Pricey sneakers aren't worth the money: study

By Patricia Launt

TORONTO (Reuters Life!) - Expensive sneakers are not worth the money, according to a new study -- but this finding wasn't expected to lessen the appeal of a pair of upper-end running shoes.

Running has been linked to knee pain, shin splints, stress fractures and muscle tears so Scottish researchers set out to see if expensive running shoes provided better cushioning as well as being more comfortable than cheaper shoes.

They tested nine differently priced shoes from three brands on 43 men who were not told the prices of the shoes.

The least expensive pairs were priced 40 to 45 pounds ($82 to $92), with moderate pairs at 60 to 65 pounds ($123 to $133), and the most expensive at 70 to 75 pounds ($143 to $153).

But the research, conducted in the Institute of Motion Analysis and Research at the Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, found little, if any, difference.

"Low- and medium-cost running shoes in each of the three brands tested provided the same (if not better) cushioning of plantar pressure as high-cost running shoes," concluded the researchers.

The small study, to be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, used an in-shoe pressure measurement system to record plantar pressure -- or the force produced by the impact of the sole hitting the ground -- and a visual scale to assess comfort.

Previous research has shown that athletic footwear reduces impact peaks and shock wave intensity by up to 36 percent.