Cushioning is essential. When you’re going for a casual walk, cushioning is still important, but going for a run produces more forceful impacts between your feet and the ground. You need sufficient cushioning in your jogging shoes to protect yourself from injury.

Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” As such, the force from your foot pressing down on the ground is countered by an equal amount of force pressing back against your foot. These equal reactions between your feet and the ground allow you to push yourself forward. Force is measured in Newtons, named for the scientist that discovered the laws of motion.

According to research performed at Oregon State University, slow runs can exert anywhere from 1083 to 1314 Newtons on your feet. For comparison, ordinary runs can exert 2000-4700 Newtons on your feet per each step, according to Saucony. Each Newton is equal to about four and a half pounds. That means each step exerts the same amount of pressure on your foot as an object weighing 4,050 pounds would exert on a table. Each step could exert as much pound-force as an object weighing 21,150 pounds!

With all of this force being exerted, going barefoot or wearing footwear without cushioning could result in injuries that limit the time you can spend running. It’s imperative to find a shoe with the right amount of cushioning for you. That is to say that the most cushioning available is not always the right amount for each jogger.

Levels of Cushioning

There are three levels of cushioning commonly used in the manufacturing and design of athletic footwear. Minimalist, maximalist, and neutral. A minimalist shoe has the least amount of cushioning possible to reduce the weight and size of the shoe. A maximalist shoe has the most cushioning possible to reduce the most impact. A neutral shoe rests somewhere in the middle.

Which level of cushioning that works best for you depends on your tastes, your weight, the amount of it that you do, and the terrain on which you run. A harder surface like pavement would exert more force than a padded floor because the padded floor would shift under you more than the pavement would. The more you weigh, the more pound force that will be exerted with each step. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how much cushioning you want and need.

Forms of Cushioning

Cushioning comes in a variety of forms. Insoles, midsoles, outsoles, padding, and shoe linings are all used to cushion.

An insole can be a removable footbed in your shoe that can be replaced with a customized orthotic insole with the best amount of cushioning for you. However, not every shoe come with removable insoles, so it would be best for you to choose a shoe with a well-cushioned insole so you wouldn’t need to switch out the insoles for a custom one.

A midsole is found between the outsole and the insole. This sole cannot be replaced, so it would be in your best interest to find a shoe with a well-cushioned midsole.

The outsole is found on the outside of the shoe. It’s the part that makes contact with the ground. Rubber outsoles offer extra cushioning and reduce impact while also supporting stability.

Padding can take the form of a plush tongue, air pockets on the sides, or a padded collar. These don’t reduce impact per se, but they do make your jog a little more comfortable because they reduce painful rubbing and irritation of the foot and ankle.

Shoe linings are generally rather thin, but the softer ones offer a little extra cushioning to complement the cushioning already built into the rest of the shoe.

Firm footwear has its purposes, but taking it for a jog isn’t one of them. You need a shoe that will give just enough with each footfall to allow your foot to move naturally and avoid injury. Similarly, too much flexibility can lead to injury due to a lack of support within the shoe.

Consider our earlier discussion about Newton’s Third Law of motion and the importance of cushioning in your jogging shoes. Each step generates up to 1314 Newtons of force on your feet. A hard, inflexible outsole could theoretically snap under the force, making you fall. If the sole didn’t snap, it could still cause severe pain and discomfort, or even injury, to your foot, ankle, or leg via the high impact between your foot and the inflexible sole.

Features of a Flexible Shoe
There are several ways that manufacturers produce flexibility in their footwear, such as rubber soles, flex grooves, mesh construction, and stretchy upper material.

Rubber Soles

You don’t want a leather sole or a sole made with hard heel materials in your shoe. The best soles are generally made of rubber, but some are made with other synthesized materials, such as polyurethane. Rubber soles in particular offer flexibility and traction, so they are the most common.

Flex Grooves

Flex grooves are thin grooves cut into the outsole in small increments to make the sole even more flexible. Some have more drastic grooves built-in so that the entire shoe can be bent in a semicircle, while others have subtle grooves that allow some bend, but not that much.

Mesh Construction

Mesh construction is the gift that keeps on giving in this type of footwear. The mesh is lightweight, breathable, and flexible! The mesh can usually be tugged or compressed, and it easily returns to its original shape. The slight give in a mesh upper prevents squeezing and painful rubbing of your feet and toes.

