Max-Cushion vs. Barefoot Shoes: It’s not All or Nothing

Take a look around the gym, the park or the queue for your morning coffee and you’ll spot plenty of foam between people’s feet and the floor. Max-cushion shoes, with their tall stacks of soft padding, seem to be on everyone’s feet at the moment.

A recent Wall Street Journal article asked podiatrists, sports-medicine doctors and coaches how all that cushioning affects the way we move.

So is extra cushioning a bad thing? Not necessarily. It’s a trade-off: it can feel lovely underfoot, but it changes how much your feet sense and how hard they work with every step.

The experts didn’t say pick one camp and stick to it. Their advice was to mix things up, rotating between shoes with different levels of cushioning and stack height.

What are max-cushion shoes?

Max-cushion shoes put a deep layer of foam between your foot and the ground. According to the WSJ, some have almost two inches (about 5cm) of it.

That extra foam can raise both the stack height and the heel-to-toe drop. Stack height is how thick the sole is, in other words how high your foot sits off the ground. Heel-to-toe drop is the difference in height between your heel and your toes.

Xero Shoes, like all true barefoot shoes, are always zero-drop: your heel and toes sit level with each other, and usually close to the ground.

These days it’s difficult to find a running or walking shoe that isn’t perched on a thick platform of foam. We think there’s a strong case for adding a pair of barefoot shoes to your collection.

What changes when you add more cushioning?

A thick foam sole affects two things: how much your feet can sense from the ground, and how hard they have to work to keep you balanced.

Ground feel. Your feet are packed with thousands of nerve endings that send information to the rest of your body.

Dr Ray McClanahan, DPM, a podiatrist at NW Foot & Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, believes that feedback has a big influence on how well we move: ‘Thick shoes can blunt sensory information and hamper human movement.’

Stability. Picture yourself standing on a pillow. Your foot sinks into the soft surface and has to work harder to keep you balanced. Add a second pillow and it becomes harder still. You might notice your feet wobbling from side to side and your ankles and knees starting to shake.

Now try standing barefoot on the floor. Notice how it feels to have your feet in direct contact with the ground. You may even see your toes spread out. Do you feel steadier?

Impact. You’d think more foam would make every landing softer, but a 2018 study in Scientific Reports found the reverse. Twelve runners tested both a max-cushion shoe and a standard running shoe. In the max-cushion shoes, their legs stiffened more as they landed and the initial impact force was higher, particularly at faster speeds.

The researchers suggest the body may brace itself against soft foam, in the same way it does when running on a softer surface. It was a small study, and it looked at running rather than walking, but it’s a useful reminder that extra cushioning won’t necessarily soften the blow.

Thin, flexible soles sit at the heart of every Xero Shoes design, protecting your feet while still letting you feel the ground.

What can we learn from the barefoot running boom?

In the late 2000s, the bestselling book Born to Run kicked off a craze for barefoot running. Plenty of people swapped their cushioned trainers for barefoot shoes overnight.

That sparked a backlash, largely because so many people’s feet never had time to adjust. It was simply too much change, too quickly.

Dr McClanahan has been working with athletes for 31 years and recommends controlled barefoot training to the athletes in his care. For everyone else, his advice is:

‘Our feet and bodies are capable of so much more than most people realise. If you want to learn what you are really capable of, pay careful attention to what you put on your feet, and your body will thank you for years to come.’

Our advice at Xero Shoes: take it slowly and give your feet time to adapt as you make the switch to barefoot shoes.

How to add barefoot shoes to your rotation

There’s no need to get rid of your cushioned shoes. In fact, the experts the WSJ spoke to recommend rotating between shoes with different amounts of cushioning and stack height, and bringing in any new style gradually.

Think of it as microdosing. Here’s an easy way to get started:

• Week 1: Wear your barefoot shoes for two or three short walks or errands.
• Week 2: Add five minutes to each walk, or squeeze in an extra errand.
• Weeks 3 and 4: Wear them every other day, going a little further each time.
• After that: Make them part of your everyday wear.

Keen to start running in barefoot shoes? Ease into it gradually. Dr McClanahan says that what tends to get people into trouble is switching suddenly to barefoot-style shoes before they’ve properly trained their bodies to cope. He recommends a slow, progressive transition: ‘… for those new to barefoot shoes, it can take months to years to accomplish without injury.’

FAQs

What is stack height in shoes?

Stack height is how thick a shoe’s sole is, or how high your foot sits above the ground. Max-cushion shoes have a tall stack height. Barefoot-inspired shoes have a very low one, often only a few millimetres, so you can still feel the ground beneath your feet.

Are zero-drop shoes the same as barefoot shoes?

Not always. Zero-drop simply means your heel and toes are at the same height, so a shoe can be zero-drop and still have plenty of cushioning. Barefoot-inspired shoes are zero-drop too, but they also have a thin, flexible sole and a wide toe box that gives your toes room to spread.

Can I wear barefoot shoes and cushioned shoes in the same week?

Yes, and it’s a brilliant way to begin. Switching between different types of shoe gives your feet a range of experiences. Start with short spells in barefoot-inspired shoes, such as a walk or a trip to the shops, and build up the time as your feet adjust.

How long does it take to get used to barefoot shoes?

It’s different for everyone. Some people feel at home after a few weeks of everyday walking, while others need several months, especially before they start running. Start small, notice how your calves and feet feel, and increase your time bit by bit. Got more questions? Take a look at our FAQs.

The bottom line: rotate your shoes

You don’t have to choose between max cushioning and barefoot. Different shoes change the way your feet feel and move, and many experts agree that bringing in different styles slowly is better than an overnight switch in either direction.

The content of this post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have about your health or a medical condition.