#96 Testing the Performance Benefit of Super Shoes (ft. Saucony’s Cory Hofmann)

Nate, Matt, and DJ are joined Cory Hofmann from Saucony for a deep dive into the world of shoe testing. Cory gives us an inside look at how Saucony tests the biomechanical and physiological impact of their shoes on runners. He also helps us define some oft-misunderstood scientific terms like running power, metabolic cost, running economy, VO2 Max, and more.

Cory Hofmann is a Performance Engineer at Saucony research laboratory, testing almost every aspect of their shoe: fit, durability, mechanical properties, etc. Cory specializes in testing and measuring running shoe performance, focusing on biomechanics and physiology.

Chapters
0:00 - Introduction
06:07 - How do you measure the benefit you get from different shoes?
13:04 - Mechanical vs. metabolic power
24:27 - How do we measure metabolic cost?
27:51 - What to make of smartwatches giving you your VO2
31:11 - Oxygen vs. energy
39:56 - Research into running cost
44:26 - Biomechanical trends in relation to running economy
49:34 - The relationship between running economy and performance
53:22 - The components of shoes that contribute to performance benefits
58:57 - Our thoughts on the Endorphin Pro 3
1:02:36 - Wrap-up