Kicksology Episode 8: Super Shoes with Jared Ward and Iain Hunter

In this episode of Kicksology, host Brian Metzler is joined by Olympic marathoner and Saucony pro Jared Ward, and Dr. Iain Hunter, a biomechanics and exercise science professor at Brigham Young University. They talk all about the rise of super shoes — marathon racers with curvy carbon fiber plates embedded in the midsole that have been proven to reduce metabolic cost by 4 to 6 percent — and the implications to the sport and the runner.

Questions they discuss include: Do we run differently in those shoes? How have those shoes changed competitive running? How have those shoes changed how runners race and train? What other benefits do those shoes offer?

Metzler is the author of the book, "Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes" and a long-time runner who has competed in races on the track, roads and trails from 50 meters to 100 miles.

In each episode of Kicksology, Metzler engages shoe designers, entrepreneurs, shoe company executives, retailers, athletes and physical therapists to talk about the evolution of running shoes, new shoe launches, breakthrough technologies, the biomechanics of running and everything else running-shoe related.