Ditch ‘shrink it and pink it’ women’s trainer design, say experts | Women
Sneaker manufacturers are being urged to abandon the “shrink and pink” approach when it comes to women’s running shoes.
Over the past fifty years, brands have invested billions of dollars in development trainers that prevent injuries, maximize comfort and improve performance.
However, experts said that this study was mainly designed for and tested on men.
Running shoes are typically designed using a three-dimensional foot-shaped mold called a mold, which is often based on male foot anatomy.
Experts said most sneaker retailers use the same pattern across their entire range, and beyond shrinking and changing the color of shoes (a process known as ‘shrink and pink’), only minimal changes are made to create women’s shoes.
Therefore, brands fail to distinguish the different anatomical and biomechanical needs of women throughout their lives. published in an open access journal came to the conclusion.
Experts said female-focused designs, rather than male-based ones, would likely increase women’s comfort, improve injury prevention and improve their performance.
For the study, researchers led by Simon Fraser University in Canada interviewed women in Vancouver to find out if they encountered any problems with shoes while running.
They recruited 21 study participants to include a wide range of ages, running experience, and weekly running volume and frequency.
Eleven individuals were recreational runners who averaged 19 miles (30 km) weekly; All 10 were competitive runners who ran an average of 28 miles. Nine of the women ran while pregnant or just after giving birth.
The women were between 20 and 70 years old; Their running experience ranged from six to 58 years.
They were all asked to rank the factors that influence their running shoe choices in order of importance. Responses showed that their primary considerations were the comfort and feel of the shoe, injury prevention, and performance.
In terms of comfort, most people said they wanted a wider toe box, narrower heel, and more cushioning; Competitive runners also wanted shoes that included performance-enhancing features like carbon plates, as long as they didn’t compromise on comfort.
Women said they actively seek out running shoes that they believe will help prevent running injuries. With this in mind, both groups emphasized the high value they placed on purchasing shoes from reliable sources.
They also highlighted the need for different shoe designs or components to adapt to different running contexts, such as racing, training, sprinting, or injury running.
Mothers, on the other hand, reported that they needed larger shoe sizes and wider fits, as well as more support and cushioning, during pregnancy and after birth. Competitive runners also said they need additional cushioning and support features in their shoes as they get older.
“Overall, our findings highlight a critical gap in running shoe design, which has traditionally relied on male anatomy and biomechanics,” the researchers wrote.
“Although participants did not always report not being able to find shoes, their narratives often reflected a process of trial-and-error adaptation without guidance or purposeful solutions. This suggests that their needs were not being proactively met through existing shoe design or communication.”
They concluded: “We strongly recommend that the footwear industry needs to move beyond reducing the size of men’s shoes to fit women’s feet. Instead, sex- and gender-specific designs are needed that adapt to women’s different foot morphology and social structures and preferences, all of which evolve over the lifespan.”
