KEY POINTS:
TORONTO - Expensive sneakers are not worth the money, according to a new study - but this finding wasn't expected to lessen the appeal of a pair of upper-end running shoes.
Running has been linked to the knee pain, shin splints, stress fractures and muscle tears, so Scottish researchers set out to see if expensive running shoes provided better cushioning as well as being more comfortable than cheaper shoes.
They tested nine differently priced shoes from three brands on 43 men who were not told the prices of the shoes.
The least expensive pairs were priced 40 to 45 pounds ($106 - $120), with moderate pairs at 60 to 65 pounds ($160 - $173), and the most expensive at 70 to 75 pounds ($186 - $200).
But the research, conducted in the Institute of Motion Analysis and Research at the Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, found little, if any, difference.
"Low- and medium-cost running shoes in each of the three brands tested provided the same (if not better) cushioning of plantar pressure as high-cost running shoes," concluded the researchers.
The small study, to be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, used an in-shoe pressure measurement system to record plantar pressure - or the force produced by the impact of the sole hitting the ground - and a visual scale to assess comfort.
Previous research has shown that athletic footwear reduces impact peaks and shock wave intensity by up to 36 per cent.
But these findings may not matter to people who feel they have found their perfect pair of sneakers.
Ken Grant, who works in marketing in Toronto and was walking briskly to catch the bus in his Asics brand sneakers, said he wasn't surprised by the results.
"Price has no connection with quality in many markets," said Grant.
He chose his shoes based on "extensive testing in the store", their "reasonable price" (about $130), and their level of comfort.
Maria Sagaria, on a lunch hour walk in downtown Toronto, said she wouldn't go looking for a bargain-priced pair because she's happy with her Nike brand trainers.
"I'd go for my own experience, not for what someone says," said Sagaria.
Figures from market researcher The NPD Group show a strong US demand for moderately priced sneakers - but some interest in high-end shoes.
In the year to August 2007, about 37 per cent of running shoes purchased cost between US$50 and $100 ($65 - $131) while about 6 per cent cost over US$100 ($131). More than half, 57 per cent, cost US$50 ($65) or under.
- REUTERS
