, their accounts reflected a process of trial-and-error adaptation, often without guidance or specially designed solutions. This suggests that their needs are not being proactively met by current shoe design or communication.”

They concluded: “We strongly recommend that the footwear industry moves beyond simply reducing men’s shoes to fit women’s feet. Instead, there is a need for sex- and gender-specific designs that accommodate women’s distinct foot morphology and their social constructs and preferences, all of which evolve over the course of a lifetime.”