Saucony Lowers Key Styles To An 8mm Offset
Here’s a brand that listens to their customers, analyzes what runners are doing, and reacts accordingly. With a world quickly filling up with minimal shoes and everyone thinking that minimalism is right for them, and then finding out that it’s not right for everyone; Saucony has found a middle ground to help runners land on their mid-foot.
While most believe that minimalism is all about lightweight, it’s often overlooked that the heel-to-toe drop on minimal shoes is much more “flat” than on traditional running shoes. It’s usually somewhere around a 4mm off-set from heel-to-toe. This offset creates a more natural stride and if worked into slowly and properly it can lead to a lifetime or running with reduced chance of injury and even some performance gains. However, most people are doing too much, too soon, and getting hurt. And of course, many are blaming their shoes.
Traditional running shoes have a 12mm off-set which posts the heel in an elevated position, forcing the runner to land more on their heel and then placing more pressure on the hip flexors. This form often leads to flaws in running form now referred to as “braking” and many times leads to injuries like shin splints and even stress fractures. Saucony has decided to improve runner’s form in three of their most popular models by changing the off-set in them from 12mm to 8mm. Usually when a company dramatically changes a popular shoe it does not go over well. In this case it is a home run.
The idea with the 8mm off-set is to present the runner with a shoe that will feel more balanced, comfortable, and powerful without any sacrifice in stability, cushioning, or support. What’s really important to note is that this 8mm off-set is less extreme than that of minimal shoes and therefor the runner can transition to this almost immediate with little to no risk of achilles injury. Bravo Saucony, Bravo.
