It's time for a mailbag round where we dig through our emails and DMs to answer your questions! Matt & David team up to tackle questions about heel drop, stable-neutral speed shoes, treadmill shoes, how they'd build a rotation, and more. Want your question answered on the next mailbag? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Get your DOR Merch: https://doctors-of-running.myspreadshop.com/

Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com

LEVER Movement⁠ is portable and effective body weight support systems. Our products, including the LEVER System that allow users to reduce their effective body weight during exercise ( from 0 to 45 pounds off). This reduction is achieved through our bungee system that redistribute a portion of the user’s body weight, making exercises less strenuous and more manageable. LEVER Movement is committed to revolutionizing the way you train and recover, providing you with the tools to achieve your fitness goals with greater confidence and reduced risk.

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:32 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
• 8:40 - Is the stated heel drop the same no matter the size of the shoe?
• 12:00 - Shoe suggestions with a heel rocker, but mild forefoot rocker
• 17:30 - Shoe & exercise options for toe flexor pain
• 22:48 - Toe numbness in Vomero Plus
• 26:30 - Book recommendations
• 30:08 - Wide options similar to the original Saucony Tempus
• 36:16 - Choosing shoes for treadmill running
• 39:46 - How would you build a 3, 2 or 1 shoe rotation?
• 48:26 - Wrap-up

It's that time of year! We get the whole team, Nathan, Andrea, Matt, and David, together to round up our favorite shoes of the year. This time we're doing things a little differently for the pod: no categories, just favorites. We list out our straight-up favorite shoes that released in 2025 and tell you why we love them so much. We'd love to know what's on your list! Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Get your DOR Merch: https://doctors-of-running.myspreadshop.com/

Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! Visit https://www.skratchlabs.com

This episode is sponsored by RunDNA. We love the Certified Endurance Running Course, designed for anyone that wants to deepen their understanding of running and training. It’s not only deeply scientific, but also practical and applicable. Over 10,000 people around the world have enjoyed this course. If you want to check it out, go to RunDNA.com and use code DOR20 to get 20% off.

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:31 - In for Testing: powered by Skratch Labs
• 15:27 - #5 shoe of the year
• 26:17 - #4
• 38:18 - #3
• 49:36 - #2
• 1:06:24 - #1 Favorite shoe of the year
• 1:26:10 - Wrap-up

Matt is joined by a familiar face this week as Saucony’s Senior Performance Engineer Cory Hofmann joins for a discussion about super shoes. Matt and Cory debate whether this unique footwear is the cause of overuse injuries among runners in recent years. Hear what both sides have to say on this issue and let us know what you think in the comments or at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Get your DOR Merch: https://doctors-of-running.myspreadshop.com/

Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com

LEVER Movement⁠ is portable and effective body weight support systems. Our products, including the LEVER System that allow users to reduce their effective body weight during exercise ( from 0 to 45 pounds off). This reduction is achieved through our bungee system that redistribute a portion of the user’s body weight, making exercises less strenuous and more manageable. LEVER Movement is committed to revolutionizing the way you train and recover, providing you with the tools to achieve your fitness goals with greater confidence and reduced risk. https://levermovement.com

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 4:11 - An overview of Cory's article on injury risk & running in super shoes
• 6:35 - A 2023 study on bone-stress injuries when running in carbon-plated shoes
• 12:49 - What is "advanced footwear technology"?
• 18:57 - Does footwear influence stress injuries?
• 24:19 - A study on foot movement while running in super shoes
• 30:45 - How can we summarize the injury effect of super shoes?
• 39:33 - How do super shoes impact training load?
• 49:10 - How can we be cautious not to overtrain?
• 53:43 - Can we train all the time in super shoes?
• 1:01:19 - Wrap-up