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HOW COLD WEATHER IMPACTS ON THE PERFORMANCE AND CUSHIONING OF YOUR RUNNING SHOES?

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The answer is yes. Cold weather has a negative impact on the performance and cushioning of your running shoes.

Cold temperatures stiffen the foam in the midsole and insole of running shoes, changing their cushioning properties.

You may have experienced a different sensation in your feet while running in very low temperatures or in the snow, as if your shoes have suddenly become hard and stiff.

What are the reasons? 

The insole and midsole of almost all running shoes are made of ethylene-vinyl acetate or EVA, a synthetic foam that provides a good balance between cushioning and energy return.Like all similar materials, EVA becomes softer when heated and stiffer (even 1.5 times more) when cooled.

It therefore becomes important to implement some precautions:

  1. choose shoes with a softer midsole that will have better mechanical properties and will be more resistant to changes in cushioning properties
  2. pay particular attention to the usage of your shoes. If you have already run 400 kilometers, and therefore the cushioning is already partially compromised, buy a new pair of shoes for the winter.

Are you looking for a quick and effective solution to safeguard your feet? Try the Noene insoles, one of the best insoles for trail running, which you can use while waiting to change shoes or even in new shoes to increase the cushioning power.

Have a look at Noene Insoles here: Noene

Good training and … winter racing!

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Cristina Tasselli

Digital Strategic Marketing Director - certified Innovation Manager - in multinational companies, she is still today the only Italian female athlete to have ran 900 km and 55,000m D+ in the mountains in a single stage race (Transpyrenea 2016, 3rd women overall). She counts numerous Podiums and international Victories on races over 100k. She holds a SNaQ CONI certification as a Trail Running Coach, Athletic Trainer and in Nutrition and Sports Supplementation. Since 2014 she is President and sports executive of innovative technology startups and companies, including Trail Running Movement and Digital Sport 360. She trains elite trail running athletes and she teaches in trail running coach certification courses. She is an author of sports articles on training, nutrition and supplementation in trail running and running, both in Italian and in English and Spanish. She manages relationships and collaborations with Federations and Race Organizers.