October 16/20 12:37 pm - Study Supports Theory That Stiffer Soled Cycling Shoes Improve Efficiency in Sprinting

Posted by Editor on 10/16/20
 

A study in the Journal of Footwear Science has provided evidence that stiff-soled cycling shoes do indeed improve performance. The study, titled "The effect of cycling shoes and the shoe-pedal interface on maximal mechanical power output during outdoor sprints", is by Andrew C. Burns and Rodger Kram, and appears in Volume 12, Issue 3 of the journal. An abstract for the article [the full report is pay-per-view] used 12 male cyclists on an uphill section [4.9% grade], who each completed three sprints of 100 metres with three different footwear setups. The least efficient was running shoes on flat pedals with no attachment mechanism, followed by running shoes with toe clips and straps. The most efficient was cycling shoes with clipless pedals - "Shoe-pedal attachment and stiff soles each positively improve cycling performance during high-power, uphill sprints."The abstract can be found Here.