Doctors of Running Podcast

Today at the roundtable we discuss the continually blurring lines between different categories of running shoes: namely trainers, performance trainers, and racing shoes. We talk about whether performance trainers are even useful and if so, why? We then dive into Craft's new offerings: Ultra 2, Ultra Carbon 2, and Race Rebel. Chapters 0:00 - Intro/Big Favor 2:08 - The Subjective: favorite long distance racing shoe? 10:56 - Shoe Categories: where do we draw the lines and are they useful? 27:00 - What's the point of a performance trainer? 37:24 - Craft line-up reviews

In today's episode we revisit conversations that have been had regarding foam, namely discussing what changes foam leads to on the body and how long foam may last in a shoe. We then highlight our new guide on doctorsofrunning.com that helps people consider what to think about when purchasing their first pair of running shoes (or close to it). Embedded in those discussions are pearls of advice for preparing our bodies to run, what this sport demands of our bodies, and how we can be the smartest runners possible.  Find the guide here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/best-running-shoes-for-beginners.html Chapters: 00:00 Introduction/Who is DOR? 4:50 Listener Question: What’s your latest injury? 9:18 Foam properties, loading, impact force, stack height, and more 16:08 How long does foam last? 24:04 ON Cloudboom Echo first thoughts 27:42 Selecting shoes for the new runner 55:52 Wrap-up

Today on the roundtable we have the joy of talking about our second DOR Giving initiative. You'll learn more about the Life Rolls On foundation and the wonderful work they do. You can learn more and donate to their organization here: https://liferollson.org/. Next we talk about the art and science of uppers, and why they are one of the most overlooked pieces of shoe design. We give our picks for favorite uppers over the last year and why they worked for us in a variety of categories like daily trainer, racers, and trail. Then we discuss and review all of the early HOKA 2022 offerings: Carbon X3, Kawana, Tecton X, and Mach Supersonic. We discuss where some of these fell short, who they may work for, and where HOKA may need to go next. 

Today to the roundtable we welcome Stuart Jenkins, a seasoned innovator in the running shoe industry who has worked with independent inventors across brands, led Deckers' innovation team, and now has started BLUMAKA. We dive into what he has found makes innovation work and how companies can fail at innovation, all while considering his newest endeavor with BLUMAKA, which has a focus on high performing and sustainably produced product with foam created out of a majority of recycled material. Hear his initial takes on sustainability in the run shoe industry and things to consider as inventors and innovators.  To learn more about BLUMAKA, visit www.blumaka.com. For 20% off your first order, use promo code DOR20 (note that we do not receive a kickback for these purchases, it is simply a discount for our listeners). Listener discretion advised: please note that there is swearing in this episode of the Doctors of Running Virtual Roundtable.

We will be taking a break for 2-3 weeks on the Roundtable but will still be producing all our website content, so feel free to check that out at www.doctorsofrunning.com. After our break the podcast will be full steam ahead! Happy New Year!

The hosts reflect on community engagement and announce a new charitable initiative supporting families affected by children's cancer. They dive deep into Achilles tendinopathy, discussing its implications and effective management strategies. The conversation covers the differences between tendonitis and tendinopathy, emphasizing tailored rehabilitation approaches. Additionally, they share insights on footwear choices that can alleviate stress on the Achilles tendon, guiding runners on how to maintain activity while healing.

We are in the final episode of our DPT Approved Awards for 2021. Our team has tested over 110 shoes and ran over 15,000 miles in 2021 (so far) and we are ready to dish out our picks for numerous categories of shoes. Our final category is a fan-favorite: Best Road Racing Shoes. We talk through our individual contributor picks for both shorter and longer distance road racing with a focus on "super shoe" options. We are believers in more traditional road racing flats, but those will be reserved for another time. 2021 was a sneaky year that brought a lot of very solid road racing options, and we talk about many of them in this episode.

Today we are continuing our run through our DPT Approved Awards. Our team has tested over 110 shoes and ran over 15,000 miles in 2021 (so far) and we are ready to dish out our picks for numerous categories of shoes. Today's roundtable focuses on one of our favorite topics, which is stability within running shoe construction. We are dishing out two awards today. First is the "Best Stability Shoe", which is defined as "a shoe that has intentional design to help guide the foot as it moves across the platform by utilizing some formal stability construction". The second award is "Best Stable Neutral Shoe", which we define as "a shoe that was not built with formal stability measures, but its construction lends it to being more stable compared to other shoes within the neutral category." If you're looking for our nitty gritty through on the nuance found in stability footwear design, you won't find it here, but you can get a start by going to www.doctorsofrunning.com and checking out our "Stability Guide".

Ready for about 100 tangents? Well here they come. Today we are continuing our run through our DPT Approved Awards. Our team has tested over 110 shoes and ran over 14,500 miles in 2021 (so far) and we are ready to dish out our picks for numerous categories of shoes. We break down the best plated performance trainers in 2021 while presenting our individual picks and our team's consensus pick. We define performance trainer as "a shoe that specializes for uptempo running, workouts, and can even double as a racer for some. It's even better if the shoe can handle warm-ups well and do a few easy miles on the ends of workouts, but typically isn't as comfortable for daily milage." We discuss that some plated shoes designed for racing may function well (or even better) for some in a performance trainer capacity, but that does come with a higher price tag. This was the first time where all three members had the same three shoes in their top 3 (albeit in different orders). 

Today we are continuing our run through our DPT Approved Awards. Our team has tested over 110 shoes and ran over 14,500 miles in 2021 (so far) and we are ready to dish out our picks for numerous categories of shoes. Today we break down the best non-plated performance trainers in 2021 while presenting our individual picks and our team's consensus pick. We define performance trainer as "a shoe that specializes for uptempo running, workouts, and can even double as a racer for some. It's even better if the shoe can handle warm-ups well and do a few easy miles on the ends of workouts, but typically isn't as comfortable for daily milage."