We talk a lot about how to find the right shoe for you, not a mythical "best" shoe. On this episode, Matt interviews Nathan and David on how they go about picking their shoe through a normal training week. They discuss upper fit and comfort, midsole composition & geometry, plates, and more. We hope this gives you a framework to find the best tools for your training!

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:45 - How Nathan picks his shoes
• 5:50 - How David picks his shoes
• 8:51 - New runner experiences in new age shoes
• 15:36 - How we asses upper fit
• 32:50 - How we pick the types of midsoles we like the most
• 48:30 - If your perfect shoe was a pizza, how would you make it?
• 58:43 - Wrap-up

We love a mailbag episode, where we get to answer your questions! Matt & Andrea take on a bevvy of listener quandaries. Tune in for discussions about stable marathon racing shoes, the link between heel drop in shoes and shin splints, wide toebox shoes, and much more. We want to hear from you! DM us on Instagram or email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:37 - Recommendations for stable marathon shoes
• 8:38 - Do some shoe brands lend themselves to certain foot pathologies?
• 16:00 - Could higher drop shoes effect shin pain?
• 25:08 - Help for pubic stress fracture
• 34:52 - Wide-toebox shoe recommendations
• 38:56 - Does using less-maximal shoes improve foot strength?
• 43:40 - Recommendations for stable-yet-fun shoes
• 50:00 - Wrap-up

On this episode, Andrea is joined by a very special guest: Dr. Allen Lim, founder of Skratch Labs. Allen gives us a breakdown on everything nutrition and hydration for endurance athletes. How should you fuel before/during the run? How do you measure and apply your sweat rate to how you hydrate? What role does protein play in recovery? And much more!

While working as a sport scientist and coach for a professional cycling team, Dr. Allen Lim started making his own training food and sports drinks from scratch for the cyclists because too many of the pre-packaged sports bars and drinks that were marketed or given to them were laden with artificial ingredients and literally making them sick to their stomach. Eventually, he started making a “secret drink mix” in his kitchen using a recipe with less sugar, more sodium, and no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, with a simple and clean taste created by using real fruit. Soon, word of the "Secret Drink Mix" was spreading fast and it was clear that the demand for our all natural drink mixes extended far beyond cyclists or endurance athletes. To meet the growing demand, Allen put together a team of close friends and they decided to let the secret out by opening a little company in Boulder, Colorado called Skratch Labs.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s website and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 5:05 - How Skratch's products have developed over time
• 13:48 - Would it be better for some to not eat if they're limited on time before their run?
• 17:26 - How to measure and apply your sweat rate to your nutrition
• 26:04 - What is glycogen?
• 31:22 - Why is protein important for endurance athletes?
• 36:50 - What happens physiologically when you "bonk"?
• 40:42 - Wrap-up

This episode is about all things ASICS! ASICS has come out with steady stream of stellar updates this year with the Metaspeed Paris series, Superblast 2, Novablast 4, and many more. Matt & David break down the ASICS lineup to help you choose your next ASICS daily trainer, performance trainer, and racing shoe. We want to hear from you! What's been your favorite ASICS shoe of 2024? Leave a comment on Spotify or email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:22 - Daily trainers: Cumulus 26, Nimbus 26, and Glideride Max
• 11:29 - Stability: GT 2000-13, Kayano 31
• 18:33 - Performance Trainers: Noosa Tri & Magicspeed 4
• 26:00 - Racers: Metaspeed Edge & Sky Paris
• 33:08 - Blast shoes: Novablast 4 and Superblast 2
• 41:58 - How would you change the ASICS lineup?
• 48:47 - Wrap-up

Max-stack shoes are everywhere and from every brand these days. And even what "maximal" means has changed with the standard midsole thickness creeping closer and closer to 40mm. Nathan and Matt take a look at what "maximal" means now, how our physiology and mechanics change using these shoes, how they effect injury risks, and how much caution runners (especially new ones) should exercise with them. Nathan also gives us his Wisconsin-honed cold weather clothing tips for staying warm as the temps start to drop.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 4:05 - Nathan's specific winter weather clothing recommendations
• 17:35 - Tips for avoiding dangerous levels of cold
• 21:21 - Winter stroller running tips
• 23:51 - Redefining "maximalist" shoes
• 28:02 - The science of physiological changes in maximal shoes
• 35:50 - How do maximal shoes impact our injury rates and types?
• 40:32 - Should running newcomers excersize caution when using maximal shoes?
• 46:03 - What role do minimalist shoes play?
• 55:11 - Wrap-up

Time for another mailbag show where we answer your questions about shoe, pathologies, racing, and beyond. Nathan, David, and Matt get together to field questions on shoe geometries, shoes for flat feet, shoes for Haglund's deformity, uphill racing, and much more. Want to have your question answered on our next mailbag? DM us on Instagram or email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com!

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:38 - Why might someone be sensitive to shoe flexibility?
• 12:44 - Foot pain with flat feet and cushioned shoes
• 19:34 - Taking a holistic view of the cause of pain
• 25:34 - Shoe recommendations for groomed trails
• 34:14 - Casual/dress shoes options for Haglunds deformity
• 40:53 - Recovery footwear & foot strength
• 46:58 - Shoe recommendations for an uphill marathon
• 56:14 - Shoes to avoid hamstring pain
• 59:30 - Wrap-up

Welcome back to another edition of This or That? where Nathan makes David & Matt make their hottest of takes. They debate soft vs firm shoes, PR-ing or running a bucket list race, rehabbing at home or with a PT, and more. They also take a moment to discuss race recovery as we head into fall racing season.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:06 - How to best recover from half and marathons
• 8:42 - The place of active recovery
• 11:12 - Taking time off after a marathon
• 14:20 - Should I race while injured?
• 17:17 - Post-race mental recovery
• 26:28 - This or That? Track 5K or Cross-country 5K?
• 28:40 - Best Endorphin Shift replacement: Glideride Max or Glycerine Max
• 35:52 - Soft or firm shoes?
• 39:24 - New PR or run a bucket-list race?
• 46:24 - Manual therapy or excercise?
• 50:30 - DIY rehab or going to see a PT?
• 57:00 - Rigid or flexible forefoot for easy miles?
• 1:00:16 - Reviewing shoe performance based on effort or pace?
• 1:09:38 - Wrap-up

Ever had a shoe that everyone recommends only to finally try it out and be disappointed? How is it that one person can love a shoe and someone else loathe it? Matt & Andrea dive into how and why we feel things about our running shoes. They take a look at how biomechanics, gait, shoe construction & geometry, and more impact how we perceive the ride, speed, comfort, and softness of a shoe. They also compare & contrast their thoughts on a handful of specific shoes like the New Balance Rebel V4 and the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:48 - How do biomechanics influence how we perceive shoes?
• 8:40 - How the Preferred Movement Pathway can inform shoe choice
• 16:26 - The effect of perceptive sensitivity
• 22:42 - How shoe geometry & construction impacts how it feels
• 31:34 - Thoughts on the Puma Magmax
• 38:58 - Thoughts on the New Balance Balos
• 42:25 - Thoughts on the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2
• 48:28 - The importance of getting the right size shoe
• 52:54 - Thoughts on the New Balance Rebel V4
• 55:58 - Andrea was right about the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4
• 59:34 - Wrap-up