![]() ![]() There are a few important ranges of motion I usually look for when determining whether someone might benefit from a shoe with toe spring. If that is a concern for you, wear a variety of types of running shoes with and without toe spring. If you don’t have enough motion at your toe joints, the second version is likely going to cause you more problems than it will fix! There are also arguments that excessive toe spring causes weakness of the intrinsic foot muscles, but at this point has yet to be proven by high quality research. Other shoes have toe spring that is aggressive enough that the toes are held in an upward position (extension). Some versions allow for the toes to be kept in a neutral (flat) position while the sole curves up underneath. Matthew KleinĪdditionally, not all toe spring is created equal. Toe spring in the Adidas Ultraboost 21 holds the toes in slight extension. If not, whether the shoe sole is thick, has a plate or both, it may feel like trying to run over a speed bump. For the body to appropriately transition over the front of the shoe, these plated shoes also need a significant amount of toe spring. This usually allows very little motion at the forefoot. A plate, particularly a carbon-fiber plate, will also stiffen the sole. To expand on the second reason, an increasing number of shoes, both for training and racing, have plates in them. The thicker the sole, often the sharper the curve or greater degrees of toe spring are needed to allow the foot to roll forward. To allow for forward motion, toe spring is utilized to allow motion over the forefoot. Flex grooves, which are grooves cut into the sole to improve flexibility, are often not enough to allow for flexibility in some of these shoes. ![]() Thicker soled shoes, often seen in maximal shoes, are often less flexible, meaning that transitioning over the front of the shoe can be difficult. This is the major reason for the increase in toe spring frequency and degree that we’re seeing now. The second reason is if the sole of the shoe isn’t flexible enough in the forefoot to bend and allow motion in this area.
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