Splashing out on an expensive pair of trainers is a waste of money and may even damage your feet in the long term, researchers say.

A £40 pair of running shoes can be just as good in terms of cushioning impact and overall comfort, if not better, than a £75 pair, a study has found.

The British footwear market is estimated to be worth £3 billion, while shoe manufacturers Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Puma are among the world’s most valuable brands, with celebrity endorsements and sponsorship deals.

Although the researchers refused to reveal the brands being measured in ongoing tests, the initial results suggest that, despite manufacturers’ claims, no amount of built-in air bubbles, shock absorbers or other cushioning makes a difference to the overall pressure on the foot while walking or running.

Running can produce sizeable shock waves to the bones of the foot, which radiate to other bones in the body, with the force of the impact increasing with speed and distance, says the team from the University of Dundee.

Consequently, runners are prone to knee pain, stress fractures, muscle tears and osteoarthritis.

The type of cushioning in the soles of running shoes aims to prevent this damage, with expensive trainers often marketed as the most protective.

But a comparison of nine pairs of trainers – from three different manufacturers and in three different price ranges – found those at the bargain end of the market performed best in tests of comfort and cushioning.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine measured “plantar pressure”, the force produced by the impact of the sole of the foot hitting the ground.

Researchers at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, analysed eight different areas of the sole in 43 volunteers using a special device called a pedar attached to the shoes.

The cheapest pairs tested were priced at £40 to £45 with the moderate range costing £60 to £65. The three most expensive pairs cost £70 to £75. The participants were not told how much any of the shoes cost as their steps were monitored while walking over a distance of 20 metres. Nine of the volunteers then tested the shoes while running on a treadmill, which produced comparable pressure readings to walking.

Different models performed differently for different areas of the foot but overall the shoes were similar, regardless of brand or price. In fact, plantar pressure was found to be slightly lower in the cheaper shoes. Rami Abboud, who led the study, said: “Our advice is when you are shopping for trainers try them on, decide which ones seem to fit the best – and don’t look at the price tag.”

It’s the look not comfort

When runners ask me what running shoe they need to maximise their performance I advise them to choose a mid-range product but, more importantly, get it from a specialist running shop.

The fact is, most running footwear nowadays is sold for fashion, so the priority for manufacturers is to produce a shoe that will look good on the streets, not for making athletes’ feet comfortable on the track.

Running footwear must be able to cope with both the forces of shock absorption and propulsion. As a human runs the foot and leg has to withstand ground reaction forces of up to five times body weight as the foot strikes the ground.

In the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 1997 an article concluded that there appeared to be a higher incidence of injury in users of expensive athletic shoes.

— Simon Costain runs the Simon Costain Gait and Posture Centre in Harley Street

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