Are 'shrink and pink' running shoes sexist?

As new research reveals that women's athletic footwear doesn't meet the needs of female feet, meet the husband and wife team transforming trainers

- INTERVIEW BY HANNAH BRITT

It might seem that women are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing trainers, whether they're buying a pair of fashion 'sneakers' in any possible colour from hot pink to leopard print or investing in technical shoes promising to boost performance.

But according to new research, this array of supposedly beneficial footwear isn't aimed at the fairer sex at all - they're simply men’s trainers that have been reduced in size.

The result is that women are not only at greater risk of discomfort but they are also more likely to be injured and suffer from painful conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

In the paper, recently published in BMJ Journals’ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, Canadian researchers noted that “billions of dollars have been invested by the footwear industry over the last 50 years to incorporate technology aiming to prevent injury, maximise comfort and improve performance in running.”

However, the team led by Simon Fraser University in Canada continued, “research conducted by industry and academic communities to inform running footwear development has predominantly been designed for and tested on males or men.”

The paper explains that running shoes are designed by creating a “last”, which is a three-dimensional foot-shaped mould based on male foot anatomy.

This is then scaled for the full range of sizes for men and women.