Finally! A shoe that challenges the Neutral vs Stable confusion!

True Motion trainers are relatively new to the market. Unlike other brands, True Motions' core mission is aimed at reducing the risk of running-related injuries. Their patented midsole design has been found to “reduce the risk of running injuries by up to 50%"!

What I like the most about True Motion, is that they don't seem to pigeon-hole runners into “neutral vs pronation” categories, which I completely agree with! I always consider the mechanics of the entire body when working with runners, ensuring they have adequate strength to move in the most mechanically efficient way that suits them. True Motion also believe that rather than artificially forcing the foot into one “ideal” motion, perhaps a better approach is to support a natural, anatomically aligned motion that respects how the human foot, ankle, and knees are meant to work. Their U-TECH system aims to aid this from the very moment the foot strikes, rather than simply trying to fix pronation or over-supination artificially with a shoe.

I put some runners to the test to see what this all felt like in practice!

When testing with GaitOn 2D analysis software, the True Motion shoe certainly shows stability at the foot during the mid-stance phase. We can see that this runner (image below) does possess some notable pelvic tilt, but the foot remains very stable and neutral. This was similar across testing amongst a group of recreational female runners.

So how are True Motion shoes achieving this?

• Soft landings with stable foot-strike: because of the U-shaped heel, the foot “settles” into a centered, stable position when it lands, reducing sudden shifts. Despite the heel-to-toe drop being a whopping squishy 10mm, once the heel sinks into the foam the effective offset becomes 0 mm, encouraging a neutral, grounded strike.

• Smooth transition & efficient push-off: True Motion incorporate what they call a “MotionBridge” and flex grooves in the outsole to ensure energy flows smoothly from landing to toe-off, helping runners roll and push off naturally.

  
  

• Energy return and comfort: the foam in the midsole delivers a high energy return — for example, True Motion states up to ~75% energy return with some of their shoes, giving it a slightly “springy” feel underfoot.  This was certainly noted by the female runners!

•  That bounce, combined with stability made running feel smoother, less jarring, and more enjoyable — which in turn can reduce fatigue and over-use injuries.

Overall, I would highly recommend these trainers. They certainly appear to be stabilising the foot during the running stride, which can definitely have a significant impact on the number of running related injuries that are occurring! And finally, something that challenges the outdated sales methods of categorising all runners into either 'neutral vs stability' shoes.