These anatomical differences change the stress on the female body compared to their male counterpart during motion, and therefore makes them susceptible to more frequent and different injuries.
Sizing and shape of the shoe is a crucial factor for an accurate fit and overall stability of the foot within it. Naturally the female foot is shorter, but also narrower through the heel with a smaller Achilles.
Another thing to add is that this Achilles is often tight, due to short calf muscles caused by wearing shoes with high heels.
One of the main areas of injury concern for women is around the knee joint due to an increased quadriceps angle. The quadriceps angle is the alignment between the pelvis and the led and is determined by hip width and pelvic alignment.
With women the hip is more internally rotated, increasing the force on the knee cap towards the midline of the body. This can also lead to a greater external rotation at heel strike.
Therefore female specific shoes have a far greater heel bevel than men’s shoes. This is designed to improve the stability and cushioning of the shoe on initial contact.
The Ovulation Cycle
Concentrations of hormone levels within a women’s body will have an impact on the gait cycle by affecting ligament tensity. Also varying levels of oestrogen, which is a soft tissue relaxant, during a women’s monthly cycle can affect the medial arch height of the foot as ligament laxity changes.
To allow for these changes some running shoe manufacturers have developed a specific mid-foot design in their running shoes for women.
The additional space between the mid-foot bridge and the mid-sole has been increased allowing for a greater deformation of the mid-sole into the space during certain times of the ovulation cycle when the female foot posture is flatter.
The weaker foot structure of the female changes the loading pattern through the foot compared to men, notably increasing the pressure through the mid-foot causing the foot to over pronate. Therefore there is a greater demand for mid-foot support within a range of women specific trainers as there is a higher incidence of pronating females.