Stretchy Upper Fabric

Some manufacturers prefer to use a blend of materials in their fabric which makes their models more flexible than manufacturers developing less stretchy uppers. As with the mesh construction mentioned above, the stretchy fabric prevents painful squeezing and rubbing against your feet and toes for a more comfortable jog.

Unlike cushioning, support is meant to be firm to provide stabilization and prevent injury while you are on the move. The frame of the shoe should be firm enough to prevent your ankles from rolling. Heel support can reduce the likelihood and symptoms of plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tendon along the bottom of your foot. Arch support also helps joggers with Iliotibial (IT)-Band Syndrome, which results from too much strain on the IT-band tissue in the hip and thigh down through the rest of your leg.

The best options have a healthy balance between cushioning and support so that you may jog in any environment comfortably and safely. However, there are many models that maximize support, and they are known as “stability footwear.” Bear in mind that some of them will be firmer and less cushioned than others when you look into them.

Features of a Supportive Shoe
A supportive shoe could have any of the following built into it to maximize support:

• an exoskeletal heel counter;
• a firm outsole;
• a specialized support frame; and
• a flexible beam and shape built into the outsole.

An exoskeletal heel counter is the back end of the shoe around your Achilles tendon. The heel counter is meant to support your ankle and feet, so you don’t roll it.

A firm outsole provides support to your arches. However, too firm of an outsole would be uncomfortable, as it would not bend with your feet.

Some companies devoted a lot of time and energy into creating a stabilizing shoe. As such, there are several types of shoe frames which offer support and stabilization to prevent injury. Hoka One One’s 3-D Puff Print Frame technology is one such example.

Some outsoles incorporate different materials into them for arch support. Some companies use beams across the plantar fascia while others place their support pieces in the curved areas of the foot, such as along the side of your foot, rather than directly beneath it.

When you are out for a jog, it might start raining. Or it may be cold, and there are a few patches of ice on the ground. Or you’re doing it indoors on some slick surface. You need a pair of jogging shoes that will grip the ground so you can jog safely.

The type of outsole and the size and shape of the indentations in the outsole can determine how well your shoe will grip the ground. The ideal shoe would have an outsole that has many indentations it and some of those need to be deeper than the rest. Having more grooves gives them more traction, so you don’t slip and fall. The best models have outsoles made out of rubber. Car and motorcycle tires are made with rubber, as well, because it is proven to support traction. Leather soles do not lend themselves well to these activities because they have poor traction, so you would be wise to avoid any shoe with a leather sole.

If you are doing it in any sort of slick or wet environment, it will behoove you to invest in the best jogging sneakers which have a strong sole with lots of traction. If you fall and get hurt, you won’t be doing it for a while, and if you fall and get hurt in a remote area, such as a secluded walking trail, it could lead to further injury or even death. Take precautions as you jog: be aware of your surroundings, be prepared for an emergency, and wear footwear with good traction.

During your jogs, you don’t want ultra-heavy footwear meant for combat, construction work, or cold weather. You want a pair of jogging shoes that weigh less and still includes the features required for a safe, comfortable jog, such as cushioned midsoles and flexible outsoles. However, depending on the environment you plan to jog in and your personal preference, a heavier shoe might be more suitable for your jog. A jog on a mountain or up and down a hill would need footwear with higher ankles and more support to counter the effects of the slant on the mountain or hill on your feet. The more built into and onto the shoe will make the shoe heavier than more minimalist ones and, the heavier the shoe is, the more Newtons of force you have exerted on your feet.

If you are going to be jogging on mostly level terrain, such as a sidewalk or an indoor track, then the most lightweight footwear possible would be a great fit for your jog, unless you prefer the way a heavier shoe feels or you just want a little extra cushioning for comfort. There are many advances being made all the time in cushioning, support, and sole technology to build lighter weight insoles, cushioning materials, supportive frames, and outsoles without sacrificing effectiveness.

If you are going to be jogging mostly on unlevel terrains, such as in a meadow, on a nature trail, or across a creek, you will likely need a heavier shoe with firmer support and extra cushioning in case you step on a rock.