We say it everywhere: Improve performance. Stay healthy. Find the right shoe. We consider these the biggest benefits of the MilestonePod and App experience. Here we begin to break down the metrics in order of priority for each benefit.
Remember there is no such thing as “the best shoe.” There is, however, the best shoe for YOU. The next time you shop for shoes, consider showing the shoe fit specialist your strike patterns over time.
Foot strike is where your foot first makes contact with the ground. The App will display your average percentages between heel, mid-foot and toe. Often, “heel strike” is considered “bad form.” But in reality, it’s more important where your foot is in relation to your body when it’s loaded. Some heel strikers ultimately “load” their weight mid-foot. Focus on landing over your foot and you should feel the results of a softer impact.
All metrics affect risk of injury in one way or another. To stay healthy and on the road, pay special attention to rate of impact, cadence, stride length and shoe odometer.
Every time you land, your foot impacts the ground with a certain amount of force, which is counteracted by an equal and opposite force applied by the ground to your foot. Rate of impact is the amount of time your body has to deal with that ground force. A higher rate equals shorter time. A lower rate equals more time. So, a HIGH rate of impact means your body does not have enough time to spread the force out evenly. This is not optimal and can lead to injury. A LOW rate of impact means your body has enough time to spread the force out evenly. This is optimal and can help prevent injury. To lower your rate of impact, try to decrease your stride length or increase your cadence while maintaining the same speed.
To get faster, longer or stronger, pay special attention to cadence, ground contact, leg swing and foot strike.
Cadence is the average number of times your foot hits the ground in one minute. The generally accepted “golden” standard is 180 steps per minute (spm). As your cadence increases, your speed will generally increase as well. A low cadence (less than 160 spm) is typically seen in runners who over-stride (see Stride Length). A high cadence is associated with less force on your hips and knees and can help with injury prevention.
