Modern running shoes have evolved significantly over the past 20 years, but there’s perhaps no footwear trend as out-there as maximalist running shoes. These thick-soled, high-cushion trainers have now gone from ultramarathon finish lines and aid stations to more common sites like city streets. They’re beloved by both new runners and hardened road warriors – but the waters are muddied by a range of options from a host of manufacturers and a handful of questions about the virtues and limitations of maximalist shoes.
What Are Maximalist Running Shoes?
Maximalist running shoes got their name from their high-stack concept. That stack height is the amount of material sitting between the bottom of your shoe and the ground and that has traditionally been between 20mm and 28mm for standard trainers, Standard shoes come in around that range of 20-28mm depending on the design and the model. Maximalist shoes are significantly higher, with some designers getting up to 35-40mm or more.
That added height is almost always made up of foam to protect your foot from the shock of the ground as you land.
Key Design Features
The most apparent sign is the exaggerated midsole, but there is a lot more happening underneath. Many maximalist shoes have rocker geometry – a curved profile on the bottom which helps the runner roll forward rather than having to flex the toes to spring off. This design feature takes the load off the Achilles and the front of the foot.
Heel to toe drop ranges – some are nearly nonexistent, others have the standard 8mm to 10mm drop, and then there are wide platforms and reinforced sidewalls for side-to-side stability that offset that tall ride height. Add it all up and you are practically rolling along on a big firm mattress.
How Maximalist Shoes Evolved
Hoka One (which is now just Hoka) pioneered the oversized midsole among the trail running set way back in 2010, initially designing it with ultramarathoners in mind, to absorb jarring wear and tear over tough ground and huge mileage. The idea migrated nearly immediately. Road runners found that the cush to help with their training hours and long runs, and by the mid-2010s, virtually every major brand (Brooks, New Balance, Saucony, et al.) had their own big-sole shoes.
Benefits and Limitations of Maximalist Running Shoes
High stack shoes provide real benefit but they are not a cure-all. When you know the pros and cons, you will be better equipped to make an intelligent decision rather than just going with the trend or hype.
Potential Benefits
Impact reduction is the biggest obvious benefit. The thick foam in a maximalist shoe cushions impact all the way up your legs – ankles, knees, and hips – with each step, and this is especially important on long pavement stretches. For people with sensitive joints or those who have experienced significant stress to the lower body, many runners find that ultra-high-thickness shoes make long efforts more comfortable.
Running in an ultra thick shoe truly does feel easier, and there’s also protection from the rocks and roots that would otherwise abrade your foot and turn a trail run into a bruise fest; for ultramarathoners, this level of protection over 50 or 100 miles can make or break a finish.
Possible Drawbacks
Here’s the thing — more cushioning is not a guarantee of fewer injuries. No studies have indicated that shoes with the high stacks are any better than moderate cushion shoes when it comes to injury prevention. The thick midsole dampens what’s called proprioception, your foot’s ability to detect the ground and make immediate changes in your gait.
That diminished input can change biomechanics in ways that produce new stress points instead of eliminating old ones. The extra foam also weighs down the shoe and some runners find the tall, plush platform gives them a bit of a sloshy ride at speed and around sharp corners.
Who Should Wear Maximalist Running Shoes?
Matching type of shoe to type of run is important more than people think. Maximalist running shoes design is very well for some aspects of running, it’s not as good for other situations.
Best Uses
Easy runs and long-distance training runs are the shoes’ forte. During slower, more comfortable runs that are meant to be time on your feet more than anything else, a lot of kilometers are achieved. Recovery runs – slow, short runs coming between more intense training runs – are much easier on the joints in a cushioned shoe.
Trail runners or trail runners running technical terrain get a little more support under the foot in a cushioned shoe on rocky singletrack. Ultramarathon runners tend to wear maximal shoes as their primary footwear because no other style comes close to a maximal shoe for distance. Older runners, or runners with plantar fasciitis or knee osteoarthritis, sometimes find a little more comfort in a shoe with more padding.
When to Choose Another Type
Speed work and speedier workouts like track sessions and races require something lighter and firmer. If your shoe’s soft midsole is soaking up every ounce of energy that should be pushing you along, it’s still good for recovery jogging – just not during a speed session or a 5K. Heavily overpronating runners often need a stability trainer with firmer medial support instead of a lush, neutral shoe.
And if you’re just learning to run, wearing a very cushioned shoe before the muscles of your foot and leg develop any strength will obscure crucial sensory input your body needs those first few weeks.
How to Choose the Right Maximalist Running Shoes
Purchasing a maximalist shoe that hasn’t been properly tried on is a bit of a shot in the dark. Well-fitting shoes are immediately comfortable, not “break in over 50 miles over and over again” comfortable.
Fit and Foot Shape
Toe-box room is everything. You need approximately a thumb’s width of room in the toe area, and your toes should splay comfortably without crunching against the sides of the shoe. Wide-footed runners need to find brands that carry wide width models if that’s necessary — many don’t.
Secure your heel; if it slips when you take the shoes for a quick jog up and down the aisle, then no amount of padding will save you in the long run. Always try your new shoes on with your runninng socks on, too — sock fit can surprise you.
Cushioning and Ride Characteristics
Foam Midsole foam quality can vary from shoe to shoe and throughout each brand’s range. Some maximalist shoes are quite soft and cushioned, others are surprisingly firmer and more responsive given their height. You can’t always gauge this simply by how high the shoe is off the ground – a thick, 38mm shoe can feel more stable and harder while a thinner, 33mm shoe can feel more soft and compliant.
Rocker geometry will influence how each shoe rolls through your stride – is the roll natural feeling for you?
Will heavier runners squish the foam faster?
Transitioning to Maximalist Running Shoes Safely
Transitioning from one trainer to a high-stack shoe immediately can be a costly mistake. Your muscles, tendons and overall movement patterns require some time to adapt to the change in ride qualities.
Building Running Time Gradually
Begin small – try 20-30 minute runs in your new shoes before taking it on longer runs. Mix up your new maximalist shoes with your old shoes for the first 2-4 weeks. This allows your body to adapt, without overwhelming tissues that haven’t yet been exposed to the new biomechanics.
Slowly build the miles you are doing in the new shoes each week instead of jumping straight in with a full switch.
Signs of a Good or Poor Match
Good signs include comfortable landings, seamless heel-toe shifts, and a lack of new fatigue post-run. Conversely, a new pain in the ankles, knees, or hips – if you didn’t already have it – indicates the shoe doesn’t fit your mechanics. Numbness, slipping heels, and a sense of “loosening” when turning corners should be taken just as seriously.
You shouldn’t feel like you’ve added a new problem to your life when you slip on a new shoe.