In recent years, sports footwear has undergone a true revolution, from cushioned soles to advanced technologies such as carbon plates. But what real impact do these innovations have on young athletes? This article explores the benefits, risks, and strategies for ensuring proper motor development.

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THE REVOLUTION IN SPORTS FOOTWEAR

In recent years, the world of running and sports shoes has undergone an unprecedented transformation. This is not just a passing trend: choosing the right pair of shoes has become almost a combination of biomechanics, engineering, and sports medicine.

Major brands are investing in increasingly cushioned models, featuring thick soles and technologies such as carbon plates, designed to enhance comfort and performance. Moreover, what was once an advantage reserved for elite athletes can now be found on the feet of amateurs and, more concerningly, of young athletes still in their developmental years.

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INSTABILITY AND INJURY RISK

The combined effect of cushioned shoes and new track surfaces often leads to increased joint instability, resulting in sprains and biomechanical compensations, particularly during:

• plyometric exercises,
• high jump, long jump and triple jump,
• multidirectional movements.

A recent 2025 study (“The effects of running shoe stack height on running style and stability during level running at different running speeds” – Kettner, Stetter, Stein) showed that, with high stack-height shoes:

• foot eversion (inward rotation) increases,
• hip stability decreases,
• the duty factor, that is the time spent with the foot in contact with the ground, rises.

If these effects appear in experienced runners, what might happen to young athletes who are still developing, particularly during jumping, hurdling, and bounding exercises?

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THE COST OF EXCESSIVE PROTECTION

Modern shoes, originally designed to prevent pain and injuries, risk achieving the opposite effect:

• reduced proprioception,
• less stimulation of tendons and joints,
• missed opportunities to strengthen the feet and improve motor control.

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THE PARADOX OF TECHNOLOGICAL FOOTWEAR

Technology in sports shoes is a double-edged sword: it enhances performance and ensures short-term comfort. However, it can compromise long-term functional development, particularly in younger athletes.
An informed and balanced approach is therefore needed, one that doesn’t allow the shoes to take over the work that muscles and joints should be doing.

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CONCLUSIONS: DOES MORE TECHNOLOGY REALLY MEAN BETTER PERFORMANCE?

The future of running shoes, and of youth athletics, must address a key question: how can we balance innovation with motor development?

Footwear is an essential ally for any athlete, but it should never replace the body’s natural process of growth and adaptation.
The real challenge is not merely to run faster or jump higher and further, but to ensure healthy, stable and lasting development.

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The future is bright,
Scirocco TF

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