Did you know that Dansko clogs can contribute to knee pain?

Danskos are a popular clog that are worn by many people.  People who have to stand on their feet all day long, including doctors, nurses, vets, and warehouse workers like these easy to wear clogs.  The sole of the clog is stiff and the heel height is typically 50 mm.

Stability shoes are a type of tennis shoe with an outsole that is made for stability in the rearfoot and motion across the ball of the foot during propulsion.  They have a higher heel height, typically around 40-50 mm. These can provide comfort because the muscles and joints of the feet don’t have to work as hard when they are used.

The Effects of Common Footwear on Joint Loading in Osteoarthritis of the Knee, published in Arthritis Care, shows increased loading of the knee joints in the Dansko clogs and stability tennis shoes when compared with flat walking shoes and barefoot walking.   

Do you have knee pain with your Danskos or stability shoes?  It might be time to rethink the stability shoe and go for a shoe with a lower heel, or heel drop.  There are lots of shoes with a lower heel drop or even zero heel drop. Ask at your local running shoe store to try on a pair and see how your knees feel.  

A few zero drop shoes that I recommend are Altra Superior and Altra Solstice. A casual zero drop shoe that can help provide less strain on the knees is the Vivobarefoot Ultra. The transition to get to zero drop shoes can take some time. Take it slow!

Enjoy!  
Amanda
Dr Strong Mom
drstrongmom@gmail.com
@drstrongmom

The Effects of Common Footwear on Joint Loading in Osteoarthritis of the Knee, Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 2010 Jul: 62 (7):917-923 Najia Shakoor, MD,1 Mondira Sengupta, MD,1 Kharma C. Foucher, MD, PhD,2 Markus A. Wimmer, PhD,2 Louis F. Fogg, PhD,3 and Joel A. Block, MD1

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase items through my affiliate links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn't change.