Overview

• Researchers from Simon Fraser University published a qualitative study in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine after focus groups with 21 women runners in Vancouver aged 20–70, including recreational and competitive athletes.
• Participants said most so‑called women's models are scaled down from men's lasts, reporting that this approach fails to reflect women's foot morphology and how women run.
• The women most often wanted a wider toe box, a narrower heel and more underfoot cushioning, while competitive runners sought performance features such as carbon plates without sacrificing comfort.
• Runners described trial‑and‑error buying, reliance on trusted retailers and a need for different shoes for contexts such as racing, training, speed work or returning from injury.
• The authors highlight decades of male‑centric R&D and testing and recommend manufacturers create sex‑ and gender‑specific lasts and models, noting the study's small, locally recruited sample limits generalisability.