What kind of shoes are suspension shoes?

Welcome to a new blog about the future of running shoes.

First, some history:  The running shoe is a relatively new invention.  In its current form, it’s only about 35 years old.  Bicycles took nearly that long to turn into the usable invention we know today.  The light bulb took 50 years to get right during the 19th century, and it’s still evolving.

So it’s no surprise that the running shoe we know and love today may be the 1.0 version, the beta tester, the thing you get before the real thing comes out.

When the modern running shoe started, in the 1970s, there were basically track flats. Then, companies put thick foam pads underfoot to provide cushioning, which made shoes more comfortable.  Today, we have a lasagna underfoot constructed of foam and rigid plastic parts to keep the foam stable.  Foam has problems and its days are numbered.  The next stage is finding a better material to cushion the foot.

I first became interested in these shoes after wrtiting an article for Bloomberg Businessweek, in which a footwear inventor finds carbon fiber works best for cushioning.  It’s the stuff that has created better tennis racquets, mountain bikes, and downhill skis, and it’s super strong with tons of resiliency.  Most importantly, it doesn’t scrunch down like foam.  The inventor engineers carbon fiber into running shoes by using elliptical shock absorbers underfoot.  I tried the prototypes out while reporting the story, and I was surprised that I could feel the difference.  The concept seems promising.

There are several shoes in development that use carbon fiber and other advanced materials to provide cushioning.  Such designs could potentially last two to three times longer than foam-based running shoes.  They could potentially cushion while returning more energy back to the runner.  They could possibly provide more steadiness and support underfoot as well.

So I started this blog to begin a larger conversation about the possibility that we’re in the second phase of running shoe design.  I welcome your thoughts and critiques on these pages.

Bob Parks

Runner/Freelance Writer

www.bobparks.org